Interactive artwork in the city’s laneways and heritage walks that celebrate the region’s heroes and villains were the most popular proposals in the Central Maitland Interpretation Master Plan, when it was on public exhibition earlier this year.

Councillors are expected to adopt the draft master plan as an official policy at tonight’s meeting.

Earlier this year, the Mercury took an in-depth look at some of the proposed ideas to breathe new life into the city centre aside from council’s multi-million dollar mall revamp.

They included interactive heritage walks that incorporate social media and smart phone technology to engage people and creating illusions of forests and floods in the city’s laneways to bring them to life.

A council staff report noted that feedback from the public about the master plan had been overwhelmingly positive.

“The quality and depth of built and social heritage in central Maitland offers the city a unique opportunity to position itself at the forefront of contemporary heritage interpretation in the country,” it said.

A Heroes and Villains walking trail, telegraph pole flood installations, shopfront art projections and laneway installations have been costed and earmarked as the four highest priority projects outlined in the plan.

The master plan is to use the city’s heritage to create themes and attractions to draw businesses, visitors and residents back to the heart of Maitland.