The Places for People Plan is our plan to make public spaces better. The plan will guide how we upgrade public spaces that already exist and
how we create new ones as our population grows and changes.
What is public space?
When we talk about public space we are talking about places that are owned and maintained by Council. Anyone can use these spaces to rest, gather, play and move. These spaces make Merri-bek a vibrant, sustainable and comfortable place to live. The provide many benefits to the community including:
- Building a sense of community belonging, ownership and community pride
- Improving community health and well-being through social connection and connection to nature and the outdoors.
- Benefiting the local and cultural economy by attracting visitors and providing space for activation
- Contributing to a neighbourhood identity and a unique sense of place
- Allowing for events and gatherings, encouraging outdoor activity
- Supporting stormwater capture, reuse and infiltration through integrated water management, expanded tree canopy cover, increased biodiversity and urban cooling.
What is this plan for?
The Places for People Plan will guide how we improve existing spaces and look for opportunities to create new space. We need more and better public spaces that benefit our growing population and contribute to climate resilience.
The plan will outline how we approach the improvement and development of the publicly owned space in Merri-bek’s shopping strips. It will also guide how we prioritise public space and street beautification projects for Council’s 10-year capital works program.
Here are some terms you might come across in the Places for People Plan:
Open Space
Public space that is outdoors. It can include parks and green spaces as well as urban spaces.
Civic spaces
Are a type of open space that can include urban plazas, squares, pedestrian malls and forecourts in our activity centres.
The Places for People Plan refers to public spaces in our shopping strips as civic spaces.
Civic streets
Are important pedestrian connectors with greening, shade and seating.
Anchor space
A larger civic space like a park or plaza.
Arrival space
A space that is at the entry to an activity centre, area or destination. They are often in the same place as a transport stop like a train station.
Intercept space
These are small public spaces like a street corner with a seat and greening or a mural.
The Places for People Plan refers to shopping strips as activity centres.
Merri-bek is made up of 3 types of activity centres which vary greatly in scale, function and features and therefore require different approaches to civic space and levels of investment.
The 3 types from largest to smallest are Major Activity Centres, Neighbourhood Activity Centres and Local Activity Centres. The following map shows the different activity centres across Merri-bek.
To guide the design of publicly owned spaces and street beautification projects in Merri-bek, we developed several design principles. These principles are in line with our Community Vision, public aspirations and Merri-bek Council Plan priorities.
The principles are:
1. Accessible and Connected
Public spaces and streets should contribute to the interconnected network of open spaces, active transport corridors and public transit routes to ensure accessibility and encourage sustainable transport. They are well linked to the surrounding area, easy to reach, and accessible to people of all abilities.
2. Safe and Welcoming
Civic spaces and streets should be welcoming, inclusive and safe for people of all ages, genders, backgrounds and abilities. Design must consider security and perceptions of safety through all elements of the space.
3. Activated and Flexible
Civic spaces and streets should very in size and function, providing for a diverse variety of experience and activity. They should be engaging and beautiful destinations of public life, supporting the economic vibrancy of our city.
4. Comfortable and Meaningful
Civic spaces and streets should reflect the culture and creativity of the surrounding community, to create meaning and inspire community pride. Design should cater to human comfort to create well-loved and used spaces.
5. Sustainable and Future Focussed
Civic spaces and streets should aim for climate positive design and to mitigate climate impacts on our city, contributing to a more liveable and resilient urban environment.
Our vision for Merri-bek activity centres.
The Places for People Plan focuses on public spaces within Merri-bek's 'Activity Centres.' These are areas that include shopping strips, busy streets and other public spaces like parks, plazas or squares
In Merri-bek there are 3 types of Activity Centre that are divided up by size.
Click through to learn more about how the Places for People Plan will impact the different types of activity centres across Merri-bek.
Join the conversation
Submission form
You will need to be a registered user of Conversations Merri-bek to participate in the activities on this page.
- Find the rust-coloured "LOG IN/JOIN" button at the top of the page and click it to start registering.
- Select "LOG IN" if you already have a profile on Conversations Merri-bek OR select "SIGN UP" to create a new profile.
- To create your profile you will need to add: Screen name, email address, password, full name and postcode. Check the boxes that apply and click "CREATE ACCOUNT".
- You can now continue with your submission
We require you to register to complete the form to protect the integrity and fairness of the consultation.
The information you provide also helps us to meet our legislative obligations and improve our processes.
Your personal details will not be used for any other purpose. Find out more about our privacy policy here: https://conversations.merri-bek.vic.gov.au/privacy...
In-person
Come visit us at a pop-up to talk about the proposed plan in-person.
Thursday 19 February 2026
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Morgan Court
Glenroy
Saturday 28 February 2026
11:00am - 1:00pm
Michelle Guglielmo Park
Brunswick
Thursday 5 March 2026
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Near corner of Melville Road and Moreland Road
Brunswick West
Thursday 12 March 2026
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Bonwick Street
Fawkner
Mar 2026
11:00am - 1:00pm
Lygon Street (Corner of Weston Street and Lygon Street)
Brunswick East
More
Other ways to make a submission
If you prefer not to use the online form you can make a submission in these ways:
- In person
Merri-bek Civic Centre at 90 Bell Street Coburg
- Libraries
Hard copy surveys will be available to collect and complete from Merri-bek libraries from Monday 16 February.
Submissions should be clearly marked ‘Places for People ’ and must be received by Wednesday 18th March .
How can the community influence this project?
What can be influenced?
- The actions in the Places for People Plan
- How the actions and centres are prioritised (prioritisation criteria)
- Revisions to the Places for People Process
What can't be changed?
- The need for a Places for People Plan
- When the Places for People actions will be delivered
- Places outside of the activity centres
- The types of public spaces.
