--- Towards a more socially-cohesive future PLAN30005 Urban Precinct Studio 6 Annie Yuhong Yang Tutor: Eric Gasie
Acknowledgment This report acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people who are the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land. I respect their continuing connection to land, water and culture and to Elders past, present and emerging. This work is created by Yuhong (Annie) Yang. As the author, I would like to thank my studio leader, Eric Gasie, who inspired and instructed design proposals and implementations in this report. Also special thanks to Professor Sun Sheng Han who successfully coordinated a comprehensive, informative and interesting subject of PLAN 30005 Urban Precinct Studio under the difficult situation of COVID-19. I would also like to recognize the effort and contribution made by John Darwin Oanes, Joyce Chung, Nora Tal and Robert Doherty in the preliminary site discussion and analysis. This work is supported by the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning at the University of Melbourne as well as Darebin City Council.
Content 1.0. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Executive Summary 1.2. Geographic Context 1.3. Historic Context 1.4. Policy Context
1 2 3 3
2.0. SITE ANALYSIS 2.1. Demographic & Economic Profile 2.2. Planning Zones and Land Use 2.3. Built Form 2.4. Green Space 2.5. Amenities 2.6. Transport 2.7. Issues and Opportunities 2.8. Site Capacity Analysis and Demand Assessment
4 5 6 7 8 9-10 11-12 13
3.0. FUTURE DIRECTION 3.1. Vision 3.2. Literature Review 3.3. Guiding Principles
14 15 15
4.0. DESIGN ACTIONS 4.1. Land Use Objective 4.2. Public Realm Objective 4.3. Built Form Objective 4.4. Movement and Access Objective 4.5. Housing Objective 5.0. IMPLEMENTATION 5.1. Implementation Plan 5.2. Monitoring and Review 6.0. Summary 7.0. References
16 17-20 21-23 24-25 26-27 28 29 30
Introduction
1.1 Executive Summary Preston Structure Plan 2050 aims to set out planning strategies and design interventions to achieve the proposed vision of a cohesive city within the next 30 years. This report is generated from the needs to review current status of infrastructures, identify issues and opportunities through site analysis and thereby outline a development plan for future growth of Preston. The primary purpose of the plan is to respond to and accommodate demands from the booming population that is forecast to double in 2050 and its economic transition towards knowledge-intensive sectors, which will be complemented by economically, environmentally and socially sustainable growth of the suburb. It will therefore incorporate action plans for land use, public realm, built form, movement and access as well as housing that cater for a wide range of community needs. The vision of a Cohesive City Preston will assist the suburb to not only consolidates its role as a socio-economic hub, but also a people-centric suburb that fosters strong sense of place and connection with local community. The precinct will also attract new residents and business investments that further contribute to a well-serviced, compact and vibrant neighbourhood. The plan thus recognises that Preston is strategically and uniquely placed to serve as a precinct that integrates the diverse characters of the residential community with the built and natural environments while maximising its development potentials. This structure plan is informed by Plan Melbourne 2050 and the strategic documents of the City of Darebin outlining the overarching directions, in pursuit of the broader Sustainable Development Goal 11. It will be reviewed and adjusted accordingly with demographic and socio-economic changes within the 30-year time frame, particularly the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, to adapt and accomplish resilience.
Methodology The analysis in this structure plan is predominantly based on data collected from desktop research including Google images, street views, maps and existing council documents with community feedback reports. Planning process conducted is shown on the right. Due to the lockdown restrictions during COVID-19 pandemic, site visits and observations were prohibited. The unavailability of updated data on socio-economic forecast can also limit the analysis as it does not consider impacts of the ongoing pandemic, which, along with design proposals, will be immediately adjusted once the 2021 census completes.
Figure 1. Preston Market
Planning Process
4 Weeks
Stage 1 Site Analysis
2 Weeks
Stage 2 Issues and Opportunities; Vision & Objectives Development
4 Weeks
Stage 3 Urban Design and Planning Proposal
2 Weeks
Stage 4 Implementation
1
Introduction
1.2 Geographic Context Regional
Local
Figure 2. Metropolitan Context
Figure 4. Local Context
Figure 3. Regional Context
Preston is located around 9 km north of Melbourne in the City of Darebin. Regionally, it has Reservoir to its north, Heidelberg West to its east, Thornbury to the south and Coburg to its west. Locally, the suburb is bounded by Darebin Creek and Merri Creek in the east and west respectively, Regent Street in the north and Miller Street in the south. It has two of Melbourne’s 26 ‘Principal Activity Centres’, Preston Central and Northland Activity Centre, both of which have been identified as part of the network of multi-dimensional activity centres in Victoria’s Northern Metropolitan Region, making Preston a major focal point for activities, jobs and housing. In addition, its close proximity to the La Trobe National Employment and Innovation Cluster provides further access to regional employment and education opportunities as well as health and entertainment facilities. The precinct is well serviced by large areas of residential houses, active commercial areas such as Preston market, retail shops along High street, several community centres and green spaces that spread across the area. Industrial lands are mainly found in Preston East near Northland Activity Centre, catering for bulk goods retail services. The Northland Shopping Centre offers a range of entertainment opportunities including arcade, cinema, which will be revitalised with the ongoing Northland Renewal Project (Darebin City Council, 2016). Popular destinations are mostly concentrated in Preston Central Activity Centre including Preston Station, Melbourne Polytechnic, Preston Oval and Preston City Hall. These two activity centres are connected by several urban corridors. Murray road and Bell street run through the suburb in the east-west direction, bridging Coburg Activity Centre to Heidelberg. Gilbert road, High street and Plenty road facilitate movement in the north-south direction, leading to further northern municipalities and the Suburb Rail loop that joins up with the eastern and western suburbs. Public transport network is also highly accessible with the Mernda train line, 2 tram routes and 6 bus routes connecting places within and beyond Preston.
2
1850
• The land was first surveyed by Robert Hoddle who also subdivided Preston into large agricultural blocks. This marks the first land development in Preston. • Preston was named by the colonists with gradual emergence of retail activities, community services and establishment of education facilities and local government 1854.
1860
• Industrial development started to grow and settle across Preston, primarily along High Street and Plenty Road and later progressed towards Northland. This change in dominant land use and economy has a profound impact of historic significance that lasts until today.
1880
• The first railway development attracted new residents to Preston, which led to the first subdivision of residential development. Combined with the employment opportunities brought by the industrial factories, Preston saw its first population boom from 1889-1891.
1926 • Preston was officially proclaimed as a city as more transport of train and tram lines directly connecting to Melbourne CBD and education facilities developed for the past few years.
Growing Preston • Rapid development within Preston resulted in continuous population growth from 1930s-40s and post war, 1950s-1960s.
1966 • Establishment of Northland, creating one of local landmarks. 1970 • Preston Market opens, which provided access to the second largest fresh fruit and vegetable market in Greater Melbourne. 2006 • Preston Central Structure Plan was developed with more focus on promoting accessible and vibrant places for the community. 2017 • Preston Market Redevelopment started with more inclusion of feedback from the community as a key stakeholder to foster people-centric places. 2020 • Level Crossing Removal Project started construction to improve safety and efficiency of local transport network. Figure 5. Historic Timeline
Information based on Darebin Libraries, 2013.
• Retain core industrial areas • Develop underutilised industrial land for intensive mix-use • Rezone land with low future industrial value for mix-use • Redevelop small pockets of industrial land for economic use • Enhance open space network through promoting the accessibility and connectivity • Ensure diversified open spaces that provide versatile recreation opportunities • Recognise and meet the changing needs of local community • Encourage social engagement within open spaces
1930 • Despite the economic downturn, local government still invested in development of main shopping strips, reserves and the road network.
1960
This section of structure plan aims to outline the major policy highlights that target Preston from the existing planning documents. These policies set out the overarching future direction for development within Preston, which will guide the proposed planning strategies and design interventions. • Ensure industrial lands are appropriately situated to provide employment and attract investment • Increase density of residential and commercial development at identified activity centres to meet the demands of growing population • Forster healthy, vibrant and inclusive communities
Local
1838
State
Becoming Preston
Traditional Custodians
1.4 Policy Context
Sectoral
Introduction
1.3 Historic Context
• Promote transport safety, accessibility and connectivity at local and metropolitan scales • Reinforce sustainable transport modes that improves public health and environmental sustainability • Integrate transport access to new economic and mix use development • Ensure housing are attractive, affordable, liveable and diversified to meet the growing demands • Accommodate diverse housing needs of the changing demographics • Acknowledge environmental considerations, heritage and character preservation and the current economic transition
• Incorporate diverse land use and vibrant amenities into the lively fresh food market • Promote environmental sustainability through place design • Ensure parkings are available and adequate but flexibly located to maximise use of public realm and sustainable transport
• Ensure environmental sustainability with new land use development • Enhance safety, accessibility for local diverse demographics • Increase opportunities for social interactions through compatible land use Figure 6. A collection of current planning documents for City of • Promote local business investment and local employment to support retail economy Darebin
• Intensify development at strategic locations • Upgrade the quality of interface, amenities and public realm
Information based on City of Darebin, 2020.
3
2.1 Socio-Economic Profile
Preston Now
Preston Now
Population and Density
Demographic Composition
Household Composition: Total 13,271 22%
22
32,851
29.07 Ha
51%
Heidelberg West 5,545 17.33 Ha
27.1%
49%
Demographic Characteristic
Dwelling Composition: Total 14,240
21.9% Tenure Type Others 9.3%
Dwelling Type 120.0%
30-Year Projection
100.0% 80.0%
Renting 36.8%
60.0% 40.0% 20.0%
British 16.3%
Australian 14.8%
0.0%
2001
2006 Low Density
2011
Medium Density
High Density
Medium Weekly Income
Darebin
86,256
74.8/Ha
Italian 9.7%
Irish 7.8%
146,719 27.17 Ha
$1,427
Demographic Trends Greek 7%
}
Figure 7. Growth rate of service age group
Greater Melbourne 12%
30-Year Projection
20% Total Population
17%
Reservoir 15% Darebin 15%
42.1% Overseas Born
Key Trends Identified: • Population and density will double in 2050 • One of the fastest growing suburbs within Darebin • Multicultural population • Dominant young worker demographic • Aging population exceeding that in municipality and metropolitan Note: All statistics are retrieved from ABS Census 2016 and Profile Id Forecast., 2016
Education Bachelor and Above
Aging Population 2050
Figure 8. Growth in dwelling types
Mortgage 26.6% Figure 9. Tenure type
Employment
Reservoir $1,197
Administrative Workers 13.1%
Darebin $1,423
Technical Workers 11.4%
Melbourne $1,542 Reservoir 22.7% Darebin 32.7%
31.2%
2016
Owned 27.3%
Professional Workers 41.6%
Service Workers 11%
IRSD
Reservoir 50,474 26.43 Ha
Ancestry
Site Analysis
2.1 Demographic Profile
Melbourne 27.5% Figure 10. Index of Relative Social Disadvantage
Key Trends Identified: • Dominance of one person and couple with dependent households • Increase in high-density dwellings and decrease in low-density dwellings • Comparatively high income and education level in the municipality • Dominance of professional workers; manufacture industry is no longer a major source of employment • Low IRSD values are associated with low income households and housing stress, discrepencies between socio-economic status can create potential social barriers 4
Site Analysis
2.2 Land Use & Planning Zones
RZ
Figure 11. Existing Land Use Map
Road Zone
Existing Residential Use
C1Z & C2Z Commercial Zone Development within these zones include retail, office, business, residential, entertainment and community activities. The zones encourage a mix of diverse uses to service the community complimentarily. Most of these zones are applied on the south-end section on High Street, throughout Plenty Road and small retail clusters along Gilbert Road. The sections on High Street and Plenty Road are subject to Design and Development Overlay, which requires design and development to follow the corresponding guidelines and policies specified in Darebin Planning Scheme Ordinance.
