Revamp plan to revitalise CBD laneways in bid to bring life to city
Melbourne’s CBD laneways have long been a feature of the city but now there are plans to improve them even more to entice crowds to return when stage four restrictions finally start to ease.
Victoria
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CBD laneways will be transformed under a major plan to lure people back into the city as lockdowns are phased out.
City of Melbourne and state government arts officers are working on a proposal to revitalise laneways and enhance inner city amenity.
It comes as new council modelling shows that even when restrictions are eased, the number of visitors to the CBD will not reach prepandemic figures over the next year.
It’s expected the average daily number will be about 582,000, down from the one million that often occurred in normal times.
City council CEO Justin Hanney said he wanted all of his staff to return to Town Hall as soon as possible, but realised many firms still planned to have many people working from home.
“We are certainly working with major employers to make sure that there’s a commitment to bring workers back into the city because they are such a critical part of our DNA,” he told a State Library online event.
Mr Hanney said the reduced number of people in the city meant the council, government and private sector had to work together to fill vacant office spaces.
“Part of the regeneration and what happens in those spaces is going to be creative,” he said.
“Whether or not they are shared work spaces, or they are makers’ markets - what they will be I don’t know - but I do think there is a real opportunity there,” he said.
A proposal being finalised is for CBD laneways like Hosier Lane to be revamped with an artistic flourish.
“The Arts Melbourne team have been working closely with (state government’s) Creative Victoria, and there’s a really, really exciting proposal,” Mr Hanney said.
Already announced are plans to revitalise CBD “little” streets like Flinders Lane and Lt Bourke St by widening footpaths and slowing down cars.
Mr Hanney said: “The shape of the city will really change in terms of being much more walkable, and certainly a really good place to be able to ride, not just north-south, but east-west.”
“We are using the crisis to really think about the future of Melbourne and its people. In five years we’ll go ‘wow, we made the best of the worst to get Melbourne in a better space.’”
The council will soon release a blueprint on the “future city” with input from hundreds of thinkers from Australia and abroad.