#1🚶♀️ 300,000 Streets Library
Welcome to your go-to source for insights, research, and inspiration on transforming streets into thriving, liveable, regenerative hubs of democracy and community agency.
Regen Melbourne acknowledges and respects the Bunurong, Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation, which is now known as Melbourne. We extend these acknowledgements to all Traditional Owners across the State of Victoria. The knowledge, practices and deep wisdom of the First Nations people of this land guides, informs and drives our work.
Welcome to 300,000 Streets: A New Space for Urban Transformation
In the vibrant world of urban regeneration, opportunities, stories, and ideas flood in from every direction—events, research, funding opportunities, and grassroots initiatives reshaping Melbourne and beyond. But how do you stay connected to it all?
That’s where 300,000 Streets Library comes in. Why 300,000? That's approximately how many streets there are in Greater Melbourne and we want to celebrate them all as one interconnected web. This is your space to discover, celebrate, and share the transformative potential of streets as agents of change. With a focus on fostering democratic participation, local agency, and liveable streets, we bring you a curated selection of what’s happening across the city and beyond.
Here, you’ll find tools, inspiration, and stories that champion streets as the heartbeat of a more sustainable, inclusive, and connected Greater Melbourne. Whether you’re a decision-maker, a community advocate, or simply passionate about the future of our shared spaces, this is your home for ideas and action. 🌿🚶♀️🚴
3 Things to Read
1. Lessons from Canada’s Local Wealth
📄 Investing in Local Communities – The Conversation
🛠️ Why it matters: Explore how local economies can drive resilience and equity, offering valuable lessons for Melbourne’s regeneration efforts.
✨ Highlight: Prioritizing people over profit builds stronger, happier communities.
2. Reforming Victoria’s Planning System
📄 Local Government Sector Submission – MAV
🏛️ Why it matters: This submission outlines practical reforms to Victoria’s planning system, emphasizing local government’s role in creating more sustainable and equitable urban environments.
✨ Highlight: Aligning planning processes with community needs can empower local agency and drive regenerative change.
3. Urban Regeneration through Participation
📄 Public Engagement in Urban Planning – PLOS ONE
🗣️ Why it matters: This research shows how participatory urban planning fosters inclusive, regenerative spaces.
✨ Highlight: Co-designing streets builds stronger, more democratic communities.
3 Things to Hear
1. The Power of Community-Driven Change
🎧 In the Middle of It – Community Think
🌍 Why it matters: Dive into the story of people reclaiming agency in their communities, using public spaces as platforms for collaboration and action.
✨ Highlight: How shared ownership of streets can catalyse bigger social and environmental change.
2. Building Streets That Work: Sara Stace on Transforming Cities
🎧 S2E6: Get Around Caboolture Podcast
🚸 Why it matters: Sara Stace discusses the power of street design to create safer, more inclusive, and sustainable cities.
✨ Highlight: Simple changes to streets can have profound impacts on how communities connect and thrive.
3. We Are Citizens: Reclaiming Collective Agency
🎧 We Are Looking Sideways
🌟 Why it matters: A call to action for reclaiming agency and redefining urban citizenship through collective participation.
✨ Highlight: How small, meaningful actions can catalyse systemic change in our cities.
3 Things to Do
1. 🌱 Gardiner's Creek Reserve Planting Day
📅 Date: Saturday 7 June, 9am-12pm
📍 Location: Gardiner's Creek Reserve, Melbourne
🔗 More Info: Humanitix
📝 Description: Join hands-on community action to regenerate Melbourne's waterways. This planting day connects residents with Country while creating habitat corridors that strengthen urban biodiversity and climate resilience.
2. 🎵 Jam the Street: A Street Celebration of Melbourne's Many Rhythms
📅 Date: Sat 21 June, 3pm
📍 Location: Melbourne Streets
🔗 More Info: Eventbrite
📝 Description: Experience how streets can become stages for cultural expression and community connection. This celebration showcases the power of public space to foster social cohesion and celebrate Melbourne's diverse cultural rhythms.
3. 🎨 Street Art Laneway Tour: Melbourne City Highlights
📅 Date: Fri, 6 Jun 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
📍 Location: Melbourne Laneways
🔗 More Info: Eventbrite
📝 Description: Discover how Melbourne's laneways demonstrate community-led transformation of neglected spaces into vibrant cultural hubs. See first hand how street-level interventions can activate neighbourhoods and build local identity.
🌟 Streetlight on Place
In each edition, we’ll shine our streetlight on one place across Greater Melbourne that shows us what’s possible when local people step up as citizens and design a better way.
This time, we turn our attention to Transition Town Kensington, where a partnership with the Alliance for Praxis Research (APR) is illuminating new possibilities.
Inspired by the concept of visibilising the invisible, APR has been working closely with the Kensington community to answer a profound question:
How can such a small space catalyse so much social, environmental, and economic transformation?
Through this research, they aim to uncover and showcase the often-overlooked community values nurtured by Kensington’s regenerative food and waste initiatives—specifically through the beloved Food Forest.
Kensington reminds us that even the smallest spaces can serve as powerful catalysts for change, embodying a vision of streets and neighbourhoods that truly thrive. 🌱✨
🚶♂️ Got an idea, story, or initiative that reshapes how we think about streets, community, or regeneration?
We’d love to hear it! Whether it’s a local project, cutting-edge research, or a spark of inspiration, share it with us to feature in our next edition. Let’s amplify your vision together! 🌟
Send us an ✉️ at nina@regen.melbourne
Lovely to read you Nina!
Have been thinking of this for a while, I feel this is a good space to share it.
Thinking of making every oval of the city a small hub to gather (as every week there’s sports and families already gather) to also create veggie garden, fruit trees, and compost spaces. Run by neighbours, and volunteer but also kind of being promoted by each council. Making better use of each oval.
Imagine all the ovals there are in Melbourne but also Australia wide.
Just a crazy idea! 🫶🏻💫