Location \ Fitzroy, Melbourne
Client \ City of Yarra
Budget \ N/A
Duration \ 2019 – 2020

The aim of this project was to prepare a Streetscape Masterplan for Brunswick Street, from Victoria Parade to Alexandra Parade, as well as the streets around Fitzroy Town Hall and Atherton Gardens, to guide the design and delivery of future streetscape and public realm improvements.

The overarching vision for the Brunswick Street precinct recognises the area’s strengths and distinctive qualities through community engagement, personal experience and careful observation.

The streetscapes will provide an attractive network of high quality footpaths and public spaces which accommodate a variety of activities, support a vibrant mixed use precinct both day and night, provide improved amenity, and create spaces to meet and spend time in. Brunswick Street will continue to be a place of evolving eclectic character, artistic expression and layered history, and that attracts and welcomes a diverse community, both local and visiting. It’s been great to speculate on what the future may hold and frame those possibilities.

The masterplan proposes a series of diverse crafted micro projects that create new social spaces at street intersections – the only locations that afford some extra space beyond the typical footpath width- along with a new public spine linking Brunswick Street to the Fitzroy Town Hall precinct.

Artists impression drawings above by RWA. Photos above and below by Michael Wright.

The Brunswick Street Streetscape Plan has received an Award of Excellence in the 2021 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (Victorian) Awards for Urban Design. The AILA Victorian Award jury cited the project as: “The Brunswick Street Streetscape Plan avoids cliches and delivers an authentic response which respects the past whilst considering future needs. Rigorous precinct analysis captures the existing character and qualities of the study area. Extensive community engagement results in recommendations that find the right balance between retention of existing streetscape elements and change.