Smith Street Streetscape Improvements 

The Smith Street Streetscape improvements project is part of City of Darwin’s ongoing partnership with the Northern Territory Government to transform Darwin into a more vibrant and liveable tropical city. The NT Government has committed $3 million to the project, with City of Darwin delivering the project.

The project will see greening and cooling elements added to the stretch between Knuckey and Whitfield Streets, including additional trees and landscaping, improved pedestrian and active transport access and enhancements made to amenity.

Construction Commencement

Works will commence on Monday 31 March 2025 and are expected to be completed by August 2025, weather permitting. 

Local Darwin company DEC Installations has been engaged to deliver the works. 

Traffic control measures will be implemented to ensure public safety during the construction period, and we will maintain two-way access wherever possible. 
Property and pedestrian access will be preserved, although parking spaces adjacent to the work site will be limited. 

There will be some noise disturbances during construction. While efforts will be made to limit work to regular hours, some tasks may need to be done after hours.

Thank you for your patience and consideration while we deliver this important project for the community.  

Please see map below indicating the work area.

Final Design

Community engagement undertaken in June 2024 helped to shape the final design. The outcomes of this engagement are published at engage.darwin.nt.gov.au/shape-smith-street

 Site Plan

The Smith Street Streetscape project will deliver:

• Natural shade with 23 new street trees, including 17 on-road trees in irrigated tree pits.
   
• Designated access for micromobility devices (bicycles, e-scooters, etc.) with protected lanes alongside the kerb. These new lanes will feature a safety strip, creating physical separation from parked cars.
   
• Improved pedestrian connectivity with new pedestrian crossing points at Whitfield St, Searcy St and Edmunds St.
   
• New pedestrian seating nodes designed in collaboration with local Darwin artists, Amina McConcell and Katy Moir.
   
• A dedicated micro-mobility hub at the Edmunds St intersection with a feature artwork commission by local Darwin artist Lee Harrop for parking bicycles and e-scooters.
   
• New road surface treatments featuring artwork by local Darwin artists Denise Quall and Minna Leunig to encourage vehicles to slow down at key intersections, promoting safety for all road users.
   
• An updated rainbow crossing at Knuckey Street, featuring the Inclusive Progress Pride Flag, celebrating and recognising diversity.

To enable these new features, there will be a reduction of 19 on-street parking bays, with 37 parking bays retained and 3 accessible bays will be relocated to Peel Street.

Virtually tour the new layout and see the final design through this flythrough video, providing an in-depth understanding of the planned enhancements for this project. 

Public Artwork Announcement 

As part of this project, City of Darwin is delivering on our Creative Strategy 2024-2030, focusing on Celebrating Larrakia, Distinctly Darwin, and Invigorating Spaces. After a competitive process, five local artists were engaged to produce four art pieces that will be included as part of the Smith Street Streetscape project:

Hermit Hustle by Denise Quall

Denis Quall is a Larrakia woman who has lived in Darwin her entire life.

Hermit Hustle is a road mural at the intersection of Smith Street and Searcy Street. Hermit Hustle highlights the importance of community cooperation and features a playful and imaginative scene of hermit crabs crossing the street, offering a fresh perspective on the everyday hustle and bustle of life. For more information about her  

Foundation Stone by Lee Harrop 

Lee Harrop is an ecologically oriented artist who was awarded a PhD at Charles Darwin University and has a Master of Fine Arts.

Foundation Stone is a feature piece that forms part of the micromobility hub at the intersection of Smith Street and Edmunds St. Foundation Stone draws attention to the geological material used in its creation, Mt Bundey granite, exploited in the construction of Darwin City roads, footpaths, building facades, flooring and furnishings.   

Rest Stop by Amina McConvell and Katy Moir 

Amina McConvell and Katy Moir’s collaboration is based on their intersecting visual arts practices and shared aesthetics. Katy has an architectural background, and Amina has a fine arts background. Both artists work with the language of abstraction and geometric conceptualism. 

Rest Stop is a series of seating nodes at various locations along Smith Street featuring new and repurposed seating elements. In this work Amina and Katy have fused the functionality of street furniture objects into a sculptural installation. Their artwork uses geometric shapes and patterns to create colourful passages and places of connection for pedestrians.  

Humidity Rising by Minna Leunig

Minna Leunig is a visual artist living and working on the traditional lands of the Larrakia people in Darwin. Painting both on canvas and large-scale public murals, Minna creates wild and playful images inspired by the unique beauty of native Australian landscapes. 

Humidity Rising is a road mural at the intersection of Smith Street and Edmunds Street. Humidity Rising is a playful depiction of Larrakia country and a celebration of the unique and diverse Australian ecosystems.