Theme 6

Your Local Shops and Businesses

Achievements 

Undertaking placemaking projects

Commitment 

Explore opportunities to undertake a placemaking approach in shaping and designing our public spaces and shopping centres, to increase social interaction, economic viability and enhancing the liveability of our community.

Project overview: We are exploring a new way of improving Boroondara’s public spaces. The approach is called placemaking, and it involves: 

• creating places that improve social connection
• creating thriving local economies
• contributing positively the environment
• enhancing the community’s quality of life. 

Council adopted a Placemaking Framework in late-2019 that outlines the process involved in enhancing our public spaces in partnership with local communities.

By listening to those who regularly spend time in a place, we can respond to the community’s ideas by implementing projects and initiatives to enhance these spaces, encouraging people to spend more time there.

We have commenced our first two placemaking projects to revitalise Maling Road in Canterbury, and the Glenferrie Precinct in Hawthorn.

Project aims

The Maling Road and Glenferrie Precinct placemaking projects aim to increase the community’s sense of place, belonging and ownership to their local precincts. 

A key aim of these placemaking projects has been to encourage the community and key stakeholders to partner with us on the journey by collaborating and co-designing places that meet their needs. 

Extensive community engagement conducted in late-2019 and early-2020 for both precincts aimed to define the community’s vision for these places by asking them to share their big ideas for the future, and then to prioritise various opportunities that were identified for improvements.

Project outcomes 

After extensive community feedback, analysis and research, the Maling Road and Glenferrie Precinct placemaking projects are in the planning and design phase. We developed a Place Vision and Place Plan for the Maling Road area and are currently consulting on the Glenferrie Precinct Place Vision, which outlines various projects and initiatives to be implemented over the next 5+ years.

As a result, the community will benefit from: 

• higher quality public realm
• greater engagement in cultural and social life
• a stronger local identity and character
• economic benefits stemming from greater foot traffic and visitor numbers.

Summary of Other Achievements 

• Supported local businesses through the Business in Boroondara Program by providing a range of engaging and industry leading business support services. 
• Explored new ways of improving Boroondara’s public spaces through placemaking projects to encourage the community and key stakeholders to partner with us on the journey by collaborating and co-designing places that meet their needs. 
• Completed several shopping centre improvement works including Church Street, Fordham and Hartwell Shopping Centres.