PCRZ & PPRZ
Public Conservation and Recreation Zone Public Park And Recreation Zone
Areas under former zoning are intended to preserve and protect the natural environment and resources. The latter zoning mainly covers public open spaces and public recreational areas. Relevant education activities and resource-based uses are allowed whereas other development of buildings is restricted unless specified by a schedule.
GRZ
General Residential Zone
These zones encompass new and established residential development with minimal constraints to encourage growth and diversified housing options. This is also the dominant land use in Preston, taking up 55% of lands (Table 1). Development can be limited with the prescribed maximum 9-meter building height.
UFZ
Urban Floodway Zone
This zone is intended for lands that perform the primary function of carrying or storing floodwater. Areas around the creek is therefore identified under this zoning. This is to protect local areas from hazard areas with high potentials of flood flows. Development in this zoning is highly restricted to views and flooding information provide by relevant floodplain management authority.
Table 1. Percentage of each land use
Figure 12. Planning Scheme Map
I1Z & I3Z
PDZ
Industrial Zone
Development within this zoning is predominantly industrial, with limited floor spaces scheduled for office use and small scales of retail activities where appropriate. Additional requirement is specified by I3Z to apply a buffer between I1Z and residential areas. This takes into consideration of potential impact on residential roads due to industrial traffic, industrial noises, emission impacts to avoid conflicts. Despite occupying the second largest percentage of lands among all uses, there are large under-utilised areas with development restricted by this zoning.
RGZ
Residential Growth Zone
This zone covers residential areas near activity centres, train stations and other areas that have potentials for increased housing density. Medium-density residential development is encouraged to maximise opportunities and use of existing services. Maximum building height is thus adjusted to 13.5 meters, which provides a transitional buffer between high-intensive use and low-density residential neighbourhoods.
PUZ
Public Use Zone
Areas subject to this zoning have state or reginal significance and are specialised for implementation of approved development. This facilitates development of stakeholder-agreed complex projects for strategic planning purposes within Preston. This zoning covers even larger lands than Commercial Zones, including mainly the retail strip along High Street and small sections of Bell Street and Murray Road that intersect with High Street. Design and Development Overlay also apply to some locations which require new development to follow the specified guidelines.
NRZ
Neighborhood Residential Zone
This zone is applied for residential areas dominated by single dwellings with recognised neighbourhood character or environmental or landscape significance. A maximum of 8-meter building height can restrict future high-density housing development.
MUZ
Lands for public purposes are recognised by several categories of public uses by this zoning, predominantly for utility, community services and educational use.
Priority Development Zone
Mix Use Zone
This zone allows mixed uses of various activities including residential, commercial and industrial where suitable. The mixed-use character promotes redevelopment potential of lands.
Information based on Darebin Planning Scheme (State Government of Victoria, 2020)
5
Site Analysis
2.3 Built Form Heritage Character
0 Storey Not Specified
Figure 13. Existing Building Height Restrictions Map
Built form is significantly impacted by overlays. Land subject to Design and Development Overlay (DDO) are not allowed to exceed 18 storeys (Figure 13&14), according to Darebin Planning Scheme Ordinance. The overlay sets out guidelines for consistent design of built form in the subject areas, in alignment with local strategic needs. While it does facilitate integration between transport and built environment, this overlay greatly limits development potential, particularly along High Street corridor and Plenty Road where mix uses and new activity nodes can be introduced. Heritage Overlay (HO) also limits new development to some extent as they require strict retainment of the heritage significance. This can sometimes impede new modern buildings, especially around Bell Station area where Transit-Oriented-Development (TOD) can be introduced. The facade of some heritage sites is also poorly maintained (Figure 18), which reduced the attractiveness of local streetscape as well as people’s willingness to walk pass. Their lack of stylish interaction with the surrounding facades further contributes to disintegration of heritage sites with the neighbourhood character (Figure 15). However, if managed well, heritage sites can well compliment local retail, commercial and civic development while contributing to a more unique precinct character (Darebin City Council, 2020) with consolidated and conserved cultural legacy.
Figure 15. Built Form
Figure 17. Well-maintained heritage site
Legend
Figure 14. Planning Overlays Map
Streetscape
Special Building Overlay
Environmental Audit Overlay
Land Subject to Inundation Overlay
Development Plan Overlay
Incorporated Plan Overlay
Design and Development Overlay
Environmental Significance Overlay
Heritage Overlay
Figure 18. Poorly maintained heritage site
Existing retail clusters along High Street and its intersection with the east-west thoroughfare Murray Road and Bell Street. These are highly car-oriented with wide roads and on-street parking, leaving very little spaces for greeneries and the narrow footpath for pedestrians (Figure 16). This thus result in hard surfaces that attract urban heat while the concrete-dominated street view appears unpleasant and unappealing for people to linger around. Figure 16. Streetmix illustration of High Street, Bell Street and Murray Road
Information based on Darebin Planning Scheme (State Government of Victoria, 2020)
6
Site Analysis
2.4 Green Spaces
Figure 23. T.W. Blake Park
Figure 19. Green Space Assessment Criteria
Open green spaces are general distributed evenly throughout Preston with a sufficient amount of coverage (Figure). While the quantities of green spaces are ensured, the qualities vary greatly (Figure 20). According to Darebin’s ‘Breathing Space’ Open Space Strategy (2019), three-category criteria were created for quality assessment. The criteria consider accessibility, variety of facilities which can accommodate diverse needs and functions, greenery maintenance, and amenities that promote utility for users. Low quality green spaces are mostly found in the southeast part of Preston near Northland Activity Centre. Potentials for activation of public realm including the surrounding shopping centres, streets and the open spaces themselves are thus greatly undermined. While the majority are accessible by public transport or within walking distance of 500 meters, accessibility analysis (Figure 18) has found several gaps between existing green spaces service catchment, which are particularly concentrated in within west and north-east Preston residential areas as well as the industrial cluster in Preston East. This suggests the needs for future planning and development to fill in the gaps and ensure provision of high quality and accessible green spaces in alignment with the council’s strategies and the World Health Organisation’s recommendations (Darebin City Council, 2019).
Figure 24. GH Mott Reserve
Figure 20. Green Space Map
Legend Coburg Cemetery
Figure 21. H.P. Zwar Park
Figure 22. Ray Braham Gardens
Creek Area with 1+ green space within 500m
Train Line Tram Line Bus Line
Figure 25. Green Space Accessibility Map
Area with no green space within 500m
7
Accessibility Analysis Figure 28.1. Religious Composition
Figure 26.1. Student Population Composition
Primary School
Secondary School
Tertiary Institution College
Legend Figure 26. Education Facility Accessibility Map
Legend
Train Line
400m Catchment
Bus Line
800m Catchment
Tram Line
400m Catchment
Residential Houses
Figure 28. Religious Facility Accessibility Map
Preston is well-serviced by a great variety of education institutions, ranging from primary to tertiary institutions, which accommodates diverse needs of different schooling age. Most schools are located in proximity to transport stops, facilitating student access. Meanwhile, the dominance of tertiary student indicates an opportunity to upgrade the quality of existing institutions as well as the potential for expansion.
The multi-cultural characteristics of Preston demographics result in a great diversity in religion (Figure 28.1). These religions are well supported by a number of places of worship including Mosques, Catholic and Orthodox churches. Residents generally have easy access to these services as most of them are located near major transport corridors and activity centres. Health services are generally found near major transport corridors along Murray Road, High Street and Plenty Road. Compared to Preston West, Preston East is better-serviced with a number of medical centres located within 5-minute walking distance. However, the distribution is still uneven between the south and north of the precinct, where the southern industrial clusters have no access to health services within walkable distance.
12.8%
Legend Figure 27. Care Facility Accessibility Map
Aged Care
400m Catchment
Child Care
800m Catchment
Childcare services are distributed evenly across the suburb, with its service covering almost the whole precinct to facilitate people’s access within walking distance. There is, however, an insufficient amount of aged care centres is found with only 3 of them serving the whole suburb. A gap in service provision has thus been identified, which indicates potential age care development in the future.
Place of Worship
800m Catchment
13.5%
Total Population
Site Analysis
2.5 Amenities
Legend Ambulance Station
400m Walking Distance
Medical Centre
800 Walking Distance
Hospital
Figure 29. Health Service Accessibility Map
8
Usage Preston
Employment Location of Resident Workers
Public Transport
Figure 31. Public Transport Map
State Average
14.5%
Legend
5.8%
Bus Stop Tram Stop Train Station
7.2%
2.4%
1.9%
Multiple Services with High Frequency More Than One Services with Medium Frequency (10-15 min) One Service Only with Low Frequency (>20 min)
1.2%
Train Line Tram Route Bus Route 0
Figure 32. Tram Stop
Public Transport Accessibility Legend 0
250
500
1000m N
400m Walking Distance High Car Usage Areas (>60%) High Public Transport Usage
Figure 30. Public Transport Accessibility Map
Figure 33. Train Station
250
500
1000m N
Figure 34. Bus Stop
Preston is generally well-serviced by public transport with train, tram and buses all available to facilitate movement in all directions. The most frequently used Mernada Line runs at a high frequency of every 7-12 minutes while the Route 86 and 11 connects the suburbs to regional destinations including major employment hub of Melbourne CBD, La Trobe National Employment and Education Cluster, and entertainment facilities such as Chadstone Shopping Centre, Essendon DFO. Locally, the vast majority of Preston residents have easy access to public transport stop within 5-minute walking distance. High service coverage and mobility thus explain the higher public transport usage within Preston, compared to the state average. This suggest potentials for public stransport to be further improved for encouraging higher usage.
