the preferred vision for the future form and design of the City of Knox 2003

what is urban design?Urban design is about physically designing

cities to reflect the needs and aspirations of

the community.

The natural environment, land

use and heritage values shape spaces

in our community and urban design

is the conscious effort to make them

attractive, efficient, functional, safe and

environmentally long lasting.

Urban design brings together

knowledge from different disciplines such

as architecture, city planning, transport

engineering, economics, cultural and social

planning. It includes landscape as well

as buildings, both preservation and new

construction, traffic management, and rural

areas as well as urban areas.

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what is an urban design framework?Urban design frameworks are design tools

for physically interpreting local visions and

strategies. They focus on managing change

and setting new directions for areas in need

of repair.

For the City of Knox, it means improving

the quality of our built environment,

protecting our special natural environment

and creating a better ‘sense of place and

pride’ in our neighbourhoods. It is essentially

about creating a vision for how we would

like our city to look in the next 20 years.

The Knox Urban Design Framework is

one of the first in Victoria to create an urban

design vision for the ‘whole of the city’

and address the environmental, social and

economic issues faced by an outer suburban

municipality.

Based on the community’s vision, the

Knox Urban Design Framework translates

the goals set out in Council’s Corporate

Plan and Municipal Strategic Statement

(MSS) into practical solutions for specific

sites and localities in the City of Knox.

why an urban design framework for Knox?The City of Knox is a popular residential and

business address. This is mostly because of the

attractive, leafy green, family lifestyle image that

Knox presents, the abundance of recreation

facilities, the activity centres such as Knox City

Shopping Centre and the quality human services

provided in the area.

Changes in our population profile warrant

revisiting how the City looks and function.

Today the City has changed from a grow ing

municipality to a maturing municipality which will

have a significant impact on local eco nomic development

opportunities and the pro vision of comm unity

services and social activities within Knox.

The City’s population is peaking and shifting to

an ‘older’ profile. The fastest growing age group is

now 60-69 year olds. The older neighbourhoods of

Bayswater, Boronia and Wantirna are becoming

increasingly more expensive to maintain while the

newer suburbs of Rowville and Lysterfield are

struggling with inadequate infrastructure.

With the projected maturing of the population

and reduction in household size there is likely to

be a demand for housing with less maintenance

that is easily accessible to facilities and services.

Knox is no longer one of the high growth

municipalities of Melbourne. New subdivisions

and development has slowed considerably in the

last few years and only limited areas of vacant land

for new development remain.

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The community is becoming more conscious

of the impact of design and planning outcomes.

Residents are increasingly challenging the need

for urban development and change, particularly

where it has resulted in a change to local character.

Enhancing the safety of urban spaces and

providing opportunities for cultural development

and social interaction are also important.

Changes in employment and business sectors

influence the pattern of land use and development

in Knox. Knox is experiencing growth in quality

high technology businesses, such as research and

development, that can mix better with other uses.

The global economy has changed how busi nesses

work. The distinction between production and service

work has blurred and there is an increase in ‘places’

special ising in one or more roles in the pro duction

chain. Businesses are placing more emphasis on

quality built form and landscape settings.

With mounting environmental and

accessibility issues, urban development must

provide alternatives to car-based travel. The

number of people requiring public transport

to access facilities and services will increase

in the future. At the same time, to service our

business and industrial sector there continues

to be a demand for regional freight links.

The foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, Lysterfield and Churchhill national parks and the waters and tributaries of the Dandenong Creek Valley, provide an attractive and distinctive landscape setting for the City. Some of these resources may be inadequately protected. The backdrop of the Dandenong Ranges is at risk, in parts, of losing its canopy tree cover due to over-intensive residential development. Urban air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, industrial and household wastes, energy efficiency and the loss of native flora and fauna are also issues for the Knox community that drive the need for change.

what we value in the community today can be built onThe Council has listened to the views of local

people, the development industry, urban designers,

community service providers, transport operators

and other government representatives in preparing

an integrated design vision for the City of Knox.

