Success Stories

Places for People: The Melbourne Story

The city of Melbourne, over the last 20 years, has carefully planned and executed a process to revitalize a city centre previously notorious for its poor quality of public life and transform it into a people oriented city.

The process has resulted in a documented increase in citizens’ and visitors’ use of all forms of the public realm including pedestrian streets, promenades, public squares, and public parks.

The "Places for People" study notes a "remarkable increase" in Melbourne's public life during the last decades. Daytime pedestrian use has increased by 40%. Evening pedestrian use has increased by 100%. Stationary activities have increased by 300%.

The study largely attributes this rebirth of life in the city to the improved quality of the public realm and the introduction of 71% more people-oriented high-quality urban spaces during the past 10 years. For example in 1994 there was only 300m of accessible and active lanes, alleys and arcades and by 2004 this had increased to 3.4km – the distinctive heart and soul of central Melbourne.

Source:  Gehl Architects and City of Melbourne

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