The conversation

The City of Melbourne is creating Market Square, a new 1.5 hectare public open space in the heart of the growing CBD. We recently consulted with the community to gain an understanding of the uses and activities the community you would like to see taking place in this space.

The feedback we received will be used to develop a charter that will guide decision-making on the activities, uses and management of Market Square, with the charter to be presented to Council in March 2020. The charter will also help inform the design of this important community asset.

Gathering insights

Community consultation ran from 14 October to 1 November 2019 and included:

  • an online survey
  • several face-to-face drop-in sessions next to the future Market Square
  • direct emails to stakeholders
  • letterbox drop to 7800 residents and businesses within a 600 metre radius of the market precinct

We received 137 contributions during this three-week consultation.

What we heard

The consultation showed the community would like:

The respondents anticipated that the space will be used by a broad cross section of user groups, including current and future local residents, market customers, city workers and visitors, and that the space should provide a balance between informal and programmed activities.

Next steps

The development of a charter for Market Square is now underway and will be informed by community engagement findings. The charter will be presented to Councillors for consideration in March 2020, with an aligned design process for Market Square to commence next year.

Follow the Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal page to receive email updates about this project.

Market Square public open space