Regional Centres The ‘Coming Thing’

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31116, 20 July 1966, Page 7

Regional Centres The ‘Coming Thing’

There was no doubt that balanced development of regional shopping centres was the “coming thing” in New Zealand, said Mr J. H. Churton general manager of the Fletcher Trust and Investment Company, Ltd., in Christchurch yesterday. Mr Churton was in Christchurch with Mr K. Robinson, the company’s shopping centres manager, and Mr J. R. Humphreys, the company’s project controller, for discussions about the new Northlands shopping centre at Papanui. Mr Churton said he did not think that suburban shopping centres would affect the city centre. “The city centre has built-in custom from the people who work there," he said. Uris sort of development takes care of growth areas and forestalls ribbon development. K brings sound planning into suburban shopping.” He agreed that regional shopping centres were a direct result of city traffic problems. In the United States, he said, attempts were being made to revive city centres, but this was possible only where there were good freeways and parking facilities. This would happen in Auckland when the motorways were completed if adequate parking space wss provided. However, people would always come into the city cen-

tre for certain types of shopping. Mt Churton said shopping facilities must be provided for suburban growth, and his company was hoping to participate and was exploring the problem as scientifically as it could.

Major New Zealand cities like Chrtstchurch were ready for that type of development. He said Me company did not have any plans for mote shopping centres in the South IMand at present, apart from one being promoted at Nelson.