GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 – December 2013 (includes Nature Strip Policy)

GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 is a high level strategic document that will support and inform Council staff in the management and design of municipal streetscapes. Additionally, the strategy is publically available to provide information for community members interested in understanding Council’s methodology in the management of streetscapes. The public streetscape inclusive of nature strips and street trees, represents a network of Council’s smallest public open spaces. GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020 outlines a vision and set of principles to guide City of Darebin’s approach to streetscape design and street tree planting for the next eight years. The streetscape is an important component of Council’s open space network and can have a significant impact on how people experience, perceive and interact with their surroundings and neighbourhood. Streetscapes are the “parks” that residents visit every day as they move in and out of their homes. Streetscapes help define a community’s activities, appearance, identity and transport conditions. Improved streetscapes offer a range of benefits including economic growth, increased habitat within the urban core, spaces for passive and active recreation, places for residents to interact with neighbours and increased civic pride. The ‘Green Streets Strategy’ (1995) has been successfully implemented over the past sixteen years resulting in over 20,000 new street trees across the municipality. GreenStreets needs to be updated to take into account modern climactic conditions, Darebin’s growing population, changing requirements for the public realm, increasing community expectations and modern learning. GreenStreets Streetscape Strategy 2012-2020, sets the strategic vision for street tree planting in the City of Darebin building upon and continuing this success, while considering contemporary issues such as increasing urban population, climate change, urban habitat creation, urban food production, varied species selection, water security, Melbourne @ 5million as well as other Council strategies and policies. GreenStreets Streetscape Policy (2012-2020) also contains a revised Nature Strip Policy to guide and direct the development of nature strips by residents and developers.