Streets for people is our framework for making changes to Merri-bek streets.
It takes a holistic approach to understanding how our streets function in the wider transport system, how we make changes to streets to benefit all users, and ensure we align project outcomes with the values and strategic objectives in Moving Around Merri-bek.
More information on Streets for People is available in our transport strategy, Moving Around Merri-bek
How it works
Streets for People helps our team decide on which streets to implement projects, what projects are best suited for the street.
The framework process begins with analysis of the Merri-bek Transport System to understand how it currently functions, where issues exist, and where opportunities might be to make improvements.
Movement and Place helps us clasify and understand these streets better, and Healthy Streets furthers this analysis, before we come to the community for their ideas and feedback. Learn about these stages below.
Streets for People projects will be selected via a variety of criteria and analysis. This includes, but is not limited to:
Movement and Place is an assessment tool developed by The Department of Transport and Planning with the intention to keep people and their needs at the centre of transport planning.
The tool helps us classify the street and its purpose. We do so by analysis both its movement function (as a transport route) and place function (as a destination or place to spend time).
We do this because the approach we will take and the design options available depend on the role the street plays. For example, a street in an activity centre will have different needs compared to a local residential street.
More information about the Movement and Place framework can be found here.
Following our Movement and Place assessment, we undertake a Healthy Streets Assessment. Healthy Streets is a global assessment tool that provides a grading on 10 Indicators, each describing an aspect of the experience of being on streets for a person.
Using the Healthy Streets assessment, we will identify opportunities to improve the street. In addition to the elements outlined in the Healthy Streets Framework, we will also consider:
- Pedestrian improvements
- Cycling improvements
- Driving access
- Public transport stops
- Trees and greening
- Streetscape enhancements
- Parking (including accessible parking, loading zones, EV charging, etc)
Using the Movement and Place classification, the Healthy Streets Assessment, and community insights, we then develop design options that seek to improve the street in-line with our aspirations and in consideration of existing constraints.
Community consultation on these design options will guide Council’s decision on a preferred option to be developed into detailed designs for implementation.
Following this process, and Council and community support for the preferred design, we will then proceed to detailed design and implementation.
Monitoring and evaluation
Post-construction of a Streets for People project, we will monitor and evaluate the performance of the street relative to how it operated before the interventions, using the Healthy Streets Framework and other transport data to assess effectiveness of improvements, and further future opportunities.
These evaluations will be provided back to the community.