How can we strengthen the image of our City and neighbourhoods to enable the City to function better?

The residents of Knox identify strongly with their

local neighbourhoods.

People who live outside of Knox have a

different image of the City. They associate Knox

with its position as the last outer suburb before the

Dandenongs and many people only experience the

City from the main arterial roads.

Enhancing Knox’s existing attributes can

create a stronger image and a more functional

and sustainable City. This includes strengthening

the distinctive identity of our residential

neighbourhoods, transport corridors and activity

centres and emphasising natural features such

as the Dandenong Ranges and Dandenong

Creek Valley.

What opportunities exist to make Knox greener and leafier?

There are significant opportunities to accentuate

the green and leafy character of suburbs. Creek

corridors, planting in residential areas, road and

rail reserves provide possibilities for enhancing

this characteristic of the City. Clearly defining

urban boundaries and protecting existing heavily

vegetated areas will protect the existing landscape

character in the longer term.

How can we provide more opportunities for social interaction and neighbourhood activity?

Urban form can enhance or discourage social

inter action. With better planning and design,

activity centres offer the most potential for

increasing social interaction across the City.

Activity centres act as neighbourhood focal points,

attracting people with shops, cafes, community

centres and other facilities and spaces where

people like to gather.

How can we improve accessibility and connections to neighbourhoods within our City and beyond?

There is potential to improve accessibility within

local neighbourhoods by encouraging more

intense concentration of development and activity

in business/shopping centres. This includes

promoting integrated mixed use (residential and

commercial) development in these centres, which

are generally located at public transport hubs such

as railway stations. Other opportunities include

im proving the walkability of neighbourhoods by

improving the network of shared use pedestrian

and bicycle paths and providing on road bicycle

lanes. Because development on green-field sites

in the City of Knox is virtually complete, the

challenge would be to improve connections

within an established street pattern over a

longer time period.

The proposed Mitcham to Frankston Freeway

provides a good opportunity for improving

movement through the City.

From an urban designer’s perspective it would need

to be designed to fit in with the landscape character

of the area and protect the environmental attributes

of the Dandenong Creek valley. Improving

accessibility and connections within Knox requires

a collaborative effort by all levels of government.

What should remain as rural, become urban and stay as suburban?

There is a need to protect the rural and natural

qualities of the City’s setting. We can achieve this

by setting clear boundaries between suburbia and

rural area. Activity centres are the locations where

Knox should become more urbanised. In these

local centres, more intense land use activity could

improve the quality of the public realm.

How can we encourage good urban design?

Quality designed development stimulates and

attracts investment to our City.

The strategies and guidelines contained in

this Knox Urban Design Framework provide a

comprehensive view of the nature and meaning

of good urban design for the City of Knox.

Developers say that quality designed development

should be rewarded and incentives be provided

to encourage private investment to achieve better

urban design outcomes.

theknox vision2020

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The Dandenong Creek Valley is a continuous network of natural landscapes, native habitats and public parklands that are easily accessible.

A clear, attractive and stable interface exists between urban development and the rural hinterland.

Our creek corridors provide an integrated network of natural landscapes, native habitats and public open space within Knox.

Our activity centres are the neighbourhood focal points of community life, social interaction and business activity.

The wooded slopes of the foothills continue to be dominated by close canopy native vegetation.

Our residential neighbourhoods are safe, and attractive with clear identities and character.

Travelling through Knox presents a ‘green leafy’ outlook.

the Dandenong Creek ValleyThe Dandenong Creek Valley is a continuous, easily accessed network of natural

landscapes, native habitats and public parklands.

It is the broad green corridor separating the City of Knox from adjoining

suburbs to the west of the municipality. Every year, thousands of people visit

the region for its natural landscape and recreation facilities that are a haven for

wildlife.

How?• Protect the natural landscape of the Dandenong Creek Valley between the

Scoresby Integrated Transport Corridor and the adjoining suburbs on the

western side of the Valley.

