Southbank Boulevard could be turned into the city's largest linear park, as strips of "underperforming" roads are ripped up to create more open space in the inner city.

The Melbourne City Council expects to spend $15 million over three years building new gardens on land occupied by surplus roads, roundabouts and car parks.

Unused roads are being converted to parks in areas of North Melbourne. Pictured here is the corner of Hawke and Adderley streets. Credit:Paul Jeffers

Lord mayor Robert Doyle said this policy of turning "grey into green" could save the council millions – because it would have cost them more than $225 million to purchase land for the new parks outright.

This year the council will begin work at a new park near North Melbourne Station, where a section of Railway Place is set to be dug up. Similar changes will be carried out at Kensington Station, with plans to block off a stretch of Eastwood Street and plant it with grass and trees.