In early 2000, the City of Melbourne looked at improving public open spaces in North and West Melbourne. It was well-recognised in the North West Local Plan 2010 that these neighbourhoods had few large parks, but contain numerous pockets of left-over space at the intersections of different street grids. These pockets provide attractive green oases within a dense area of residential and mixed-use buildings. However, many of these sites were inaccessible or too small to be useful spaces.
The City of Melbourne analysed the small open spaces and made recommendations for nine of the most promising sites for the feasibility study.
The study proposed how these sites might change to increase public open space. The sites selected were based on feedback from stakeholder groups and the community, the size and location of the spaces, and the City of Melbourne's ability to change each location within an anticipated short to medium time frame. Significant improvements were possible at each location, and in most cases the reserves could be extended into the surrounding streets.
This document is part of a range of methods we use to improve and increase public open space through the Open Space Strategy.
A number of open space sites have already been expanded including Errol Street Park and Howard Street Reserve in North Melbourne. Visit Neighbourhood and local parks and reserves for more information.
