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Activity centre planning

Activity centre planning helps ensure growth is well managed and the character of the centre is maintained.

Our activity centres – generally our retail streets – host a vibrant and constantly evolving range of retail, entertainment, hospitality and commercial services.

In planning for the future, we need to consider how the centres look now (the types and heights of buildings and their heritage significance), what scale of future growth is reasonable and how we balance this with state planning policy.

To plan and accommodate for this growth we need to introduce controls into the Yarra Planning Scheme which will help determine an appropriate scale of new development.

It is important that any development in our activity centres is appropriate and the character of the centre is maintained.

Our major activity centres are:

  • Swan Street in Richmond
  • Bridge Road in Richmond
  • Victoria Street in Richmond
  • Smith Street in Collingwood and Fitzroy
  • Brunswick Street in Fitzroy

Our neighbourhood centres are:

  • Johnston Street in Collingwood and Abbotsford
  • Queens Parade in Fitzroy North and Clifton Hill
  • Gertrude Street in Fitzroy
  • Heidelberg Road in Alphington
  • St Georges Road in Fitzroy North
  • Nicholson Street in Carlton North and Fitzroy North

We also have smaller, local centres which serve the local community and are appropriate locations for modest employment growth.

Our local centres:

  • Berry Street/Ramsden Street in Clifton Hill
  • Lygon Street in Carlton North and Princes Hill
  • Nicholson Street in Carlton North
  • Rathdowne Street in Carlton North
  • Spensley Street in Clifton Hill
Frequently asked questions

The planning controls we will introduce are Design and Development Overlays (DDOs) which are a tools that set specific requirements for design and form for new development, such as:

  • height limits for new buildings
  • street wall height limit
  • how far buildings should be set back above the street wall and from neighbouring properties at the rear

Heritage character is one of the key issues determining heights and setbacks.

We introduce these controls through a planning scheme amendment which is a statutory process set out in the Planning and Environment Act 1987.

A number of projects have reached the planning scheme amendment stage. You can read the details on current amendments.

We are currently preparing the strategic work that underpins the new planning controls in Bridge Road, Victoria Street, Brunswick Street and Smith Street and Heidelberg Road. We will prepare planning scheme amendments for these centres throughout the year.

We have prepared interim Design and Development Overlays (DDOs) to provide temporary guidance. These will assist in providing future directions for activity centres and to better manage changes.