• Improve the environmental qualities of the Dandenong Creek Valley and

creating a major open space resource for the community.

the Edge of the Suburbs A clear, attractive urban-rural boundary exists between the

developed western area of Knox and the nearby rural hinterland.

The wooded slopes of the Dandenong Ranges foothills remain

dominated by dense native vegetation.

In Lysterfield and The Basin, the end of urban development

and the beginning of the rural landscape is distinct. Looking from

the west, the foothills continue to appear as treed slopes rising

above the suburbs. The backdrop of Dandenong Ranges and its

foothills is widely visible across metropolitan Melbourne.

How?• Create an attractive, sustainable boundary between the urban

and non-urban areas of The Basin and from Glenfern Road to

Churchill National Park.

• Maximise public access to parks, bushland and rural spaces.

• Protect rural environments from intrusive effects of suburban

development.

• Ensure the foothills are protected as a natural

bush environment dominated by indigenous forest vegetation.

Creek CorridorsThe creek corridors provide an integrated network of natural

landscapes, native habitats and public open space within Knox.

Knox residents regularly use some part of the creek corridor

system for walking and cycling, enjoyment of the public space,

recreation, or simple appreciation of the natural

environment and wildlife.

Creeks as an address

• Encourage interaction between public and private realms to support

a rich range of experiences in public spaces.

• Use ‘passive’ surveillance and increased activity to make public

spaces feel safe.

• Improve the amenity of public spaces to encourage their use

• Encourage development to have active frontage to public space

along creeks.

Creeks as nature

• Protect the green and leafy character of Knox

• Recreate wildlife habitats

• Use the visibility of water to showcase the natural landscape.

Creeks as public space

• Provide appropriate and accessible public venues

for a wide range of community activities and local

neighbourhood recreational uses.

How?

Creeks as paths

• Develop safe and attractive walking and cycle paths

along creek corridors with good links to streets.

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Activity Centres and Working EnvironmentsActivity centres are neighbourhood focal points for community life, social interaction and business activity.

Knox’s activity centres are thriving, lively focal points for the surrounding community, in safe,

convenient and attractive public environments with distinct identities. Other local community venues

support working environments and social contacts.

How?

Activity centre vitality

• Develop more compact and lively activity centres that include a greater range of comple mentary

community and business activities that also act as focal points for public transport services.

Pedestrian friendly environments

• Improve activity centres as attractive settings for pedestrians and make shops and services

more accessible for local residents and workers.

Commercial strips

• Improve and beautify the appearance of developments bordering main roads and

install better directional signage that present a positive and lively image of urban activity.

Industrial areas

• Create a thriving industrial employment and economic base in Knox and

improve the integration of industrial activities with adjoining areas.

Transport CorridorsTravelling through Knox is a ‘green and leafy’

experience.

Attractive tree-lined avenues and bush

landscapes on main roads in Knox and rail

reserves, contribute to a positive landscape identity

for the City of Knox.

How?

Bush boulevards

• Make the road corridors attractive landscapes

that reflect the natural character of the

foothills.

Gateway routes

• Express the landscape qualities of key

entry points to the City of Knox across the

Dandenong Creek Valley.

Principal avenues

• Improve the landscape quality of the

Knox’s main roads.

Path into the hills

Integrate roads into the landscape

of the hills and reinforce the

distinctiveness of leaving

Melbourne and entering the

Dandenong Ranges.

Rail corridor

Enhance the use of rail reserves

as flora and fauna corridors. Treat

railway stations and their environs

as major gateways into Knox.

Scoresby corridor

Ensure that the opportunities associated with

the design and construction of the Mitcham to

Frankston Freeway:

• Add positively to the image of Knox and its

landscape character.

• Maximise positive environmental benefits for

the Dandenong Creek valley.

• Address a broad range of urban design issues

attendant to such a major public works

project.

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Residential EnvironmentsKnox’s residential neighbourhoods are

safe and attractive with clear identities.

The suburbs have continued to evolve

and change in a way that strengthens

the distinct residential character of each

neighbourhood.

