Geelong’s laneways recognised for drawing attention to vibrant strip

THE value of landscape architecture to draw the public to an area, whether it be a shopping strip or a new suburb, has been highlighted in two Geelong projects that won awards on Friday.

The Central Geelong Laneways Project, which has transformed the streetscape in the West End of Little Malop St, and Mirambeena Park, Warralily in Armstrong Creek, won landscape architecture awards at the Victorian Landscape Architecture Awards.

Gartland Property Geelong agent Michael De Stefano said the work to transform the Little Malop St strip west of Moorabool St had made it the most vibrant and happening part of Geelong’s CBD.

“It’s getting recognition not only from local people, but people know about it from outside our region,” he said. “We’ve been featured on a number of programs. It’s been on Postcards and on Channel 7 too.”

Mr De Stefano said, while most of the businesses were in place before the work began and it caused significant disruption to businesses, the Laneways Project had left its mark in a positive fashion, allowing occupants such as the wine bars and restaurants to shine.

“You only have to go there of a night time to see what’s happening — it’s becoming better and better,” he said.

“I think the landscape adds to the ambience of the area. Come night time it feels safe, well lit and it’s clean.

“Geelong is leading by example drawing on other parts of the world on how to do it.”

The jury remarked that Outlines Landscape Architecture work on the Geelong Laneways Precinct provides a fascinating deployment and delivery of the Central Geelong Action Plan through a new supercharged occupation and amenity within an existing street network.

“The laneways are reinterpreted as infrastructures for enabling a greater city offer.

“The jury was pleased with the design team’s non-adoption of site boundaries in the generation of ideas, which have successfully stitched together multiple sites in a meaningful way for the benefit of the city.”

The jury also commended GbLA for the design of Mirambeena Park as a layered playground organised around a central waterway adjacent to the Armstrong Creek.