Get your green on for a new CBD laneway experience
City of Melbourne is seeking public input for a newly launched program that will see a variety of CBD laneways receive a green touch. The Green Your Laneway pilot program will redress some of the two hundred plus lanes in the central city which combined total an area of almost nine hectares.
Initially involving up to four laneways, the regeneration will see a distinctly green touch applied via the use of planter boxes, vertical gardens, climbing plants and trees.
In a world first, we’ve developed online maps showing the potential to green our city’s laneways. You can use the online map to nominate which laneway in the city you would like to see improved with greenery. There are over 200 lanes in our central city but only a small number of these lanes have greenery.
This is about making Melbourne’s famous laneways more appealing, green and sustainable places. From growing vertical gardens, to planting trees and creating pocket parks, our laneways have enormous potential to become our city’s backyards.
We've got a target to cool the city’s summertime temperatures by 4c through our award winning Urban Forest Strategy and this is yet another step to green the city. By greening our laneways we can create cooler microclimates, capture stormwater and continue to combat the urban heat island effect. It’s good for the environment, good for the look of our city and great for people.
Cr Arron Wood, Chair of the City of Melbourne’s environment portfolio
The online map shows which laneways are most suitable for greening, and is based upon factors such as sunlight and wind exposure. Post the public consultation period a panel of engineers, sustainability professionals, landscape architects and place makers will decide which laneways are to be chosen for the initial regeneration.
Benefits for the scheme as outlined by Melbourne City Council include:
- Improving biodiversity levels in the central city.
- Provision of more green public open spaces in the central city.
- Reducing noise levels in the city.
- Reinvigorating laneways from waste areas to useable public spaces.
- Insulating buildings from heat and cold, reducing energy expenditure and carbon emissions.
- Reducing the urban heat island effect through shading and cooling.
- Reducing vandalism and antisocial behaviour.
- Increasing surrounding property values.
Visit Participate Melbourne's Green Your Laneway page to get involved.
