A brand new pocket park has sprouted up at the corner of Mollison Street and Charles Street in Abbotsford. 

It's a great place to meet a friend, enjoy a picnic, or take a break from the hurly burly of modern life. 

The new park was designed with input from locals like Hennifer Howards, who is looking forward to visiting the park with her daughters Lola and Greta, and their pooches Gus and Olive. 

"I like the idea of being able to sit outside and read a book", Jennifer says, describing the new park as "a gorgeous space". 

She is also looking forward to catching up with her neighbours. "I can see why Mollison Street works well for the park as there are so many people living close by who might wave or say hello, but might be able to share the space and interact a little more." 

A temporary park was set up at the site back in 2015 to give residents like Jennifer an idea of what to expect. "I was a little sceptical this was the right place for a park to start with, but seeing the pop-up trialled last year was an eye opener," she says. 

"So many people used the space. I met neighbours and loved being able to step outside for some lovely green space." 

We have created six new pocket parks since 2009 by transforming underused paved areas into green open space. Our aim is to create more liveable, healthy and sustianable spaces, particularly in areas with limited access to parks. 

Five features of the new park are:

• lush central lawn, ideal for an impromptu picnic
• deciduous trees for shade during summer and extra sunlight during winter
• timber seating and raised planter boxes
• walkway paved with recycled bricks hint at Abbotsford's industrial heritage 
• Steel arbour to support flowering vines and boost privacy for nearby properties