M A K E M Y P A K O

What could and should our future Pako be like?

How can we keep Pako local? How can we get more public open space in the area? How can we put in more housing without affecting the character? How can we make it safe? How can we work together to achieve the future Pako we want?

Introduction and Welcome

Tim Hellsten, Planning Strategy and Urban Growth Manager

Jessica Hurse Coordinator Planning Strategy

The Study Area

This is the area we are looking at. (a map showing Pakington Street (Geelong West), Gordon Avenue and surrounds was attached in this space).

The Givens

And these are the givens we will be thinking within

  • All planning is done with reference to the City’s 30-year vision for Greater Geelong: A Clever and Creative Future
  • Victoria and Geelong’s population is growing which influences housing demand and a shift in the types of housing to smaller and more dense.
  • Because the City needs to balance competing costs and priorities, this Urban Design Framework is a long-term process.
  • We all need to make an effort to reduce any negative impacts on the environment and work towards a sustainable way of living.
  • We must work within the Heritage Overlays that protect significant areas.
  • The role of the retail core precinct is unlikely to change but the northern and Gordon Avenue precincts have more room for change.
  • The changing role of retail towards delivering ‘experiences’ as opposed to just ‘products’.
  • The City cannot directly influence market demand
  • Already approved planning permits in the area cannot be changed.
  • The future and use of the rail-stabling yard in the northern precinct cannot be determined at this stage.

Workshop Agenda

  • Introduction and welcome
  • Two kinds of futures
  • Ground rules and working together
  • Present situation
  • Preferred future
  • The ‘tweet’ of the matter
  • Close

Two Kinds of Futures

Future taking- ‘If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got!’

What is our probable future? If we continue with business as usual into the future then we will just cope with what the future deals out. Our responses will be largely reactive and our strategies problem-centred. This tends to be a management approach.

Future making- ‘What could and should our future be?’

What is our preferred future? Once we have a preferred destination then our strategies become mission-oriented. In our personal lives we work towards our aspirations. Achieving a preferred future for a community or area can be the same. This is more a leadership approach.

Ground Rules and Conditions for Success

  • Take the risk to say what you think. All ideas are valid.
  • Make thinking visible.
  • Listen to each other. Listen for meaning before argument.
  • Stick to timeframes.
  • Don’t work problems or conflicts and no blaming!
  • Don’t let the urgent get in the way of the important.
  • Facilitators will run the process.
  • Participants will provide the content.

Working Together

  • Write the group name and the name of the activity on the top of your flip chart.
  • Appoint a discussion leader to keep the discussion on track.
  • Appoint a timekeeper to make sure the group finishes on time. Monitor the time taken in discussion and presentations. Let the group or presenter know how much time is left.
  • Appoint a recorder to write the group’s outputs on the flip chart. Always use the speaker’s words. It’s OK to ask the speaker to explain what they mean.
  • Appoint a reporter to deliver the group’s report to the workshop.

Present Situation

What’s working well / What’s not working well

  • Allocate your group roles
  • Draw a line down the middle of your flipchart.
  • Head the right hand side ‘Working Well’
  • And the left hand side ‘Not Working Well’
  • List all the things that are working well in regards to the study area
  • And all the things that are not working well
  • When time, pick the top three from either side and report

Language counts! Working well means you’d probably want to keep these things and even have more of them in the future. Not working well means you’d either like things to be done differently or not at all.

Survey Feedback

Here is an overview of the recent survey undertaken. The survey will close on the 30th of March.

Top 5 – Overall lowest performance

  • Access for those with a vision impairment.
  • Access for those requiring mobility aids.
  • Bicycle facilities and parking.
  • Cycling safety.
  • Public seating.

Top 5 – Overall highest importance

  • Pedestrian safety.
  • Street trees and vegetation.
  • Quality of parks and public spaces.
  • Overall look of the area.
  • Protecting heritage buildings.

Top 5 – Interest in future outcomes

  • Greener streets and public spaces.
  • An area that is safe and accessible to all.
  • Promoting pedestrian and cyclist priority.
  • Revitalising the area
  • Supporting local businesses.

Survey Profile:

  • 62.3% of survey respondents were female, and 36.5% were male.
  • Good spread of age groups with top two; 34.7% in the 35-49 group, and 22.9% in the 50-59 group.
  • 69.3% identified themselves as local residents and 68.8% stated that they are in the area every day.
  • 61.4% of respondents said they access the area by walking.
  • Most common form of transport into the area was; 84% by car-as driver, 24% by bike, and 11% by bus.
  • 68% of respondents said they were most familiar with the retail core precinct.
  • 24% of respondents said they were most familiar with the northern precinct.
  • 8% of respondents said they were most familiar with the Gordon Avenue precinct.

Hard Questions

You have now thought about the things that work well and the things that don’t work so well and seen a snapshot of what they recent survey tells us – what ‘hard questions’ does all this information raise? In your groups….

  • List all the ‘hard questions’ you think will need to be addressed in the future.
  • Pick your top three; the ones that if addressed would make a difference to the area and how it works
  • Report

To Help….write ‘How can we….’ at the top of your flipchart and then add the hard questions.

Preferred Future

It is 2025 and the International Planning and Community Making Committee has acknowledged Pako! as the as one of the ‘best’ precincts in the world. As the original planners you will go to Stockholm to receive your award. The Committee will cover all expenses. However, in return they have asked you to deliver a 3 minute speech (strickly 3 minutes!) presentation, which is also engaging and entertaining on what your Pako is like in 2025

  • What do people do there? - how do they live, work and play? How do they organise to advocate for their area?; How do they make sure everyone is included?
  • What does it look like? - Which opportunities have been developed? How have the transitions between the different precincts been achieved? How has the area’s character been maintained?
  • How do people feel being there? - How have you achieved a safe, accessible and inclusive place for all?

In your groups, think about the 2025 Pako…. And the things that would need to be done to achieve it; Use the questions above to guide how you develop your three minute award acceptance speech.

The ‘tweet’ of the Matter

At the awards night you also want to ‘tweet’ to the rest of the world, the thing that you really, really REALLY want everyone to know and understand about your future Pako….

  • Develop your tweet
  • Write it up on the flipchart
  • Report

Close and next steps

Thank you for your participation and contribution.

Tim, Jess, Fernanda, Lynda