Image: Artist Impression of a Greening the Greyfields development
Council is looking at new ways of developing our city, so that we can provide for our growing population in an effective and sustainable way.
Greening the Greyfields is a pilot project by Maroondah City Council, The Centre for Urban Transitions at Swinburne University, the CRC for Low Carbon Living and FrontierSI, in partnership with Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).
What is the problem with the current nature of residential development?
Most redevelopment of suburban residential lots involves landowners demolishing the house and subdividing their block into smallerContinue reading
Image: Artist Impression of a Greening the Greyfields development
Council is looking at new ways of developing our city, so that we can provide for our growing population in an effective and sustainable way.
Greening the Greyfields is a pilot project by Maroondah City Council, The Centre for Urban Transitions at Swinburne University, the CRC for Low Carbon Living and FrontierSI, in partnership with Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).
What is the problem with the current nature of residential development?
Most redevelopment of suburban residential lots involves landowners demolishing the house and subdividing their block into smaller lots. Much of the land becomes occupied by driveways. The space available for gardens is fragmented into a tiny area for each house. This pattern is normally repeated until a neighbourhood has an unnecessary amount of driveway pavement, no diversity in housing and no garden big enough to provide space for a substantial tree. The area loses its green and leafy aspect, including shade and birds. The area looks crowded and unwelcoming. This is not the best way to use precious residential land.
Is there a better way?
Over the past eighteen months Council has been working with our community and Swinburne university, to develop a world- first precinct which we believe will significantly assist in resolving this issue. This will involve transforming a neighbourhood to incorporate better design principles.
The Pilot project consists of extensive research and land analysis to determine locations within our municipality where 'Greening the Greyfields' would provide development that has a positive community benefit, rather than adhoc development as it currently exists.
By working together with local property owners, developers, and the broader community, the pilot program will explore and identify possible areas for land amalgamation - where Landowners can work with their neighbours to amalgamate individual housing lots into one larger parcel of land – known as a “Precinct”.
This “precinct” approach not only provides financial benefits for landowners, but through careful design, can transform our local neighbourhoods into vibrant, active, healthy places to live.
Precinct development could include:
an increase in the availability and accessibility to open spaces
walkability and cycling options
diversity in housing options
promotion of best practice in sustainability and environmental design.
Positive benefits to the community include:
better design outcomes
improved open spaces and tree canopy cover
reduced demand for on street parking
less hard surface treatments such as concrete or asphalt
better pedestrian connections
potential for new parkland beautification projects
For further information about the Greening the Greyfields Pilot Project please email us at gtg@maroondah.vic.gov.au
