Poath Road Public Realm Improvement

The Cities of Glen Eira and Monash established a joint project to prepare a public realm improvement plan for the Poath Road retail strip adjacent to Hughesdale Station. Poath Road at this location borders the two municipalities, with the suburb of Murrumbeena on the Glen Eira side, and the suburb of Hughesdale on the Monash side.

Urban Initiatives was engaged by Glen Eira Council in April 2019 to undertake this project. The project engaged in consultations with the Council Project Control Group, including representatives from both councils; undertook a review of existing strategies and proposals; and performed site investigations which explored recent development activity and context analysis. Principles and guidelines for development of the public realm were then established, and a palette of treatments for furniture, lighting and soft and hard landscaping for the centre were developed.

Identifying the existing conditions helped set primary goals of generating a greener and more pedestrian-friendly zone by linking with existing green corridors and offsetting street trees and garden beds in kerb outstands within median strips along the road. Planting new trees and vegetation will help establish connections for local fauna and provide important shelter for people, as well as activating spaces beneath. Using these techniques, Urban Initiatives has implemented a multifunctional buffer to lessen the impact of traffic on pedestrians and local businesses.