Local Planning Policy Framework - Moreland City Council

Central Coburg 2020 Background Report [ PHASE 1: Research and Analysis ]
around City Oval creates similar circulation problems, with the Pentridge site
potentially experiencing poor vehicular and pedestrian circulation. Ironically, various
local road closures that aim to improve pedestrian amenity in selected areas, such as
the closure of Victoria Street to create a mall, have actually resulted in reducing the
attractiveness of the overall street network because of increased traffic and circulation
problems.
Walking is possible along most streets, with parks also providing walking paths.
Streets in conjunction with parks are an integral part of the overall pedestrian network
of Coburg.
A major bike route follows the railway line, relying extensively on paths within the rail
reserve. A number of arcades located between Sydney Road shops provide
pedestrian links toward the railway station. Pedestrian access through public car
parks is also important, due to their large size and proximity to the railway station and
shops. Presently there are few defined walkways through these public carparks, and
the attractiveness and safety of these areas is poor.
Street Spaces
In addition to providing routes for travel, streets are the most important public spaces
of a city. Adequate provision for a wide range of functions in them is essential.
Space for walking, sitting, street furniture, parking and loading spaces is as important
as appropriate traffic lanes. One measure of the success of an urban area is the
number of people engaging in social, cultural or leisure activities in streets and other
public spaces, in addition to the practical necessities of travel. These activities
require space and appropriate amenities. Trees and buildings lining streets also
provide a human scale or a pleasant sense of three-dimensional structure and shelter.
Many of the streets have been designed and managed with an emphasis on cars, at
the expense of pedestrians and cyclists. Clearways that cater for through traffic
eliminate kerbside parking and loading spaces that allow local traffic to use the streets
for accessing shops and other buildings. The absence of parked cars along the
kerbside prevents the creation of an important buffer between moving vehicles and
footpaths, resulting in seemingly hostile environments for pedestrians walking along
Bell Street and Sydney Road. Narrowed footpaths further discourage pedestrian use
and detract from the viability of shops.
Some local streets have wide traffic lanes in proportion to footpath space, and others
even lack proper footpaths. Some narrow lanes without footpaths require shared
pedestrian vehicular use, although none are formally designated as Shared Zones.
The congestion of vehicular traffic in Sydney Road makes the street relatively easy to
cross for pedestrians, and kerbside parking improves safety at tram stops by
preventing cars from passing stopped trams.
Parks
Parks provide settings for activity, the activities are likely to be varied, and this variety
can be important to the interest and safety of users. Managing parks under
categories such as ‘ornamental’ or ‘sports’ can be as unhealthy as separating
pedestrian and vehicular streets. Parks should be robust and meet a broad range of
objectives. It is important to ensure that open spaces in the core area support
intensive, socially-oriented activity, and to ensure that decorative but unused spaces
do not disperse activities, making the city seem unsafe or creating a poor walking
environment.
Central Coburg is generally well provided with public space. The exception is to the
south-east where the Moreland Open Space Strategy (MOSS) identifies a deficiency
in local parks within reasonable walking distances. In addition to parks and reserves,
there is extensive ‘civic’ space around public buildings. However, the value of some
existing spaces is compromised by various factors. Access to many is poor due to a
lack of connecting streets. Many civic spaces do not invite members of the public to
use them. Most of the City Oval reserve is reserved exclusively for sports clubs.
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