Delivering local town centres

The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) is inspiring thought and discussion surrounding well-planned local town centres.

The VPA’s Leading Practice Seminar series about the design and delivery of local town centres was held on 26 October.

Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne, opened the seminar, with other speakers including ClarkeHopkinsClarke partner Dean Landy, Woolworths Senior Property Development Manager Don Foulds and City of Whittlesea Director of Planning and Major Projects Steve O’Brien.

The seminar was very well attended and highlighted the crucial role town centres play in creating new communities and transforming existing ones.

The VPA has a strong record of planning successful town centres across greenfield areas of Melbourne, with examples including Selandra Rise and Polaris.

The VPA is committed to ensuring that the 100,000 lots program, to be delivered by the end of 2018, is accompanied by well-planned infrastructure that brings communities together.

Speakers from the private sector emphasised the VPA’s valuable role coordinating government, councils and stakeholders to create vibrant town centres that have a mix of uses, including retail, restaurants and open space.

The seminar also examined how we can best respond to the disruptors and emerging local and global mega-trends that provide both challenges and opportunities.

Town centres are at the core of Plan Melbourne’s action to creating 20-minute neighbourhoods to manage all local needs.

A copy of each presentation from the seminar can be found by clicking the links below:

• Local Town Centres – VPA (Paul Byrne)
• Local Town Centres, Disruptors – VPA (Frank Hanson)
• Rethinking Town Centres as Social Hubs – City of Whittlesea (Steve O’Brien)
• Future Town Centres – CHC (Dean Landy) – not available