Melbourne’s population is expected to grow to 8 million people by 2050. The urban growth boundary is not going to keep expanding, so consolidating our established urban areas with good amenities and urban transport access is the way forward. Off the back of the State Government’s 2023 Housing Statement and in responding to the demand for housing, the target delivery of 800,000 homes by 2034 has been set.
The Activity Centre program was announced to assist in meeting this target, with draft activity centre plans for ten nominated centres recently undergoing public consultation. The ten nominated activity centres included North Essendon, Niddrie (Keilor Road), Broadmeadows, Epping, Preston (High Street), Ringwood, Camberwell Junction, Chadstone, Frankston and Moorabbin.
The Draft Activity Centre Plans aim to simplify structure planning and typically nominate new building heights of between four and twelve storeys within the ten Activity Centre areas and three to six storeys in their respective catchment areas, generally within 800m walking distance from the activity centre core.
With an emphasis on walkable catchment areas and increasing density, it is imperative that the design of the public realm evolves alongside the built form to ensure that the activity centres promote liveability. In a scenario where we build more apartment buildings, consider living costs, and climate change, the demand for good quality streetscapes and parks with free access to recreation, events spaces, and leisure activities has become more important than ever.
The Draft Activity Centre plans vary in their substance on guiding the improvements to public realm. This appears to be a reflection that some of the activity centres have benefitted from the relevant Council’s undertaking background placemaking and structure plans prior to the Activity Centre Program.
It is encouraging to see the plans are prioritising the provision of canopy trees on big sites, street-level activation along pedestrian corridors, and the use of the Movement and Place framework, but there is a lack of direction on the required public realm improvements within and around these activity centres.
The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) recently acknowledged the disparity in public realm details for each centre. The VPA confirmed that, should the Activity Centre Program be further expanded, Councils would likely be required to prepared public realm plans as a separate piece of work, following the streamlined structure planning for any additional centres.
Ratio has been part of planning public spaces for future densities in places like ‘Streets For People’ in Spotswood in Hobsons Bay, the ‘Green Link’ on Glen Eira and a ‘Movement and Place’ approach to public realm planning’ for Dandenong’s major activity centre.
In the latter example, Ratio used the Department of Transport & Planning’s Movement and Place framework to develop and test various options to improve the public realm associated with the revitalisation of the city centre. The investigation and analysis was undertaken through the lens of recently announced once-in-a-generation changes to the transport network changes. The framework helped identify how the street network, including key intersections, could be rationalised to best serve Dandenong’s future population, including workers and visitors, while aligning with Council’s broader strategic vision for the area.
Whilst these considerations are a sound foundation for ensuring improvements to the public realm are provided, it is important to acknowledge that the public experience extends beyond just these factors. The future of the public realm will require strategies that utilise street tree shading and water sensitive urban design to combat increasing temperatures from climate change and ensure these increasingly populated activity centres are comfortable and sustainable places to live and work. It is also key that any loss of the urban forest from privately developed land is balanced through increased tree coverage within the public realm.
With the expected increase in apartment living, it is also important that open spaces are available that are accessible and include street furniture, soft landscaping, and shade to promote social gatherings and places to stop or sit. Opportunities for bike/micromobility lanes is key, while improvements to the street network and footpath experience will also be required to ensure that the ‘walkable catchment’ is walkable for all the community irrespective of age, gender and range of mobility.
Improved public realm often requires loss of car parking or reduce road carriageway width. Many of the activity centres identified as part of the program have arterial roads that support multi-modal trips (bus, cycling, tram, freight and general traffic).
These streets are where a fundamental conflict exists between on-street activity, abutting land use and the safe and efficient movement of people and goods through a place.
Application of the Movement and Place framework assists with identifying modal priorities across a wider road network, as opposed to a single corridor, and can assist with evaluating different public realm options against strategic objectives for different activity centres.
More apartment buildings will appear in the urban landscape of Melbourne’s metropolitan area in accordance with the Draft Activity Centre plans. However, we must be mindful that good access to local parks is not going to be enough to achieve the urban densification our city and its population need.
The quality of the green infrastructure associated with new higher residential built forms, design for social connections, and ecological function should be essential when planning for higher density in times of climate change. Understanding where the population will gather, the standard of these public spaces, and the streets through which pedestrians, bikes, and vehicles will move is essential to preparing the urban structure for a well-thought-out higher residential density.
At Ratio, we are passionate about participating in the design of good-quality urban spaces. Our team of experts work together to achieve sustainable outcomes in projects of different scales and needs. Contact our experts Ariel Utz, Ben Krastins, or submit an enquiry to mail@ratio.com.au
