It will achieve urban forest and water sensitive urban design objectives, while helping to respond to the urban heat island affect and flooding issues in Southbank. It also aims to improve the safety and amenity of the street in order to encourage more people to walk, cycle and use public transport.
Master plan actions
The City Road Master plan includes a number of actions as listed below. To find out the status of each of these actions, visit
City Road works.
Action 1: Transform City Road West into a great central city street
Action 2: Reimagine Kings Way undercroft as a community space
- Northern undercroft open space
- Southern undercroft open space
- City Road Park open space
Action 3: Upgrade City Road East to be safer and easier to get around
- Upgrades to the City Road carriageway
- Upgrades to the intersection of City Road and Southbank Boulevard, which have been delivered through the Transforming Southbank Boulevard project
- Streetscape upgrades including footpaths, street trees and public lighting
Action 4: Connect City Road to the Arts Centre and Yarra River
- Advocacy to State Government for outcomes which can be achieved through the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation project.
Action 5: Connect the Gardens
- A new signalised pedestrian crossing at Alexandra Gardens
Action 6: Expand the bicycle network within Southbank
- Construction of bike lanes on Southbank Boulevard, Kavanagh Street and Balston Street (connecting into City Road West)
- A signalised pedestrian crossing between Boyd Park and the Kings Way southern undercroft.
The master plan was prepared in partnership with VicRoads, now a part of the Department of Transport, the authority responsible for management of the carriageway.
Awards
The City Road Master Plan was recognised by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) at its 2017 National Awards as the winner of 'Best Planning Ideas – Small Project', and as the winner of both 'Best Planning Ideas – Small Project' and 'Public Engagement and Community Planning' at the 2016 PIA Victorian Awards.
The final City Road Master Plan can be viewed below.