Live in the area, but work outside Live and work in the area No fixed place of work
Figure 35. Employment Location of Resident Workers
Residential Location of Local Workers
Site Analysis
2.6.1 Public Transport
Live and work in the area Work in the area, but live outside
Figure 36. Residential Location of Local Workers
However, there is still over half of local population travel to work by car. One of the contributing factors can be the high percentage of local residents working elsewhere while very few local workers live in Preston (Figure 35&36). This adds the need for public transport users to transit, which requires high frequency timetables and inter-modal connectivity. While tram and train run with mostly less than 10-minute inter-service waiting time, they only service the north-south corridor. Buses running in the east-west direction, however, have inconsistent timetables with over 20-minute intervals and only 903 available during night. Longer waiting time during transit and the lack of night service availability thus greatly compromise transit experiences and fail to attract more users. As shown in Figure 30, high car usage is mostly found in bus-serviced areas, mainly around Northland Activity Centre, whereas more people tend to use public transport services in areas where multiple services and modes are accessible, particularly in Preston Central Activity Centre. This finding therefore discovers gaps and deficiencies in the current service provision as well as the need and potential for enhancing more localised employment, which allows planners to improve accordingly. 9
Site Analysis
2.6.2 Active Transport Figure 38. Active Transport Network Map
Travel to Work Preston
State Average
4.1%
1.2%
2.4%
3.2%
Figure 39. High Quality Bike Lane
Figure 40. Narrow Pedestrian Paths
Road Hierarchy 0
250
500
1000m N
Figure 37. Road Hierarchy Map
Legend Strategic Corridors Primary Multimodal Street Secondary Multimodal Street
The quality of cycling network and pedestrian paths are generally inconsistent throughout Preston. Although the percentage of people cycling to work is relatively small, it is higher than the state average, which indicates local demands and community willingness for this transport mode. This is, however, not supported by the provision of high quality and safe cycling routes and infrastructure, which has been identified by stakeholder consultations (State Government of Victoria, 2020). Despite having defined bike lanes on several strategic corridors for safety protection (Figure 39), cyclists still have to share with motor traffic on Primary and Secondary Multimodal and even local streets, especially along Murray Road, Bell Street and High Street (Figure 38) that are the main thoroughfares connecting local key destinations. This can be attributed to the prioritisation on cars and public transport on these streets, which overlooked the opportunities for enhancing active transport and its economic, social and environment benefits.
Active Transport Network 0
250
500
Legend
1000m N
Permeability Analysis
Figure 42. Figure Ground of High Street Retail Strip, Residential Area, Industrial Cluster
Key Pedestrian Access Shared On-road Bike Lane High Quality Defined Bike Lane
Figure 41. Shared On-road Bike Lane
Pedestrian footpaths are generally narrow due to the high car-dominance. The streets seem to be designed more for cars rather than people, which indicates the need for improvement. This is most evident on the major thoroughfares, particularly Bell Street and High Street with their heavy focus on ensuring the flow of motor traffic. Pedestrian crossings and signals are thus often absent, creating more dangerous walking environment that reduces walkability and ease of movement. Compared to residential areas, the retail strip along High Street also demonstrates relatively low permeability with shops located side by side. While residential neighbourhoods are more permeable, the figure ground (Figure 42) also found wide streets, which further creates safety barriers for pedestrians and cyclists. Industrial blocks are the most impermeable with their higher than average block size, compromising opportunities for pedestrian activities and social encounters in public realm. 10
Site Analysis
2.7 Issues Movement & Access
Figure 43. Issues Map
Land Use
Poor Pedestrian/Cyclist Amenities Poor Access to Night Public Transport Services
Land Development Restricted due to Zoning
Low Frequency of bus services (Not Shown in the Map) Under-utilised Land near High Density Housing Site observations have found low walkability in several locations within Preston, particularly in the East Preston Industrial Precinct. One of the contributing factors is the abandoned under-utilised lands where development is restricted due to industrial zoning. Similar issues can also be discovered near some apartment building around high street where these vacant lands occasionally serve as and uncoordinated carparks. This reduces feeling of safety for pedestrians without visible activities as passive surveillance while demonstrating a lack in sense of place.
Public Realm
0
250
500
1000m N
The highlighted open spaces are found to lack sufficient amenities that support diverse functionality. T.W. Blake Park is one example where spaces are designated for sports grounds with little shades and paths, resulting in an unpleasant and unattractive green space that is under-utilised. The poor maintenance of vegetation and absence of tree canopies can also contribute to underutilisation, which undermines the areas’ potential for activation of community gathering and social interactions.
Built Form Poor Interface Design
Car-dominant Streetscapes
In addition to lack of active frontages present as passive surveillance, the poor interface design of buildings facing streets, open spaces and other public realm also creates perception of an unsafe environment with blank walls, empty car parks, back fences and dark, concealed spaces. This issue has Opens spaces with Poor Amenities been prominent in Darebin Creek parklands, the bus interchange and car park areas around Northland Shopping Centre, especially after-hours. People The fragmented urban layout also contributes to low walkability. Roads Dominance of Concrete Block are thus reluctant to walk around these places at night while antisocial with heavy traffic and expanses of car parking have physically segrebehaviours emerge, including littering and vandalism. gated the Northland commercial centre with the surrounding natural The influence of cars continues in Preston Central and major retail strips and built environment. As a result, Northland becomes a disconnected Disconnected Activity Centre centre without sense of place and a separate entity from other areas in where street spaces are greatly occupied by cars, leaving little room for integration of greeneries. The unattractive street views further deincentivise the Activity Centre precinct, while the dominance of large blocks of people’s willingness to walk or linger, turning streets into pathways rather buildings thus contributes to low permeability and great barrier for than public ‘places’ themselves. pedestrians to walk or linger around. At the same time, the concentraMost laneways within residential zones are also found walled with back tion of concrete surfaces leads to urban heat island effect and thereby, fences. While they can improve permeability, the lack of lighting and active threatens health of vulnerable communities. housing frontage can raise significant safety concerns.
Due to dominance of cars, road spaces on major thoroughfares are occupied by on-street parking and car lanes, leaving narrow paths for both pedestrians and cyclists. Absence of signs and crossings also raises concerns on road safety while the lack of other amenities such as well-maintained bike parking, shades, greeneries and street furniture that facilitate a lively and attracting place for people to move around, which further discourages walking and cycling. It is also often hard to establish visual links to the stations with lack of shelter, more noticeable signages, lighting and accessible pedestrian links. The large spaces of car parks in front of station also blocks transiters’ views while making it difficult for them to pass through, which reduces utility and ease of movement. Meanwhile, low accessibility to night services and active transport facilities also greatly compromise transit experience for commuters.
Housing Existing Housing Stress Represented by the highlighted areas that have higher percentage of people suffering from housing stress, Preston in general is becoming more unaffordable with increasing number of young professionals raising housing and demands, and thereby causing gentrification. This can exacerbate the existing community with low IRSD scores as they can be forced to relocate if prices continue to rise, which induces further socio-economic marginalisation. 11
Site Analysis
2.7 Opportunities Figure 44. Opportunities Map
Movement & Access
Level Crossing Removal Level Crossing Removal Project and the renovated new stations of Bell and Preston Station will introduce opportunities for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) that consequently will also generate more opportunities for the following five themes.
Potential Transit Centre Active Transport Promoted to Compliment Public Transport
Land Use
The level crossing removal project has created opportunities for promoting safer and more efficient road transport. Higher public transport and cycling usage should also be utilized by reinforcing sustainable travel behaviours with service upgrade. With new stations introduced for Bell and Preston TOD, multi-modal public transport and the growing retail clusters also generate opportunities for new neighbourhood transit centre development with active transport promoted to fill in gaps between public transport services.
(Not Shown in Map) Population Growth The previously identified demographic trend of rapid population growth generates an opportunity for urban consolidation and intensification as demands for housing, services and infrastructure will increase accordingly.
Aging Population Growing Young-Worker Demographic Aging population can be an issue when it comes to the lack of young working force in the employment market. However, this will be offset by the greater increase in young workers and students, which in turn, brings the potential to develop age-care facilities and introduce elderly-friendly urban spaces and design.
Public Realm Existing Apartment Cluster and Potential Community Centre Development The household trend of increase in high-density dwellings attracts more residents, and thus more diversity to Preston. This creates opportunities for place-making of community centres that facilitate people from diverse backgrounds meet, communicate, and build connections within the community.
Activation Buffer from Activity Centre Proximity to activity centres can be leveraged for activation of nearby open spaces as they become more multi-functional.
Green Network The new station and open spaces brought by the project creates potentials for a more connected public realm and open space network while contributing to a cohesive green cityscape.
Built Form Enhanced Interface Design Northland Revitalization Project The Northland Revitalisation Project draws more attention to better interface design that alleviates safety problems for pedestrians, encourage walkability and thus revive the currently underutilised open spaces along the creek as well as the shopping centre itself.
Housing The increased demands for housing as population grows creates more potential for high-density housing development as well as diverse housing options to be provided.
12
Future Direction
2.8 Site Capacity Analysis and Demand Assessment Figure 45. Future Potential Development Hotspots
Figure 46. Redevelopable Land
This analysis is intended to evaluate potentials for future development in Preston, which will be based on assessment on land capacity from site observations. The demand assessment is also conducted to compare the forecast demands with developable lands, and thereby provide insights into future direction and planning recommendations. The assessment and analysis only considers residential and commercial development as the majority of development in Preston source from these two uses. Area
Development Potentials
Figure 47. Infill Land
% of Area
Redevelopable Lands
98 Hectares
8.7%
Infill Development
0.2 Hectares
0.02%
Vacant Land
14 Hectares
1.2%
Restricted Development
75 Hectares
6.6%
Undevelopable Land
1.4 Hectares
0.1% Preston Total Area: 1,130 Hectares
Table 2. Areas with development potential
Preston 2050 Snapshot
Train Line Tram Line 0
250
500
1000m N
Bus Line
Infill Land
Redevelopable Land This category aims to identify existing under-utilised spaces including open spaces, car parks that can be redeveloped or improved. Site observation has found a large quantity of redevelopable lands across Preston, mainly along transport corridors of Gilbert Road, High Street, Plenty Road and within East Preston Industrial Precinct.
Developable Land with restrictions
Figure 48. Vacant Land
Infill development refers to empty neighbourhood pockets (Figure 47) that can be utilised for small-scale public use, for example, pop-up community corners. This is mostly found near Bell Street in Preston Central Activity Centre.
This category refers to land with heritage overlay, environmental overlay that requires development to preserve cultural and aboriginal significance, which results in limitations to some extent.
Vacant Land Vacant land suggests potential for new development and policy change on the current zoning in accordance with the type of development. Clusters of vacant lands are found mostly in the East Preston Industrial Precinct (FIgure 48) where the land development have been constrained due to industrial zoning.
