Concept Design finalised for new open space at Budd Street in Collingwood
3 June 2026
The draft Concept Design for a new open space at Budd Street has been considered by Council and has now been finalised.
Project background
Sentiment testing with the local community in late 2025 indicated support for a new open space at this location. A separate road discontinuance process for the site was also conducted and approved by Council in March this year.
We then undertook community consultation from 20 March to 13 April 2026. The engagement sought feedback on the proposed draft concept design and included two pop-up sessions, an online survey and targeted stakeholder engagement.
What did we ask?
We asked the community to tell us:
- Which park features do you feel are most important to include as we finalise the draft Concept Design? (tell us your top 3)
- Please indicate your level of agreement with this statement: The draft Concept Design fits in with the character of Collingwood.
- Is there anything you would change to improve the draft Concept Design?
- Do you have any other comments about this project?
Who did we hear from?
Engagement results summary
| Theme | What we heard | How we responded |
| Green space and tree canopy
| Strong support for increased greenery and reduced hard surfaces. Feedback on different tree species and increased shade. | Due to underground services related to the CitiPower site, there are constraints around where planting can occur and how deep the garden beds can be. The final Concept Design will maximise tree planting and garden beds where possible. Tree selection will be modified for a better species mix and more shade.
|
| Park amenities
| Strong feedback on the look and feel of the space including an overuse of hard surfaces, looks temporary/unfinished, and lacks the feeling of a traditional park. | We will review the extent of asphalt used and replace with visually softer surfaces where possible. High quality surfaces will be used where greenery is not possible. Permeable surfaces will be prioritised. The design will include more flexible seating spaces for socialising and gathering, with areas for calmer/more passive use. |
| Use of the space
| Strong support for a space that encourages sitting, pausing and escaping the busy surrounding streets. Retain the informal playful elements. Mixed feedback on the inclusion of skateable elements. | The space will retain flexibility for varied use including recreational purposes. Recreational uses will be retained but be better integrated in the surrounding landscape with softer design. |
| Parking and vehicle access
| A small number of participants raised concerns about traffic and parking impacts. Some concerns about vehicle movement and local access. Requests to retain accessible parking and ensure safe vehicle movement. | Parking impacts will be carefully managed through design finalisation. Accessible parking and safe vehicle manoeuvring will be retained where possible and considered alongside pedestrian safety outcomes. Bicycle parking is included in both locations to support active travel.
|
View the Final Concept Design and Engagement Report
What happens next?
The concept design has been finalised, incorporating community feedback, and we are now preparing to go out to tender for construction.
The capital works budget for construction of a new open space at Budd Street has been included in the draft Council budget 2026/27. This project has been allocated $1,200,000.
Visit the project page
To read more on this project, visit the New Open Space at Budd Street page on Your Say Yarra.
