A trip to Melbourne’s central retail area is one of life’s great pleasures, and for many, the southern end of Elizabeth Street is the first impression they have of the city.

A new proposal aims to improve the tired streetscape of this busy area while also enhancing pedestrian safety and public transport connections.

In its current form, Elizabeth Street doesn’t function as well as it could. As a result the City of Melbourne is considering streetscape improvements.

Car traffic has steadily decreased in this area – so an opportunity exists to create more room for pedestrians by reallocating space currently used by vehicles, and extending footpaths. Planting more trees and improving amenity and accessibility can also help provide a more attractive entrance to Melbourne’s retail centre.

Improved streetscapes can make the area safer and more accessible for the thousands of pedestrians who use it each day.

In the proposal’s first stage, residents and business owners at the street’s southern end were consulted in August. Their feedback will flow into a draft streetscape improvement plan open for broader community engagement in early 2017.

For more info, visit Participate Melbourne.