Streets and laneways can be reimagined as people-focused public spaces that add richness to the civic, social and economic life of the City, and support more sustainable ‘active’ travel choices.

Our streets make up around 30% of our City’s space and are currently car-focused. With a growing population we need to look for innovative ways to create new public spaces and to improve access to existing spaces.

Re-designing our streets is key to meeting Council’s commitments in its Move, Connect, Live Strategy to create 10-minute walking neighbourhoods, boost bike riding and provide more space for social interaction and trade. There are many ways to achieve more people friendly streets, from temporary ‘play-streets’ to a permanent new park, with each adding to the liveability and amenity of our neighbourhoods. This may involve compromises, such as replacing car parks with a wider footpath, trees or a new park.

There are also opportunities to replicate central Melbourne’s icon laneway culture in our shopping centres, through repurposing and activating these often underutilised and unloved spaces as places to meet, eat and shop.

What Council is currently doing:

• Shrine to Sea link - redesign of Kerferd Road as a pedestrian and bike friendly ‘boulevard’, linking ANZAC station to the beach.
• Closing roads to create new parks - e.g. Moubray Street ‘Pop-up’ Park adjacent the local school.
• Activating our shopping streets through creating new public spaces - e.g. Acland Plaza, and trial road closures e.g. Cecil Street next to the South Melbourne Market.

Opportunities

Ways we can transform our streets include:

• Create ‘parklets’ through repurposing a car park or street space, can help to ‘activate’ streets and support a local café business.
• Closing a street to make way for a new park, or at certain times of the day to create safe ‘play streets’ for children or for ‘pop-up’ events such as markets and local festivals.
• Widened footpaths and ‘usable’ medians enhance walking and bike riding, and create links that connect our network of park.
• Incorporating unexpected events and features along our streets can make them more interesting and playful e.g. art installations, shadows, mini-libraries and community notice boards.

Thought prompters

• Which opportunities would you like to see implemented in your neighbourhood and where?
• Do you have other ideas?

Return to Have Your Say on the Public Space Strategy main page.