About the design options

In 2020, we asked our community how we could improve Maling Road in Canterbury. Over 1,200 people shared their ideas and we used these to create our Maling Road Place Plan and streetscape concept designs.

The main improvements we want to achieve include:

  • resurfaced and wider footpaths along the street
  • more street trees and garden beds
  • improved street furniture and lighting design
  • safer pedestrian crossings
  • ways to slow traffic and increase safety for people
  • upgrading bicycle parking options.

There are 2 different ways to achieve these improvements to Maling Road. We explain these concept design options below, including what they would provide the community and what they may not provide. We want to know which option you would prefer.


Option 1: Create a new one-way section

This option helps to improve safety to the area by:

  • reducing the amount of traffic and making it more predictable with the one-way intersection entrance between Canterbury Road and Bryson Street
  • slowing traffic, possibly through pavement treatments and reducing the speed limit
  • creating new raised pedestrian crossings.

This option also helps to invigorate the area by:

  • developing around 300m2 of new public space (more space compared to option 2) for greenery, public seating and outdoor dining
  • redesigning the intersection entrance to Maling Road from Canterbury Road to create new seating areas.

Option 1 will result in the loss of 7 on-road car parking spaces and traffic diversion into nearby streets. If this is the preferred option, we will look at more traffic management measures to manage the impact of this traffic diversion.

These measures may include:

  • removing existing left-turn slip lane to access Canterbury Road
  • reducing speed in the one-way part of Maling Road
  • warning signs at the southern part of Maling Road to redirect road users who want to access Canterbury Road.

For more information on the impact to traffic, you can read the 'Maling Road Traffic and Transport Findings' in the Document library on this page.

A map of Maling Road showing proposed improvements for option 1 including a change to one-way road, new bicycle parking and more public space.

Proposed improvements for option 1.

Before: A before photo of One-way intersection entrance between Canterbury Road and Bryson Street. After: An artist's impression of the proposed changes to One-way intersection entrance between Canterbury Road and Bryson Street.

Option 1: Proposed one-way intersection entrance between Canterbury Road and Bryson Street.

Before: The area for proposed pedestrian crossing on Maling Road. After: An artist's impression of The area for proposed pedestrian crossing on Maling Road.

Option 1: Proposed pedestrian crossing.


Option 2: Keep the road two-way

This option helps improve safety to the area by:

  • slowing traffic, possibly through pavement treatment and reducing the speed limit
  • creating new raised pedestrian crossings.

This option also helps to invigorate the area by:

  • developing approximately 215m2 of new public space (less space than option 1) for greenery, public seating and outdoor dining
  • improving existing garden beds and retaining walls in the intersection entrance to Maling Road from Canterbury Road.

Option 2 will result in the loss of 11 on-road car parking spaces.


A map of Maling Road showing proposed improvements for option 2 including new bicycle parking and more public space.

Proposed improvements for option 2.

Before: A before photo of two-way intersection entrance between Canterbury Road and Bryson Street. After: An artist's impression of the proposed changes to two-way intersection entrance between Canterbury Road and Bryson Street.

Option 2: Proposed two-way intersection entrance between Canterbury Road and Bryson Street.

Before: The area for proposed pedestrian crossing on Maling Road. After: An artist's impression of The area for proposed pedestrian crossing on Maling Road.

Option 2: Proposed pedestrian crossing.