Undevelopable Land: Crown Land
86,256
51,373
74.8/Ha
95Ha
80% Total Employment
90% Total New Employment
Land Use
Forecast
Office Use
41,228 Jobs 25,508 New Jobs
98.3 Ha
floor area per development is 35m2
Retail Use
6,686 Jobs
2,284 New Jobs
0.98 Ha
floor area per development is 35m2
Industry Use
3459 Jobs
280 New Jobs
7.9 Ha
floor area per development is 35m2
36,261 Dwellings
22,021 New Dwellings
315.5 Ha
Residential Use
Increase
Table 3. Areas demanded for future development
Floor Area
floor area per dwelling is 87m2 (City of Melbourne, 2010)
As population increases, demands for residential dwellings are also escalating. Major employment will source from office works including administrative roles and professional roles in the medical, technical and education sectors, which take up 80 percent of total jobs and 90 percent of new jobs created from 2016-2050. Demands for office floor, which indicates industry growth, are also the largest among all commercial uses. This suggests a major economic shift away from industrial towards the knowledge-intensive sectors. The assessment has also found a large increase predicted and the largest floor space demanded by residential uses. This further reinforces the need for medium-to-high residential development as the existing lands (Table 2) will not be able to accommodate these needs (Table 3).
13
Vision Preston will be a cohesive city that fosters vibrant and interesting places to encourage and facilitate encounters of people with diverse backgrounds. It will focus people-based places, enhance community life and wellbeing, and grow sustainably into 2050. It will also be a nurturing space for innovation and versatile experience that prospers socially, environmentally and economically.
14
Future Direction
3.2 Literature Review
3.3 Guiding Principles
Put in lots of references here
Lively Placemaking: New people-centric destinations can be fostered to enhance movement and create new relationships in the city to strengthen bonds between different neighbourhoods. Versatile Public Life: A set of milieus are developed for events and activities so that they enable and enhance the sensory, formal and symbolic experiences that make places inviting and pleasant to use. Sense of Belonging: Urban design should
Theory basis and design guidelines that have been contextualized in the Victoria (State Government of Victoria, 2002).
Foster Sense of Place, Belonging and Connection
Lively Place-making
respond to and reveal, express or highlight the natural landscape character, cultural significance, existing built form context and the values, needs and aspirations of individuals and community for whom the place is being designed.
Sense of Belonging
Objectives Develop denser activity centres that encourage investment, maximise land compatibility, and support the suburb’s economic transition.
Objective 2 Stockholm case study: A World-leading cohesive city that is an inspirational and successful precendent for envisioning Preston (Stockholm City Planning Administration, 2010).
Objective 5
Objective 3
Objective 1
Swedish discourse on social coheson: Social cohesion is regarded as a source of economic development instead of a subsidiary consideration (Stigendal, 2010)
Versatile Public Life
Establish a cohesive network of urban spaces – streets, corridors and places – thatprovide greater access to the city’s wide diversity of environments and features to offer richer experiences and reinforce urban identity.
Enhance attractive built form that encourages rich street life and versatile activities to take place while celebrating local identity.
Ensure that residential development is affordable, accessible, well-integrated with the surrounding at strategic locations and contributes to an inclusive community.
Objective 4 Reinforce urban corridors and sustainable travel behaviours that enable services to develop into lively city spaces and encourage neighbouring areas to grow and merge together.
15
Design Actions
4.1 Objective 1: Land Use To develop denser activity centres that encourage investment, maximise land compatibility, and support the suburb’s economic transition. Figure 49. Land Use Framework Plan Strategy 1.2. Ensure sufficient amount of land at identified locations reserved for amenity development that meets diverse community needs while contributing to more compact and efficient land use.
Strategy 1.1. Promote urban consolidation and intensification with diversified land uses at strategic nodes to support economic growth. This strategy is developed upon the forecast growth in residential, office, retail and industrial spaces while targeting the issue identified in the previous section (See Section 2.7 & 2.8). It is also in alignment with Darebin’s Economic Land Use Strategy (Darebin City Council, 2014), which will be supported by the following actions:
This strategy responds to the forecast growth in population and addresses the need to fill in gaps and upgrade existing community amenities including community facilities, open spaces, civic squares and housing provision. The corresponding rezoning policies will be further elaborated and justified in later sections while this strategy and action provide the policy basis to support potential design and development.
Action 1.1.1 Reacquire the vacant and under-utilized industrial land for mix-use through rezoning policies. Action 1.1.2 Set appropriate limits on the maximum building size for permeable mix use development to ensure pedestrian/cyclist paths are sufficiently spaced.
0
250
500
1000m N
Action 1.1.3 Actively compensate residents or industries impacted by rezoning policies. High density development not only accommodates the projected growing needs with optimised use of land resources and potentials, but also contributes to a more compact and convenient neighbourhood that promotes walkability, cyclability, and a richer public life with increased group level activities. It also reduces transport energy consumption while enhancing public health (Tong & Wong, 1997; Woo & Cho, 2018). This is also supported by Plan Melbourne 2050 (State Government of Victoria, 2017) which encourages mixed use neighbourhoods with varying density. Nevertheless, high-density development still needs to be managed carefully to avoid concentration of concrete impervious surfaces that attract urban heat and to minimise potential disruption to existing neighbourhood character.
Rezoning Policy Initiatives Rezone low-density residential houses (GRZ) to new retail spaces (CZ) at future strategic nodes such as Gilbert Street intersections and underutilised industrial land (IZ) in existing East Preston Industrial Cluster. Rezone existing industrial use (IN) to mix use zones (MUZ). Recommendations are provided with consideration of surrounding land uses and compatibility, which are intended to reactivate existing run-down spaces. Therefore, retail development is prioritized on ground floor in locations facing major public realm. Requirements on preserving access to industrial use are also set out to accommodate existing industrial use and sites with industrial potentials.
Rezone Industrial use (IZ) to public parks, community spaces and facilities (PUZ) to offset environmental impacts on urban heat concentration and energy consumption of high-density development while providing greater access to services that complement new commercial/residential development.
Action 1.2.1 Reacquire sections of land parcels for public uses to accommodate new demands and complement new development with appropriate balance of public-private use. Action 1.2.2 Reduce existing parking spaces for new public realm development to encourage walking and cycling that provide active street life within existing industrial cluster and thereby achieve revitalization. The actions are precedented in China (Lin,2015) where residential rezoning was used for neighbourhood renewal that brings potential for further high-density development. This was supported by government incentives offered to current occupants of lands, including monetary compensation with the amount given based on the property value. This not only respects and protects the current occupants from forced relocation, but also prevents potential exclusion and marginalisation of these groups from the new development while achieving efficient land use with higher accessibility to services.
16
Design Actions
4.2 Public Realm Objective To establish a cohesive network of urban spaces – streets, corridors and places – that provides greater access to the city’s wide diversity of environments and features to offer richer experiences and reinforce urban identity. Strategy 2.2. Reinvigorate
decaying under-used and under-managed open spaces by leveraging proximity to commercial centres and co-functioning of compatible surrounding land use.
Strategy 2.1. Revitalise and refresh existing activity centre characters through re-imagining and landmarking public spaces This strategy builds on opportunities brought by the level crossing removal project (State Government of Victoria, 2020). With level crossing removed, there is a need for the surrounding public realm to be redesigned to complement the new station for its better integration, enriching transit experiences with diversified activities while attracting more people to utilize and linger in public realm with consistent aesthetic urban design. This strategy takes into account the proposed public green space in the same project with a common aim for more consistent aesthetics and diverse functionality that promotes a vibrant and inviting place for local commuters and residents, and thereby building sense of ‘place’ within the community.
Action 2.2.1 Diversify functions of existing open spaces near retail strips and activity centres through improving amenities such as tree canopies, seatings, paths, picnic tables to facilitate more activities promote activation. This action is supported by the community feedback report conducted by Level Crossing Removal Project (LCRP) (2020). It allows open spaces to accommodate diverse community needs with various urban services and thus attract more users (Belmeziti, Cherqui & Kaufmann, 2017).
Action 2.1.1 Transform existing overflowing car parks in Preston Central Activity Centre to a new civic landmark for the precinct. Action 2.1.2 Renew train station forecourt to provide a more lively and people-focused public realm. Action 2.1.3 Redesign Preston Market with more community use incorporated and people-centric and COVID-sensitive design. Action 2.1.4 Restructure and balance car and pedestrian access in Northland Activity Centre through introducing new plaza to complement the precincts identity of a high profile activity centre.
Figure 50. Public Realm Framework Plan
Action 2.1.5 Transform vacant under-managed lands into new green spaces to ensure all residents have access within short walking distance while achieving land use compatibility. As the surrounding lands will be developed into mix use zones, it is vital to fill in the gap (identified in section 2.4) between existing green spaces for them to serve nearby residents.
Action 2.2.2 Incorporate community gardens in public realm to raise public awareness of environmental sustainability while actively engaging people in community activities, social interactions and thus foster people’s connection and belonging with the place.
17
Preston Station
Bell Station
Figure 55. Artistic Illustration of Preston Outdoor Market
Market Community Garden
Preston Central presents itself as the major activity and civic centre for local community. To further strengthen this identity, public spaces in the activity centre will be redesigned into more inviting and engaging places. The proposed concept design also aims to integrate the new station and new open space with the surrounding areas, as level crossing removal project finishes. The station forecourt will be re-developed into a public square with public art representing local identity. The current large parking to the west of Preston market will be reduced down to 1/4 with the majority of space dedicated for seating, picnic tables, greeneries and other facilities to contribute to a new civic landmark in the area (Figure 54). This creates safer and more walkable places for people to linger or gather while celebrating civic identity that promotes sense of connection between place and people (Domenico, 2020). Nevertheless, spaces for cars will not be completely cut down. Park-and-ride services will be redistributed (Figure 52&53) to accommodate needs for commuters, especially in Bell Station where station forecourt is simply transformed to a community gathering space rather than a square to avoid disruption to nearby residential neighbourhood. Outdoor Market and dining areas will also be introduced for vendors to actively utilise open spaces, which contributes to richer street life and activities that attract more people to the area. With more space for vendors, this is also an opportunity for a COVID-normal functioning of local markets where social distance measures are in place. Community gardens are also developed to highlight the importance of local vegetation and educate people about locally grown foods (Lanier et al, 2015), which thus further engages them in public life and fosters sense of belonging to the community.
Figure 53. Bell Station Action Plan Pedestrian Access
Preston Outdoor Market
Figure 52. Preston Station Action Plan
Preston Central Square
Design Actions
Design Concept: Re-imagining Preston Central Activtiy Centre Precinct
Figure 54. Artistic Illustration of Preston Central Square Figure 56. Artistic Illustration of Market Community Garden
Case Study
Figure 51. Hakata Exit Station Square in Japan
The Hakata Exit Station Square at JR Hakata Station, Japan were designed to feature a harmonised and attractive station square a set of outdoor life elements that represent local characters (Yoshistugu & Haruka, 2013). It focuses on the reciprocation of people and places, which successfully offered local people a public realm that is welcoming, relaxing and enjoyable.
