Melbourne City is seeking radical solutions to limit periferal growth by testing new approaches to compact high density mixed use development as a more sustainable urban footprint. CMA+U was commissioned to explore Strategic Urban Directions for Fishermans Bend with major stakeholders in interactive gaming workshops to assist Places Victoria in the preparation of an overarching Strategic Framework Plan to guide future development in the Fishermans Bend Urban Renewal Area (FBURA) as a major expansion and intensification of the inner city. The Strategic Framework Plan sets the direction for future urban development in the FBURA to identify:

• strategic directions and shared vision for the FBURA
• areas suitable for urban development and the broad form of appropriate development
• strategic infrastructure (physical and social) required to support urban development.

The workshops utilised ‘Urban Interactive Gaming’ at 1:1000 scale to help inform appropriate responses to the critical issues, generate common ground between stakeholders, discovery of important insights and test all of these against relevant planning policy and the Ministerial direction for the project. The results provided material to help shape a bold and exciting, yet sustainable and sensitive Urban Vision, a catalytic strategy and delivery mechanisms to robustly and creatively facilitate feasible realisation.

10 BIG IDEAS

1. BLUE SPACE makes Fishermans Bend special, and connects Melbourne’s CBD to the BAY. The 1000 year VISION shapes a powerful enabling future beyond to an emerging BLUE economy.
2. LEARN A LIVING Now every business, institution & individual needs to learn continuously
3. SPACE TO GROW Both local opportunity and international players can grow & prosper here
4. GREEN LINEAR PARK Between River and Bay is a central linear park that connects city to the bay.
5. EXCELLENT PUBLIC TRANSPORT west, east, north & south; eg extend Collins street to the Bay directly via tram and bike
6. HIGH DENSITY – MEDIUM RISE A compact urban footprint means you can walk/bike to everything you need
7. MIXED USE – HYBRID ARCHITECTURE Exciting architecture weaves mixed-use, landscape and infrastructure It uses less energy and works harder by integrating things together
8. DIVERSE NETWORK Like downtown a rich & diverse network of lanes, friendly streets, and urban roads.
9. COURTYARDS, SQUARES & PARKS Many different places to meet, network, watch, think, learn and play.
10. SUSTAINABILITY SHOW CASE Showcase energy, water, carbon impact, building materials, smart technology