Foothills residential

•

into the hills amongst the trees.

•

Bush and rural parkland

•

vegetation in Bush Suburban precincts.

• Establish low scale dwellings set within a park-like

landscape with occasional pockets of large native and

exotic trees in Rural Parkland precincts.

Garden suburb

• Encourage low scale dwellings set within an open landscape

with frequent strands of large native and exotic trees.

Garden/villa court

• Encourage low scale dwellings set within an open

landscape in Garden Court precincts.

• Maintain grand scale dwellings within an open garden

setting in Villa Court precincts.

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GS8

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Foothills (FH1—3)

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Garden Suburban (GS1—8)

Garden Court (GC1—7)

Villa Court (VC1—4)

Character

Precincts

Exhibition map City of Knox Neighbourhood Character Study 1999 including the VC4 aAddendum dated 7 December 2000.

We need the help of government, private industry, and the community to achieve our preferred urban design vision

To achieve the Vision, the Urban Design

Framework includes guidelines, strategies and

action plans that will guide future development in

Knox. It includes a preliminary Implementation

Plan for relevant responsible authorities and

suggests short, medium and long term outlooks.

To carry out this Framework, a large commitment

of resources is required over many years. This is a

daunting challenge but one that can be met through

a strategic approach to implementation.

A strategic approach to achieving our preferred

vision means grasping opportunities as they arise,

facilitating partnerships, allowing for flexibility and

prioritising actions.

Grasping Opportunities

Millions of dollars are spent by government

agencies (including the Council) and companies to

provide the infrastructure and services to our City.

With a clear urban design vision and plan in place,

the Council can capture every opportunity that

arises whenever a new works project or service is

proposed.

Facilitating Partnerships

Delivering the actions depends on the Council

facilitating partnerships with existing and potential

stakeholders. Existing stakeholders include statutory

agencies, infrastructure providers, developers who

already operate in the area, and the State and

Commonwealth Governments. Potential stakeholders

in the local community include local businesses,

service organisations and groups of residents.

A Flexible Framework

Greater ownership of the Framework will be

achieved by allowing for flexibility in stakeholders

responding to the vision. There are endless

possibilities for local people to work towards

achieving the vision in their neighbourhood, or

for agencies to adopt the urban design directions

established in the Framework. Flexibility also

allows the Framework to remain relevant over

a long period of time, despite the changed

circumstances that inevitably arise.

Well Packaged Programs and Priorities

The actions have to be organised into programs

and prioritised. The programs need to be self-

contained packages, containing specific projects, of

a size capable of producing a worthwhile result in

a timeframe that has relevance to the participants.

Priorities should be determined to achieve a

balance between ‘backing winners’ (projects easy to

implement, with an immediate and obvious benefit)

and ensuring that gradual progress is made with the

difficult, longer term challenges.

Council’s Role

The Council’s role is to communicate the vision,

lead the community, and to co-ordinate key players

responsible for delivering actions. While Council is

not solely responsible for funding every initiative,

successful implementation highly depends on

integrating the strategies and urban design

guidelines into the Knox Planning Scheme and

other Council policies.

our challengesOur Urban Design Vision for Knox includes the following

challenges of metropolitan significance:

• Management of the Dandenong Creek Valley metropolitan

park as a major landscape and recreation resource for the

people of the eastern suburbs, while retaining its special

landscape and environmental qualities.

• Definition of a clear, attractive, and stable interface

between the urban development of the eastern suburbs

and the foothills of the ranges

• Maintenance of the wooded slopes of the foothills as a

scenic backdrop of metropolitan significance

Our Urban Design Vision includes the following City-wide

challenges:

• Development of the creek corridors as a key landscape

and recreation resource within Knox

• Transformation of activity centres into the

neighbourhood focus of the Knox community

• Realisation of the potential of main road and rail

reserves to contribute to a positive landscape identity

for Knox.

• Implementation of a clear identity and character for

each of Knox’s residential communities.

the preferred vision for the future form and design of the City of Knox 2003