18 Figure 57. 3D Rendering of Preston Central
Norhland Plaza
Figure 58. Northland Action Plan
Northland Outdoor Dining
Similar to the previous design concept for Preston Central, Northland Activity Centre Redevelopment will also emphasise people-centric public spaces. The ground parking will be largely reduced to make space for new outdoor dining areas that conforms to the social distancing measure in post-COVID times as well as a new plaza that congregates shoppers to sit, relax and socialise. These developments also help Northland to establish itself as a high-profile entertainment centre that hosts a diverse range of activities. This is then complemented by new open space adjacent to the west of the shopping centre, offering facilities to exercise and socialise for not only shoppers but also nearby residents. In the meantime, T.W. Blake Park will also be revitalised with more shelters, seatings and tree canopies provided. The amalgamation of green spaces, gathering plaza and shopping centres can thus function complementarily to attract more people using the space and thus reactivate both shopping centre and the underutilised park. Cluster of diverse urban services thus reinforces the precinct identity (Belmeziti, Cherqui & Kaufmann, 2017), which contributes to sense of place with more active use by the community who build sense of belonging through social interaction within these public realms.
Figure 62. Artistic Illustration of Northland Plaza
New Jensen Park
Figure 61. Artistic Illustration of Northland Outdoor Dining
Figure 59. Artistic Illustration of New Jensen Park
Revitalised T.W. Blake Park
Design Actions
Design Concept: Revitalising Northland Activtiy Centre Precinct
Figure 60. Artistic Illustration of Revitalized T.W. Blake Park
Figure 63. 3D Rendering of Northland
19
Design Actions
4.2 Public Realm Objective Strategy 2.3. Enhance connection between existing open spaces and contribute to a more cohesive green cityscape with established green links.
Strategy 2.4. Accommodate future community needs through flexible use of infill development to provide opportunities for individual and community self-actualisation and expression.
This strategy addresses the issue of concrete-oriented public realm with poor integration of natural elements. Connected green city scape thus cools down the concentrated urban heat, alleviating potential threat to vulnerable community, improves the aesthetics of public realm and leads to environmental sustainability. The vitality of green connections has also been acknowledged and stressed by Darebin’s Open Space Strategy (Darebin City Council, 2019), which will be achieved through the following actions.
Action 2.3.1 Enhance tree canopy to create more consistent green pathways leading towards open spaces. This facilitates streets to become inviting places, rather than simply pathways, which encourages more people to walk and play in these public realms. Graphical illustrations are included in later section (See Section 4.3).
This strategy aims to lower the existing socio-economic barriers resulted from large discrepancies of IRSD values.
Action 2.4.1 Demolish unnecessary parking spaces. These are often places with low occupancy of car parking as sufficient parking spaces have been provided in nearby areas. Figure 64. Artistic Illustration of pedestrian/cyclist-only path bridging over Darebin Creek
Action 2.4.2 Introduce pop-up community centres that enables flexible use of public realms while maximizing land development potentials. This also promotes public realm activation with more ground level/outdoor activities.
Action 2.3.2 Develop green corridors connecting existing public realm with the isolated and disintegrated Darebin Creek.
Case Study This inspirational example is one of the world’s longest footpaths for pedestrians and cyclists bridging across a local natural reserve of Xiamen, China, elevated above ground (Figure 65). The project facilitates visitors’ access to the natural mountainous landscape, which offers outstanding experience with a balance of bustling urban life and the beautiful nature (Megson, 2018). The elevated bridge keeps human disruption and destruction to the natural environment to the minimum while creating links between parks and forests. The project also places emphasis on green mobility as scenic views encourages people to walk and cycle across instead of using motor vehicle.
Figure 65. Case Study in Xiamen, China
Figure 66. Example of pop-up community use
20
Design Actions
4.3 Built Form Objective To enhance more attractive built form that encourages rich street life and versatile activities to take place and celebration of local identity. Strategy 3.2. Reinforce aesthetically and functionally consistent built form with highlights and expressions of local identity.
Strategy 3.1. Activate commercial frontage through more integrated active interface design.
This strategy considers building heights as a result of the previous proposal on new land use development and therefore aims to embrace new building height requirements into the built form of Preston. As new development should not destroy existing local characters, built form thus need to incorporate identity expression to minimise conflicts. This is also stressed by in the planning practice note provided by the State Government of Victoria (2018).
Active frontages are one of the crucial factors contributing to a walkable and safe neighbourhood as they provide both passive surveillance and interesting street views (Dovey & Wood, 2015). This strategy thus predominantly target public-to-public interface design that contributes to activation of major activity centres, which provides a vital foundation for social interaction and establishing sense of place.
Action 3.1.1 Restructure streetscape to attract versatile street life and thereby promote walkability. Action 3.1.2 Refurbish commercial building facade to promote aesthetic design that attracts people and contributes to pleasant street views. This should be further contextualised according to existing facade and activity centre characteristics, which will be graphically illustrated in the latter sections.
Figure 67. Built Form Framework Plan
Action 3.2.3 Preserve and incorporate well-manged heritage characteristics into a mixed built form of contemporary design and historic legacy.
Action 3.2.1 Amend existing height restrictions (See Section 2.3) to accommodate the growing future demand for high-density mix-use at strategic locations. The provided building heights in the framework plan (Figure 67) are rough estimates considering types of new land uses specified in the land use framework plan (See Section 4.1). This allows flexibility to maximise future growth potentials. Action 3.2.2 Strengthen individual and community identities through art and cultural expression. Street arts can be introduced in a meaningful and coordinated manner to prevent potential abuse of graffiti. This can be exemplified by street arts in Melbourne Central which are often used to promote social activities and attract tourists (City of Melbourne, 2020). 21
Design Actions
Design Concept: Northland Interface Design The surrounding greeneries, Darebin creek and TW blake park and Northland’s renewed identity (See Section 4.2) as local landmark provide opportunities and motivation for this renovation. The current blank and enclosed façade will also be renovated by introducing double-glazed windows that offer more open views of the nearby natural environment, the Darebin creek while serving as passive surveillance and a more engaging interface (Robertson & Fennell, 2007). This transparent façade design reconnects Northland Shopping Centre with not only its immediate surrounding urban fabric, but also to the greater Preston. Views are created to the Darebin Creek in the east and the TW Blake Sports ground in the west by opening up the façade pattern and rearranging the existing building masses. Street views are also enriched with more activities within subspaces of the mall visible from pedestrians’ level (Figure 71) and more interaction in- and outside the mall, which provides active frontage and higher building permeability with diverse views rather than simply blank walls (Zordan et al, 2019). In line with ideas of transparency and permeability, more sustainable material, particularly double-glazed windows will be introduced to cover the façade while glass openings allow shoppers to look down into the heart of the shopping centre and the new Northland plaza. Double glazed windows reduce heat loss during winter and heat gain during summer by 30% (State Government of Victoria, 2020). This then offsets the negative impacts of concentration of concrete buildings and the urban heat they attract, which promotes public health (Sung, 2016).
Case Study The design proposal for Lyon-Part-Dieu showcases an innovative interface design with the façade revived with fresh and contemporary look. This redefines spaces in- and outside of the shopping centre, which well integrates the building with its surroundings (MVRDV, 2020).
Figure 69. Before interface design
Before
Figure 70. After interface design
After
Figure 68. New active facade for Lyon-Part-Dieu
Figure 71. 3D Rendering of New Facade for Northland Shopping Mall
22
Design Actions
Design Concept: Streetscape Renovation Figure 72. Proposed Design for Primary Multi-modal Street
Figure 73. Proposed Design for Secondary Multi-modal Street
Bell Street/Murray Road
High Street
Gilbert Road/Plenty Road
Gower Street
Figure 74. Artistic illustration of streetscape on primary corridors
Figure 75. Artistic illustration of streetscape on local streets
It is important to improve the attractiveness of high street to encourage more pedestrians and thus bring more customer flows to the local businesses. Streets are also public realm that encourages social encounter, conversations and connection-building within local community (Garvin, 2016). Streets will be re-sectioned to balance transport function (Figure 72&73). This shifts away the current focus on cars and aims to make space for pedestrians and cyclists. More importantly, the activation of commercial frontage will be achieved by widening existing footpaths to cater for outdoor merchandising, street furnishing areas for seatings (Figure 75), and a walkway area that ensures efficient pedestrian flow and integration of tree canopy (Figure 74). The provision of comfort and space for pedestrians will also be complemented by the elevated streetviews to improve both utility and vibrancy (Willliamson, 2010), creating sense of place. This design concept thus investigates opportunities to add vegetation and shading to the currently harsh urban landscape. While planting trees seem feasible in wider roads, key retail strip, High street, appear to have run out of space. The intense transport requirements combined with a narrow street width has left very limited room for large mature trees. To counter this problem, the proposed design, adopted from a case study for Sydney Road as both street demonstrate similar characteristics (The Red And Black Architect, 2020), makes use of spaces above street canopies and street levels to provide shading, greenery, lighting and a unique urban environment that is pleasant to visit and pass through.
Case Study: Re-imagining Street Spaces
Figure 76. Adoption of Case Study of Sydney Road to High Street
23
Design Actions
4.4 Movement & Access Objective To reinforce urban corridors and sustainable travel behaviours that enable services to develop into lively city spaces and encourage neighbouring areas to grow and merge together. Strategy 4.1. Optimise Multi-Nodal Transit-Oriented Development with improved transit amenities and experience.
Action 4.1.3 Prioritise pedestrian/cyclist access both locally, in key activity centres with more protected crossings, signs and better intersection design for protection from heavy traffic, and regionally, with the new pedestrian/cyclist access bridging Preston to Heidelberg (See Action 2.3.1).
This strategy is developed in response to the proposed initiatives in land use, public realm, and built form. The amalgamation of high-density mix uses, diversified functions and activities provided by public realm around transport nodes which encourage and attract more users presents an opportunity for TOD as the three criteria (Density, Mix, Access) for its development are met (Mees, 2014). The strategy is thus intended to complement the public realm and land use development through increasing local connectivity of services and ensure high mobility for people. Reinforcing TOD in Preston will also attract more people using public and active transport as efficiency increases, which further promotes sustainable travel behaviours and public health.
Action 4.1.1 Establish new transit nodes for Multi-nodal TOD that better connects general residential neighbourhood to the suburban heart and enhances local compactness. This action takes inspirations from the Stockholm example of incorperating TOD into smaller-scale transit centres, which strengthens local public transport network. The success of Stockholm TOD has resulted in a significantly higher percentage, 30%, of residents travel by foot (Stockholm City Planning Administration, 2010), compared to Preston. Therefore, in the context of Preston, new mix of commercial, housing and public uses along Gilbert Road, Plenty Road and the current industrial cluster (EPIP) provide an ideal opportunities for their transition into secondary transit centres.
