Context
The COVID-19 lockdowns and movement restrictions in Victoria led to a significant decline in the utilization of commercial spaces and car parks, particularly within Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD). This downturn was primarily due to reduced foot traffic and a widespread shift to remote working arrangements.
Site Information
The car park is situated in Melbourne's legal precinct, characterized by a mix of office buildings, legal institutions, commercial and residential.
Brief
City of Melbourne needs a project on this now empty parking lot that is in line with its COVID-19 Reactivation plan. A project that functions to make the CBD a more activated place in the short and long term and mitigate the general effects of COVID-19 on the CBD as whole.
Design Proposal
The Urban PlantScape project seeks to restore an undersued parking in the midst of COVID-19 lockdowns. It introduces nature and community back to the city. The entire project is managed by the City of Melbourne and accessible to the general public. As space in the city becomes occupied by concrete and asphalt, this project reclaims The Royal Mint Carpark and offers it back to the residents of Melbourne as additional space to grow food, flowers, fruits and trees.
