Lonsdale Street Dandenong Revitalisation

Big Picture Thinking

Our approach began with months of intensive community engagement, consultation, research and investigation before any design work commenced. We undertook a deep dive into place, examining the grain of the city, including the laneways and arcades, the different ethnic precincts and cultural spread of the streets, the green spaces and distribution of trees through the street network, and the car parking, and we analysed the complex interplay of movement patterns and public spaces.

Our masterplan sought to create a clear narrative for moving through the city, defining the station and market as the thriving bookends of the city centre and positioning strategic nodal points between that draw people through the city, providing an urban framework for connection. We curated a journey comprising new civic spaces, pedestrianised zones, a new city walk, and developable parcels with stringent design guidelines, enabling the parcels to be sold for private development. We redesigned the bus network, designed streetscapes, established Lonsdale Street as a greened urban arterial, and utilised high quality urban design to shape places for Dandenong’s diverse community to come together. Our approach sought to maintain local character while facilitating positive change, ensuring the renewal process would enhance rather than erase Dandenong’s unique identity.