Figure 78. Graphic illustration of Cycling Path and Protection Island
0
250
500
1000m N
Figure 77. Movement and Access Framework Plan
Figure 79. Proposed Cycling Path and Protection Island
Action 4.1.2 Enhance connectivity of existing public transport services to provide better access through increasing service frequency, reliability and adding night services to consolidate the spine of the TOD. Specifically, frequencies of Route 566, 567, 553, which serve the North-South to fill in gaps of the train and tram services, need to be increased. Whereas for Route 251, 513, 555, 527 running in the east-west direction, night services should be made available to facilitate access to key destinations such as Northland Shopping Centre.
For wider roads with bigger intersections on major transport corridors, physical island for full protection of pedestrians and cyclists from the busy motor traffic.
24
Design Actions
4.4 Movement & Access Objective For narrow local streets, particularly the intersections along High Street retail strip, this T-shape crossing design, precedented in Footscray (Figure 80), facilitates diagonal crossing, which is promotes efficiency and ease of movement. This also slows down motor traffic, which pushes the dominance of pedestrians and cyclist to encourage people to walk or cycle instead of driving.
Figure 80. T-shape Crossing in Footscray
Action 4.2.2 Re-balance on-street parking to integrate provision of sustainable transport amenities. This puts greater emphasis on sustainable transport modes and provides more utility that can incentivise usage.
Figure 81. Proposed T-shape Crossing
Strategy 4.2. Maximise local sustainable transport potentials Figure 82. Current neglected laneway
Action 4.2.1 Promote New Cycling Routes through upgrading laneways connecting retail use and residential houses to create a safer permeable urban form with clearly marked signage and sufficient lighting.
Figure 84. Graphic illustration of integrated bike amenities
These lanes at the interface of residential and retail shops create an alternative off-road route for cyclists and pedestrians to travel through. This aims to maximise utilisation and activation of currently concealed and perceptually unsafe public realm. Public art and well-maintain greeneries will be incorporated into the laneway design to attract users and giving the once neglected spaces new identities. Compared to the busy traffic on major corridors, these pedestrian/cyclist-only paths are more visually appealing and they ensure efficiency of sustainable transport mode, which further encourages healthy transport behaviours.
Figure 83. Proposed laneway upgrade
25
Design Actions
4.5 Housing Objective To Ensure that residential development is affordable, accessible, well-integrated with the surrounding at strategic locations and contributes to an inclusive community. Strategy 5.2. Respond to diverse demographic demands in housing provision to foster inclusion and social cohesion.
Strategy 5.1. Ensure diverse housing options are sufficiently provided and accessible to accommodate future needs and promote affordability.
This strategy incorporates needs and characteristics of emerging demographic and housing trends, and thereby identify opportunities where neighbourhood facility renewal can be provided.
This strategy addresses the growth of new residential population and identifies opportunities for housing development based on the proposed actions in the previous sections. Diverse types of housing enable people with lower income to reside in apartments, which are found general 30% more cost-efficient than detached houses (Nethercote et al, 2018).
Action 5.1.1 Introduce high density housing in strategic nodes that have easy access to activity centres, high-quality public realm and community services. The framework plan shows an approximate perimeter of future high-density housing development.
Action 5.2.1 Forge partnerships with community non-for-profit housing organisations to initiate affordable housing projects. One of the leading examples of these organisations is the Neighbourhood Housing Program (Neighbourhood Homes Victoria, 2020) which provides assistance, social activities and support services in response to local community needs and priorities.
Figure 85. Housing Framework Plan
Action 5.1.2 Support shop-top/office-top housing as an alternative along retail strips. This accommodates needs for local business owners while introducing medium-density mix use to neighbourhood activity centres such as Gilbert Road and Plenty Road, which bridges transition to future high-density mix use.
Action 5.1.3 Utilise rezoned industrial land for new housing development mixed with active retail. This action aims to attract housing development away from the central activity centre to prevent overheated housing prices in areas that are already experiencing housing stress (Figure 43). It also activates the new neighbourhood activity centre within the existing EPIP.
26
Design Actions
4.5 Housing Objective Action 5.2.2 Develop Residential Aged Care to cater for an aging population. To mitigate the existing issue of the isolated elderly and lack of aged care facilities, age care housing will be developed. The complex will incorporate various communal areas and elderly-friendly design to care for wellbeing of the aging residents, encourage interaction and support-building within the community. This is inspired by a case study in age care homes in Norway (Figure 86) (Frearson, 2016). The project focused on aged care design for spaces in and outside of the residential building with the intention to bring the isolated elderly together. These age care homes are also serviced by proximate restaurants, car parks, shops to facilitate easy access to service needs.
Action 5.2.3 Introduce community placemaking by utilising vacant land near high density residential dwellings. This action aims to provide a shared space between community members in high-density apartments where access to private backyard gardens is limited. These spaces thus provide gathering places that facilitate interactions to alleviate the social isolation reported by apartment dwellers (Chile et al, 2014)
Figure 87. Vacant land near apartment building
Figure 86. Norwegian Aged Care Homes
Figure 88. Graphic illustration of proposed communal gathering place
27
Implementation
5.1 Implementation Plan Implementa�on Plan Ac�ons Land Use Objec�ve
Timefra me
Priority
Key Implementor
Budget
1.1.1 Rezone for mix use
S
H
1.1.2 Limit block size
S
H
CoD Statutory & Strategic Planning CoD Statutory Planning
$ $ $$
1.2.2 Reduce parking
$
H
Public Realm Objec�ve
CoD Statutory Planning, CoD Transport Management
$
Strategy 2.1 Revitalise and refresh exis�ng ac�vity centre characters. M
H
Preston Market, CoD Planning & Development, City Design CoD Transport Management, City Design CoD Strategic Planning, City Design
2.1.2 Renew train sta�on S H forecourt 2.1.3 Redesign Preston Market M H (including proposed Design Concept Plan) 2.1.4 Revitalise Northland M H CoD Strategic Planning, City (including proposed Design Design Concept Plan) 2.1.5 Develop new green M M City Design, CoD Open Space spaces Management Strategy 2.2 Reinvigorate decaying under-used open spaces. 2.2.1 Diversify open space S H func�ons 2.2.2 Incorporate community S M gardens Strategy 2.3 Enhance green space connec�on.
$$ $$ $$$ $$$ $$
CoD Open Space Management, City Design CoD Open Space Management, community
$
H
City Design
$$
2.3.2 Develop green corridors M into Darebin Creek Strategy 2.4 Develop infill community use.
H
CoD Natural Reserve Management, City Design
$$$
2.4.1 Demolish parking
S
M
CoD Statutory Planning
$
2.4.2 Introduce pop-up community centres
S
M
CoD, community
$
2.3.1 Enhance tree canopy
L
Priority
Key Implementor
Budget
Strategy 3.1 Ac�vate commercial frontage.
1.1.3 Compensate impacted S M CoD, impacted community community members Strategy 1.2 Ensure sufficient amount of land at iden�fied loca�ons reserved for amenity development. 1.2.1 Rezoning for public use S H CoD Statutory Planning
2.1.1 Build new civic landmark
Timefra me
Built Form Objec�ve
Strategy 1.1 Promote urban consolida�on and intensifica�on.
S
Ac�ons
$
3.1.1 Restructure streetscapes M H CoD Statutory Planning, CoD (include proposed Design Transport Management, City Concept Plan) Design 3.1.2 Refurbish commercial L M CoD Strategic Planning, City building façade (include Design proposed Design Concept Plan) Strategy 3.2 Reinforce aesthe�cally and func�onally consistent built form. 3.2.1 Amend height restric�ons 3.2.2 Strengthen local iden��es through public art and heritage character incorpora�on Movement & Access Objec�ve
$$ $$$
S
M
CoD Strategic Planning
$$
S
M
City Design, CoD Heritage Management
$
Strategy 4.1 Op�mise Mul�-Nodal Transit-Oriented Development. 4.1.1 Establish new transit S H CoD Transport Management, nodes CoD Strategic Planning 4.1.2 Enhance public transport S H CoD Transport Management service frequency 4.1.3 Priori�se S H CoD Transport Management pedestrian/cyclists network through protec�ve intersec�on design Strategy 4.2 Maximise local sustainable transport poten�al. 4.2.1 Promote new cycling routes through laneway upgrades 4.2.2 Re-balance on-street parking to integrate sustainable transport ameni�es Time Frame: S - Short Term M - Medium Term L - Long Term
$ $$ $
S
M
City Design
$
S
M
CoD Statutory Planning, CoD Transport Management
$
Priority: L - Low Level M - Medium Level H - High Level
Budget: $ - Low $$ - Medium $$$ - High
CoD - City of Darebin
28
Introduction
Figure 89. Implementation Plan Housing Objec�ve Strategy 5.1 Ensure diverse housing op�ons sufficiently provided and accessible to promote affordability 5.1.1 Introduce high density S M CoD Housing Management, $$ housing at strategic transit CoD Statutory Planning nodes 5.1.2 Support shop-top/officeS L CoD Statutory Planning $ top housing 5.1.3 U�lise rezoned industrial M H CoD Housing Management, $$ land for new housing CoD Statutory Planning development Strategy 5.2 Respond to diverse demographic demands 5.2.1 Forge partnership with community non-for-profit housing organisa�ons 5.2.2 Develop residen�al age care 5.2.3 Introduce communal outdoor gathering places for high-density housing
M
M
CoD Housing Management, Neighbourhood Homes Victoria
$$
M
M
$$
M
M
CoD Housing Management, community CoD Housing Management
$
Table 4. Implementation Plan
The implementation plan is based on a 30-year timeframe which is the scope of this structure plan. Timeframe is divided in to long (over 15 years), medium (5-15 years) and short term (under 5 years), which is the common 30-year implementation framework used in Victoria (City of Melbourne, 2010). This will be considered based on readiness of both substantial and financial resources needed and the number of stakeholders involved. The level of priority is considered based on the how urgent the issues - addressed by the particular action - are, as well as the action’s role in achieving Preston’s cohesive vision. The categories of high, medium and low shows relative priority, which still suggests high priority for all actions in general. Budget will be assessed based on scale of the action and number of stakeholders involved with reference to the project and costs endorsed by the council in the recently released strategic Resource Plan, Adopted Budget and Budget Highlights (City of Darebin, 2020). The process of implementation plan is demonstrated in Figure 89 in terms of timeframe, which informs changes that will occur in coming years and depicts a dynamic future for Preston.
