They say the vision is to create a place where the community and businesses will thrive, one that's full of services, open shops, cultural and recreational spaces, is contemporary, respects history, heritage, environment and visual identity.

It should be a place where everyone can move safely and efficiently.

The architects say the lack of a major department store affects higher-order shopping while CBD fringe locations and old arcade-style buildings with no exposure suffer soft market demand and high vacancies.

The rental rates are challenging for many businesses operating on low margins and car parks are poorly designed and not well planned. They're hot in summer creating an urban heat effect and retail outlets face them rather than streets.

The challenges, the architects say, include Summer Street functioning as both a highway and a main street and that creates pedestrian conflict and an unpleasant environment.

The double lane roundabouts are unsafe and difficult for pedestrians of all ages to cross the pedestrian connections to the railway station are poor and unsafe.

The major anchors like the new Department of Primary Industries office and TAFE are away from the CBD and will need improvements to streetscape and safety in order to create a pleasant pedestrian environment.

The architects point out anti-social behaviour at the bus stop along Summer Street and in Robertson Park may deter the community from using the space.

The architects say to deliver real change to the CBD there should be other forms of transport like buses or bicycles while the impact of vehicles on some streets should be diminished and allow different patterns of movement, speeds, use and occupation.

Car parks should be used for other activities such as markets at off peak times. The opportunities the architects see include strong food and hospitality retail within the CBD to service growing visitor population, a highly amenable streetscape with wide footpaths to allow for outdoor dining, a growing number of artisan food and wine outlets as well as 'gastro-pubs' supporting Orange's role as a tourist destination.

Phew. lt's been said architecture should excite you, calm you and make you think. Will these Summer Street proposals do that?

LOOK outside Orange pubs late in the afternoon and what do you see? Toyota HiLux, Ford Rangers and Mazda BT50s with the backs full of tool boxes and ladders and pipes because they're the obvious choice of tradies.

And outside schools in the mornings there's dozens of those SUV things as mums drop off their kids.

Cars? Well they're on the way out. Last year Orange motor dealers sold 3,228 new vehicles. Of these 1,093 were cars and, quelle horreur, 1,635 were SUVs and tradies' utes. That's 542 more.

The total number of vehicles registered in Orange in 2018 was 50,387 so it's little wonder our streets are cluttered every day. Of these 16,772 were cars and 18,610 SUVs and tradies' utes so now there's 1,838 more of these things than cars.

So the battle is lost by we normal people who simply own an average car that's a true reflection of ourselves and not some sort of SUV status symbol or fuel guzzler.