THE PEOPLE'S PARK IN MELBOURNE

The 1.8 hectare ‘people’s park’ will be one of the largest in the CBD – with welcoming, green spaces for people to savour the market experience, relax with family and friends, and enjoy events and activations that will complement the historic market.

Ahead of detailed concept design, Council is seeking feedback from the community on 11 design principles for the Square – which respond to the Market Square Charter and extensive community engagement.

The principles propose a range of features for the Square, including:

• Expansive lawns for recreation, relaxation and reflection
• Native plants to improve biodiversity in the city
• Large trees to provide shade, helping to meet Council’s 40 per cent target for canopy cover
• A plaza to host events
• A playspace
• A garden of acknowledgement, to be developed in partnership with Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation and Aboriginal Melbourne
• Paving, planting and ways of moving through the park to respectfully acknowledge the original cemetery.

Community members can also provide feedback on a set of design principles for the Queen’s Corner Building – which will deliver important amenities for traders and the community, and support the precinct through activations and creative experiences.

Engagement will run from Friday 8 September to Sunday 8 October. Council will host a range of activities, including pop-up sessions and stakeholder workshops. For more information, visit Participate Melbourne.

It will build on the first phase of engagement, which began on 12 July. Feedback from both phases of engagement will be presented to Council for consideration later this year.

There will be no loss of parking in the precinct – with 220 spaces for market customers, and 300 on weekends, to be delivered in Gurrowa Place, in addition to the 500 spaces already available in the Munro development on the corner of Queen and Therry streets.

For more information, visit City of Melbourne website here.