0
250
500
1000m N
Short Term Implementa�on
Medium Term Implementa�on
Long Term Implementa�on
5.2 Monitor and Review One critical step to be taken at an early stage before the release of this structure plan is to get community feedback on the proposed actions listed in this plan. Subsequently, this plan is to be carefully reviewed and edited by the planning authority, City of Darebin Council. All actions should undergo community consultation before implementation. It should also be noted that as soon as data on impacts of COVID-19 pandemic becomes available, this plan is to be reviewed again and adjusted according to the changed situation.
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6.0 Summary Preston Structure Plan 2050 – a cohesive city presents a draft planning framework for the suburb’s growth within the next 30 years based on site observations and analysis. Strategies provided in this plan are built on the identified issues and opportunities, which are to be achieved by sets of actions that aim to promote sense of place, belonging and connection with local community. Several design concepts are also generated from the combined efforts of the actions, which provide insights into feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed strategies. The assemblage of high-quality public realm and cohesive urban form development is prioritised by the plan as they contribute to inviting and engaging sets of milieus that facilitates social encounter, interaction and active engagement. These developments are founded on the basis of land use regulations that allow active mix use to perform diverse urban functions and are complemented by sustainable travel behaviours and socially inclusive housing that further reinforces people’s emotional connection and attachment to the place, in other words, the sense of belonging and social relatedness, through enabling various activities to take place. The plan therefore incorporates community’s affiliation needs into the planning and design of the suburb to tighten the people-place bond that helps to achieve social sustainability and ensure better quality of life.
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7.0 References ABS. (2016). Preston. Retrieved from https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/SSC22109?opendocument ABS. (2020). Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2018-19. Retrieved from https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3218.0Main%20Features252018-19?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=3218.0&issue=2018-19&num=&view=#:~:text=Melbourne's%20outer%20west-,Population%20density, South%20Yarra%20%2D%20East%20(10%2C000) Australian Greens Victoria. (2018). Transforming our tram network. Retrieved from https://electionwatch.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/2929992/Greens-Tram-system.pdf Barelkowski, R. (2018). Understanding the containment of public spaces: Upgrading public domain. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 13(7), 997-1007. DOI:10.2495/SDP-V13-N7-997-1007 Belmeziti, A., Cherqui, F & Kaufmann, B. (2018). Improving the multi-functionality of urban green spaces: Relations between components of green spaces and urban services. Sustainable Cities and Society, 43; 1- 10. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2018.07.014 Carmona, M. (2010). Journal of urban design. Contemporary Public Space: Critique and Classification, Part One: Critique, 15. Chile, L. M., Black, X. M., & Neill, C. (2014). Experience and expression of social isolation by inner-city high-rise residents. Housing, Care and Support, 17(3), 151-166. DOI:10.1108/HCS-11-2013-0021 City of Darebin. (2006). Darebin Transport Strategy 2007 – 2027. Retrieved from https://www.yoursaydarebin.com.au/21346/widgets/133645/documents/45712#:~:text=Going%20Places%E2%80%94the%20Darebin%20Transport,existing%20car%2Dbased%20transport%20system. City of Darebin. (2010). NORTHLAND STRUCTURE PLAN. Retrieved from http://www.darebin.vic.gov.au/-/media/cityofdarebin/Files/YourCouncil/HowCouncilWorks/MeetingAgendasMinutes/CouncilMeetings/2011/7Mar/Item-82-Appendix-A--Northland-Structure-Plan-Project-Outputs--Background-Issues-Report-April2010.ashx?la=en City of Darebin. (2011). NORTHLAND STRUCTURE PLAN Project: Vision Scenario Paper. Retrieved from http://www.darebin.vic.gov.au/-/media/cityofdarebin/Files/YourCouncil/HowCouncilWorks/MeetingAgendasMinutes/CouncilMeetings/2011/7Mar/Item-82-Appendix-B--Northland-Structure-Plan-Project-Outputs--Vision-Scenarios-Paper-February -2011.ashx?la=en City of Darebin. (2020). Organisation and Performance. Retrieved from http://www.darebin.vic.gov.au/en/Your-Council/How-council-works/Organisation-and-Performance City of Darebin. (2020). Planning and Development. Retrieved from http://www.darebin.vic.gov.au/en/Building-and-Business/Planning-and-development City of Darebin. (2006). Preston Central Structure Plan. Retrieved from https://www.yoursaydarebin.com.au/21346/widgets/133645/documents/45712#:~:text=Going%20Places%E2%80%94the%20Darebin%20Transport,existing%20car%2Dbased%20transport%20system. City of Darebin. (2013). T.W. Blake Park. Retrieved from http://www.darebin.org/Directory/Agency.aspx?Mkey=553&S3Key=747 City of Melbourne. (2010). Southbank Structure Plan 2010: A 30-year vision for Southbank. Retrieved from http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/southbank-structure-plan-2010.pdf City of Melbourne. (2020). Street art guide to Melbourne. Retrieved from https://whatsonblog.melbourne.vic.gov.au/street-art-guide-to-melbourne/ Darebin City Council (2015). Urban Design Framework. Retrieved from: http://www.darebin.vic.gov.au/en/Building-and-Business/Planning-and-development/Strategic-Planning Darebin City Council (2019). Breathing Space – The Darebin Open Space Strategy. Retrieved from https://www.yoursaydarebin.com.au/openspacestrategy Darebin City Council (2013). Housing Strategy 2013. Retrieved from: https://www.yoursaydarebin.com.au/222/widgets/469/documents/24391 Darebin Libraries. (2013). Local History. Retrieved from https://www.darebinlibraries.vic.gov.au/localhistory/ Department of Transport. (2020). Patronage. Retrieved from https://transport.vic.gov.au/about/data-and-research/patronage Domenico, M. E. (2020). Civic identity in changing cityscapes: Material rhetorical obscurity at Denver’s lindsey-flanigan courthouse. Western Journal of Communication, 84(4), 457-475. DOI:10.1080/10570314.2020.1730429 Dovey, K., & Pafka, E. (2020). What is walkability? The urban DMA. Urban studies, 57(1), 93-108. Dovey, K. & Wood, S. (2015). Public/private urban interfaces: type, adaptation, assemblage. Journal of Urbanism, 8 (1), 1–16, DOI: 10.1080/17549175.2014.891151 Farnaz, G., & Clare, R. (2020). Conviviality by design: The socio-spatial qualities of spaces of intercultural urban encounters. Urban Design International, 25(3), 215-234. DOI:10.1057/s41289-020-00128-4 Frearson, A. (2016). Haptic designs elderly housing for Norway to encourage residents to socialise. Retrieved from https://www.dezeen.com/2016/11/17/haptic-designs-elderly-housing-clt-drobak-norway/ Garvin, A. (2016). What makes a great city. Island Press. (Chapters 1 and 2) Grodach, C., Kamruzzaman, L. & Harper, L. (2019). 20-MINUTE NEIGHBOURHOOD – LIVING LOCALLY RESEARCH. Retrieved from https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/450275/Mambourin-Report-Staging-Community-Infrastructure.pdf Lee, E. H., Shin, H., Shin-Hyung Cho, Seung-Young, K., & Dong-Kyu, K. (2019). Evaluating the efficiency of transit-oriented development using network slacks-based data envelopment analysis. Energies, 12(19). DOI:10.3390/en12193609 Level Crossing Removal Project. (2019). Preston community update. Retrieved from https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/publications/preston-community-update-november-2019 Lanier, J., Schumacher, J., & Calvert, K. (2015). Cultivating community collaboration and community health through community gardens. Journal of Community Practice, 23(3-4), 492-507. DOI:10.1080/10705422.2015.1096316 Lin, G. C. S. (2015). The redevelopment of china's construction land: Practising land property rights in cities through renewals. The China Quarterly, 224, 865-887. DOI:10.1017/S0305741015001228 Mees, P. (2014). TOD and Multi-modal Public Transport, Planning Practice &Research, 29:5, 461-470, DOI: 10.1080/02697459.2014.977633 Mehta, V. (2009). Look Closely and You Will See, Listen Carefully and You Will Hear: Urban Design and Social Interaction on Streets. Journal of Urban Design,14 (1). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/13574800802452658 Megson, K. (2018). Danish designers pledge to 'set new standards for green mobility' with 20km elevated city walkway in Xiamen. 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List of Images and Tables Figure 1. Preston Market. From Google Images, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/search?q=preston+cultural+heritage&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjtmOirwI7tAhWpzTgGHc3FD7YQ_AUoAXoECAsQAw&biw=1536&bih=666&dpr=1.25 Figure 2. Metropolitan Context. Data from Spatial Datamart Victoria, 2020. Map created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://services.land.vic.gov.au/SpatialDatamart/ Figure 3. Regional Context. Data from Spatial Datamart Victoria, 2020. Map created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://services.land.vic.gov.au/SpatialDatamart/ Figure 4. Local Context. Map data from Spatial Datamart Victoria, 2020. Images from Google Images, 2020. Map created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://services.land.vic.gov.au/SpatialDatamart/ and https://www.google.com/search?q=preston+cultural+heritage&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjtmOirwI7tAhWpzTgGHc3FD7YQ_AUoAXoECAsQAw&biw=1536&bih=666&dpr=1.25 Figure 5. Historic Timeline. Map data from Darebin Libraries, 2013. Map created by Annie Yang. Images from Google Images, 2020. Retrieved from https://heritage.darebinlibraries.vic.gov.au/article/476 and https://www.google.com/search?q=preston+cultural+heritage&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjtmOirwI7tAhWpzTgGHc3FD7YQ_AUoAXoECAsQAw&biw=1536&bih=666&dpr=1.25 Figure 6. A collection of current planning documents for City of Darebin. From City of Darebin, 2020. Retrieved from http://www.darebin.vic.gov.au/en/Building-and-Business/Planning-and-development Figure 7. Growth rate of service age group. Graph data from Profile Id, 2016. Graph created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://profile.id.com.au/darebin/households?WebID=270&BMID=40 Figure 8. Growth in dwelling types. Graph data from Profile Id, 2016. Graph created Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://profile.id.com.au/darebin/households?WebID=270&BMID=40 Figure 9. Tenure type. Graph data from Profile Id, 2016. Graph created John Darwin Oanes. Retrieved from https://profile.id.com.au/darebin/households?WebID=270&BMID=40 Figure 10. Index of Relative Social Disadvantage. Map data from Profile Id, 2016. Map created Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://profile.id.com.au/darebin/households?WebID=270&BMID=40 Figure 11. Existing Land Use Map. Map data from Spatial Datamart Victoria, 2020. Map created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://services.land.vic.gov.au/SpatialDatamart/ Figure 12. Planning Scheme Map. Map Data from Spatial Datamart Victoria, 2020. Map created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://services.land.vic.gov.au/SpatialDatamart/ Figure 13. Existing Building Height Restrictions. Map data from City of Darebin, 2020. Map created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/schemes-and-amendments/browse-planning-scheme/planning-scheme?f.Scheme%7CplanningSchemeName=darebin Figure 14. Planning Overlays Map. Map data from Spatial Datamart Victoria, 2020. Map created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://services.land.vic.gov.au/SpatialDatamart/ Figure 15. Built Form. Data from Google Earth, 2020. Graphic created by Joyce Chung. Figure 16. Streetmix illustration of High Street, Bell Street and Murray Road. Data from Google Maps, 2020. Graphics created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.7489917,145.0034878,3a,90y,195.17h,97.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvQEjsJp9_JYZyUCQsSnyw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 Figure 17. Well-maintained heritage site. From Google Streetview, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.7489917,145.0034878,3a,90y,195.17h,97.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvQEjsJp9_JYZyUCQsSnyw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 Figure 18. Poorly maintained heritage site. From Google Streetview, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.7489917,145.0034878,3a,90y,195.17h,97.