Kudos for City of Melbourne’s ‘bold’ transport plan

The City of Melbourne’s response to “significant transport
challenges” in the CBD has been recognised with a major planning award.

The council’s Transport Strategy 2030 received the Best Planning Ideas – Large Projects award at the 2021 National Awards for Planning Excellence convened by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA).

Judges commended the city for its innovative and ambitious
approach to public participation during the development of the strategy, which
aims to provide more space for pedestrians on footpaths and around major
transport hubs, thereby boosting the retail and hospitality sectors.

“It was underpinned by a robust evidence base and media-led
communications program to begin a bold, provocative, public conversation with
the broader Melbourne community about the big transport issues facing the city,”
the judges said.

A  project to design
and produce innovative open-air community spaces, dubbed ChillOUT Hubs, won the
Georges River Council (and its partners, the University of NSW Sydney, Street
Furniture Australia, and the University of Sydney) PIA’s Best Planning Ideas –
Small Projects award.

The President’s Award was shared by the City of Hobart’s Connected Hobart Smart City Framework and Action Plan, and the City of Palmerston’s Community Plan.

The Tweed Shire Council’s Rural Land Strategy was recognised
with the Hard Won Victory category award, and the City of Brisbane’s Howard
Street Wharves development received the From Plan to Place award.

Details of the other category award winners can be found here.