Rebuilding the heartbeat of Hobart's city centre

Hobart’s CBD does not need another committee report to tell us it is under pressure. People can feel it.

Traffic is harder. Parking is dearer. Safety concerns have changed how some people use the city. Businesses are dealing with cautious customers, higher costs and a difficult economy. Families are under pressure from rent, mortgages, groceries and power bills.

All of that lands in one place: the city centre.

So the question is simple. Do we keep managing decline, or do we start rebuilding life into the heart of Hobart? I believe the answer starts in the Elizabeth Street Mall.

The mall is some of the most valuable public land in Tasmania. It sits at the centre of the state’s largest dedicated business precinct. Yet at the moment, it is not doing enough work for the city.

It should not simply be a passageway between shops. It should be a place people want to visit, linger, spend, meet, eat, listen, browse and return to.

Placemakers have identified it as cluttered. The roof is nearing the end of its useful life. That should not be seen only as a maintenance issue. It should be seen as an opportunity.

This is the moment to redesign the mall properly.

And the answer may not be to add more. It may be to do less, better.

Less clutter. Less fixed infrastructure. Less visual noise. Less of the old thinking that treats the mall as a corridor rather than a destination.

A redesigned mall should create space for a regular night market, night buskers, outdoor dining, small performances, seasonal events and family-friendly activity.

That is not window dressing. That is economic development.

A low-cost stall can help a new business test a product before taking on a shopfront. A regular night market gives people a reason to come into town after work. Outdoor dining supports hospitality. Music and performance create atmosphere. More people in the city supports retailers, cleaners, suppliers, security, transport and jobs.

One stall can become a business. One evening market can become a habit. One lively public space can help change the story of the whole CBD.

We also need to be honest about families. At present, Hobart’s CBD does not offer enough simple respite for parents with children. A trip into town with tired children should not feel like a military campaign with snacks.

The mall should include a proper place for children to play, parents to pause and grandparents to sit. A city that welcomes children welcomes families. A city that welcomes families creates foot traffic. Foot traffic keeps small business alive. We should also consider a permanent stage or performance space in the mall. Not something overbuilt or grandiose, but a clear focal point for music, events, launches, culture and community life.

Hobart has an artistic soul. It needs somewhere to sing.

This is not about turning the mall into a theme park. It is about making it work as the civic and commercial heart of the city.

For too long, we have spoken as though business, culture, safety, families and public space are separate issues. They are not. A well-designed city centre brings them together.

Good design is not decoration. It changes behaviour. It invites people in. It gives them reasons to stay. It gives them reasons to come back.

The CBD is Tasmania’s most important business precinct. It should be treated with that seriousness. The mall roof gives us the trigger. The economic pressure gives us the urgency. The business community gives us the reason. The people of Hobart give us the purpose.

We can keep patching the city centre, or we can reimagine it.

Hobart needs a mall that works from morning coffee to evening music. A place for workers, families, visitors, performers, restaurants, retailers and small business dreamers.

The heart of Hobart is still there.

Now we need to bring back the heartbeat.