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvQEjsJp9_JYZyUCQsSnyw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 Figure 19. Green Space Assessment Criteria. Data from Darebin City Council, 2016. Graphic created by Nora Tal. Retrieved from https://www.yoursaydarebin.com.au/openspacestrategy Figure 20. Green Space Map. Map data from Spatial Datamart Victoria, 2020. Map created by Nora Tal & Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://services.land.vic.gov.au/SpatialDatamart/ Figure 21. H.P. Zwar Park. From Google Images, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/imghp?hl=EN Figure 22. Ray Braham Gardens. From Google Images, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/search?q=preston+cultural+heritage&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjtmOirwI7tAhWpzTgGHc3FD7YQ_AUoAXoECAsQAw&biw=1536&bih=666&dpr=1.25 Figure 23. T.W. Blake Park. From Google Images, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/search?q=preston+cultural+heritage&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjtmOirwI7tAhWpzTgGHc3FD7YQ_AUoAXoECAsQAw&biw=1536&bih=666&dpr=1.25 Figure 24. GH Mott Reserve. From Google Images, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/search?q=preston+cultural+heritage&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjtmOirwI7tAhWpzTgGHc3FD7YQ_AUoAXoECAsQAw&biw=1536&bih=666&dpr=1.25 Figure 25. Green Space Accessibility Map. Map data from Spatial Datamart Victoria, 2020. Map created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://services.land.vic.gov.au/SpatialDatamart/ Figure 26. Education Facility Accessibility Map. Map data from Spatial Datamart Victoria, 2020. Map created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://services.land.vic.gov.au/SpatialDatamart/ Figure 26.1. Student Population Composition. Graph Data from Graph data from Profile Id, 2016. Graph created Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://profile.id.com.au/darebin/households?WebID=270&BMID=40 Figure 27. Care Facility Accessibility Map. Map data from Spatial Datamart Victoria, 2020. Map created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://services.land.vic.gov.au/SpatialDatamart/ Figure 28. Religious Facility Accessibility Map. Map data from Spatial Datamart Victoria, 2020. Map created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://services.land.vic.gov.au/SpatialDatamart/ Figure 28.1. Religious Composition. Graph data from Profile Id, 2016. Graph created Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://profile.id.com.au/darebin/households?WebID=270&BMID=40 Figure 29. Health Facilities Accessibility Map. Map data from Spatial Datamart Victoria, 2020. Map created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://services.land.vic.gov.au/SpatialDatamart/ Figure 30. Public Transport Accessibility Map. Map data from Spatial Datamart Victoria, 2020. Map created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://services.land.vic.gov.au/SpatialDatamart/ Figure 31. Public Transport Accessibility Map. Map data from Spatial Datamart Victoria, 2020. Map created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://services.land.vic.gov.au/SpatialDatamart/ Figure 32. Tram stop. From Google Streetview, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.7489917,145.0034878,3a,90y,195.17h,97.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvQEjsJp9_JYZyUCQsSnyw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 Figure 33. Train Station. From Google Streetview, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.7489917,145.0034878,3a,90y,195.17h,97.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvQEjsJp9_JYZyUCQsSnyw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 Figure 34. Bus stop. From Google Streetview, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.7489917,145.0034878,3a,90y,195.17h,97.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvQEjsJp9_JYZyUCQsSnyw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 Figure 35. Employment Location of Resident Workers. Graph data from Profile Id, 2016. Graph created Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://profile.id.com.au/darebin/households?WebID=270&BMID=40 Figure 36. Residential Location of Local Workers. Graph data from Profile Id, 2016. Graph created Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://profile.id.com.au/darebin/households?WebID=270&BMID=40 Figure 37. Road Hierarchy Map. Map Data from Darebin City Council, 2007. Map created by Robert Doherty & Annie Yang. Retrieved from: https://www.yoursaydarebin.com.au/21346/widgets/133645/documents/45712 Figure 38. Active Transport Network Map. Map data from Spatial Datamart Victoria, 2020. Map created by Annie Yang. Retrieved from https://services.land.vic.gov.au/SpatialDatamart/ Figure 39. High Quality Bike Lane. From Google Streetview, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.7489917,145.0034878,3a,90y,195.17h,97.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvQEjsJp9_JYZyUCQsSnyw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 Figure 40. Narrow Pedestrian Paths. From Google Streetview, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.7489917,145.0034878,3a,90y,195.17h,97.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvQEjsJp9_JYZyUCQsSnyw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 Figure 41. Shared On-road Bike Lane. From Google Streetview, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.7489917,145.0034878,3a,90y,195.17h,97.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvQEjsJp9_JYZyUCQsSnyw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 Figure 42. Figure Ground of High Street Retail Strip, Residential Area, Industrial Cluster. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 43. Issues Map. Created by Annie Yang.
Figure 44. Opportunities Map. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 45. Future Potential Development Hotspots. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 46. Redevelopable Land. From Google Streetview, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.7489917,145.0034878,3a,90y,195.17h,97.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvQEjsJp9_JYZyUCQsSnyw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 Figure 47. Infill Land. From Google Streetview, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.7489917,145.0034878,3a,90y,195.17h,97.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvQEjsJp9_JYZyUCQsSnyw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 Figure 48. Vacant Land. From Google Streetview, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.7489917,145.0034878,3a,90y,195.17h,97.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvQEjsJp9_JYZyUCQsSnyw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 Figure 49. Land Use Framework Plan. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 50. Public Realm Framework Plan. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 51. Hakata Exit Station Square in Japan. From Google Images https://www.google.com/imghp?hl=EN. Figure 52. Preston Station Action Plan. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 53. Bell Station Action Plan. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 54. Artistic illustration of Preston Central Square. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 55. Artistic illustration of Preston Outdoor Market. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 56. Artistic illustration of Market Community Garden. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 57. 3D Rendering of Preston Central. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 58. Northland Action Plan. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 59. Artistic illustration of New Jensen Park. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 60. Artistic illustration of Revitalised T.W. Blake Park. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 61. Artistic illustration of Northland Outdoor Dining. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 62. Artistic illustration of Northland Plaza. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 63. 3D Rendering of Northland. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 64. Artistic illustration of pedestrian/cyclist-only path bridging over Darebin Creek. From Google Images, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/search?q=green%20walkways&tbm=isch&ictx=1&tbs=rimg:Cdi17E8aVxXVIgjYtexPGlcV1SoSCdi17E8aVxXVET0Nj8N7zMj2&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CAEQiRxqFwoTCJD976Tgju0CFQAAAAAdAAAA ABAI&biw=1519&bih=722 Figure 65. Case Study in Xiamen, China. From Megson, 2018. Retrieved from https://www.cladglobal.com/CLADnews/architecture_design/Danish-designers-pledge-to-set-new-standards-for-green-mobility-with-20km-elevated-city-walkway-in-Xiamen/337301?source=coprofiles Figure 66. Example of pop-up community use. From Google Images. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/search?q=pop+up+community+centre&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwi2tP6w4I7tAhW-KbcAHT6nC8wQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=pop+up+community+centre&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoFCAAQsQM6AggAOg gIABCxAxCDAToECAAQAzoECAAQQzoHCAAQsQMQQzoGCAAQCBAeOgQIABAYOgQIABAeUPjxBFjTmAVgiZoFaABwAHgAgAHRAYgB4R2SAQYwLjIyLjKYA QCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ7ABAMABAQ&sclient=img&ei=XXi2X_aRGr7T3LUPvs6u4Aw&bih=722&biw=1519&hl=en Figure 67. Built Form Framework Plan. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 68. New active façade for Lyon-Part-Dieu. From MVRDV, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.mvrdv.nl/projects/236/lyon-part-dieu Figure 69. Before interface design. From Google Images, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/search?q=preston+cultural+heritage&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjtmOirwI7tAhWpzTgGHc3FD7YQ_AUoAXoECAsQAw&biw=1536&bih=666&dpr=1.25 Figure 70. After interface design. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 71. 3D Rendering of New Façade for Northland Shopping Mall. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 72. Proposed Design for Primary Multi-modal Street. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 73. Proposed Design for Secondary Multi-modal Street. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 74. Artistic Illustration of streetscape on primary corridors. From Google Images, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/imghp?hl=EN Figure 75. Artistic Illustration of streetscape on local streets. From Google Images. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/imghp?hl=EN Figure 76. Adoption of Case Study of Sydney Road to High Street. From the Red and Black Architect, 2020. Retrieved from http://www.theredandblackarchitect.com/re-imagining-sydney-road/ Photo Montage created by Annie Yang. Figure 77. Movement and Access Framework Plan. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 78. Graphic illustration of Cycling Path and Protection Island. From Google Images, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/imghp?hl=EN Figure 79. Proposed Cycling Path and Protection Island. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 80. T-shape Crossing in Footscray. From Nearmap. Retrieved from http://maps.au.nearmap.com/ Figure 81. Proposed T-shape Crossing. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 82. Current Neglected laneway. From Google Streetview, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.7489917,145.0034878,3a,90y,195.17h,97.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvQEjsJp9_JYZyUCQsSnyw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 Figure 83. Proposed laneway upgrade. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 84. Graphic illustration of integrated bike amenities. From Google Images. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/imghp?hl=EN Figure 85. Housing Framework Plan. Created by Annie Yang. Figure 86. Norwegian Aged Care Homes. From Frearson, 2016. Retrieved from https://www.dezeen.com/2016/11/17/haptic-designs-elderly-housing-clt-drobak-norway/ Figure 87. Vacant land near apartment building. From Google Streetview, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/@-37.7489917,145.0034878,3a,90y,195.17h,97.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjvQEjsJp9_JYZyUCQsSnyw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 Figure 88. Graphic illustration of proposed communal gathering place. From Google Images, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/imghp?hl=EN Figure 89. Implementation Plan. Created by Annie Yang Table: Table 1. Percentage of each land use. Data calculated with ArcGIS. Table created by Robert Doherty. Table 2. Areas with development potentials. Created by Annie Yang. Table 3. Areas demanded for future development. Created by Annie Yang. Table 4. Implementation Plan. Created by Annie Yang.