Experts Gather for Greenline Project Discussion

Urban design experts and prominent Melburnians will take part in the City of Melbourne’s first-ever public event on the transformative Greenline Project, ahead of major works starting at Birrarung Marr.

The free ‘From High Line to Greenline’ event is part of Council’s refreshed Melbourne Conversations series in 2024, which is set to draw hundreds of people to Fed Square on Tuesday 16 April.

The Greenline Project discussion will take place at The Edge, one of Melbourne’s premiere speakingvenues, and feature an expert panel including:

• Erin O’Donnell – Birrarung Council member and water law and policy expert
• Julian O’Shea – award-winning designer, academic and video storyteller
• Kirsten Bauer – Greenline Project landscape architect and Director of ASPECT Studios
• Sally Capp AO – City of Melbourne Lord Mayor

Panellists will discuss the Greenline Project vision and Master Plan, while considering the success of other world-renowned urban renewal projects like the New York City High Line.

Attendees will be able to borrow from a curated collection of related books and resources at a pop-up library on-site, and can sign up for a free Greenline Project walking tour in the coming months.

The conversation, which is being facilitated by Russel Howcroft, comes as works to transform the Birrarung Marr Precinct are set to get underway in the coming months.

A new information hub for the Greenline Project is also in the works – ensuring Melburnians and visitors can ask questions and learn about this city-shaping project, which is forecast to generate:

• $1.2 billion in economic benefits from the uplift and value created
• $1.7 billion in gross value added in economic output
• $24 million in additional annual visitor spend
• 6,400 ongoing jobs by 2042
• 3,400 direct and indirect construction jobs.

Leading urban design and architecture firms, T.C.L. and ASPECT Studios, are the main consultants for the Greenline Project and have engaged seven agencies to help deliver five precincts along the river.

The multidisciplinary consortium includes engineers WSP and FCS, Capire Consulting Group, Jackson Clements Burrows Architecture and BKK Architects, as well as urban planners Urbis and Gehl.

Through its delivery, the Greenline Project will deliver a mix of promenades, parks, open spaces, native plantings, cultural activations and environmental renewal integrations between Birrarung Marr and the Bolte Bridge.

Melbourne Conversations is being presented by City of Melbourne in partnership with Fed Square in 2024.

“The Greenline Project will transform Melbourne’s riverfront from Birrarung Marr to the Bolte Bridge – while creating thousands of jobs, attracting waves of new visitors, and injecting millions of dollars into the economy,” said Lord Mayor Sally Capp.

“We envisage this city-shaping project will become Melbourne’s answer to Chicago’s Riverwalk, London’s Battersea Power Station and New York City’s High Line – creating a legacy for generations to come. We want to deepen public understanding and receive ongoing feedback and ideas for this significant, city-shaping project,” added Lord Mayor Sally Capp.

“The Birrarung runs through the heart of Naarm and the City of Melbourne, and is Australia’s first and so far only river to be recognised as a living entity. The Greenline Project event is an opportunity for everyone to learn more about how the city can embrace and connect with the river,” commented Birrarung Council member Erin O’Donnell.

Tickets to From High Line to Greenline are free, but registrations via What’s On Melbourne are essential. For more information on the Greenline Project, visit City of Melbourne.