2018 pilot program
In January 2018, the Minister for Planning launched the 20-Minute Neighbourhood Pilot Program. The aim was to embed a whole-of-government approach to 20-minute neighbourhoods in established neighbourhoods.
Pilot projects were delivered in:
- Strathmore by the Moonee Valley City Council
- Croydon South by the City of Maroondah; and
- Sunshine West by City of Brimbank.
The 2018 pilot program was successfully led by DELWP in partnership with the Heart Foundation (Victoria), Victoria Walks and local government.
Neighbourhood reports
The pilot program report ‘Creating a More Liveable Melbourne’ was released in August 2019. The report details the benefits of creating walkable 20-minute neighbourhoods, along with key findings and recommendations from the pilot program.
Neighbourhood reports have also been developed for Croydon South, Strathmore and Sunshine West.
2020 Progressing community priorities in the pilot sites
In response to the challenges of COVID19 in 2020, temporary activation and longer-term transformational concept plans were prepared for each pilot site. They responded to community priorities raised in the 20-minute neighbourhood pilot program.
The temporary activations enabled immediate COVID-19 recovery responses through low-cost and easy-to-implement activations that support local traders and the community. They were the first step in developing the pilot sites as 20-minute-neighbourhoods and provided an opportunity to trial possible permanent interventions.
Activation plans
- Living Locally - Activating Croydon South (PDF, 11.2 MB)
- Living Locally - Activating Sunshine West (PDF, 9.2 MB)
- Living Locally - Activating Strathmore (PDF, 2.9 MB)
Living locally fact sheet:
- Living Locally – 20-Minute Neighbourhood Pilot Program fact sheet (PDF, 666.8 KB)
C40 Students Reinventing Cities competition 2020/21 and 22/23
In 2020/21 the C40 organisation launched an international student competition, Students Reinventing Cities. Melbourne was one of 18 C40 member cities to join the competition. The aim of the competition was to involve university students in reimagining at small area of Melbourne as a sustainable thriving, community.
The competition site at the Eastfield Shopping Centre, Croydon South attracted 24 entries from 9 universities including 3 international submissions. For more information on the 2020/21 competition, Students Reinventing Cities 2020-2021.
The 2022/23 competition launched on October 20, 2022. Entries close in March 2023 with submissions due in late May 2023.
20-minute neighbourhood geography curriculum resources
To promote the 20-Minute neighbourhood concept and to strengthen youth participation in the planning of our city, DELWP has partnered with the Geography Teachers' Association of Victoria to develop curriculum resources and a GIS-based design challenge.
The curriculum resources are available across Victoria and align the liveability and place curricula with the concept of 20-minute neighbourhoods. The resources encourage students to develop ideas and re-imagine their own 20-minute neighbourhood. The Senior Primary ‘Understanding Your Place:20-minute neighbourhoods' resource recently won a Highly Commended award at the Australian Geography Teacher’s Association 2022 annual conference.
A year 9/10 resource ‘Understanding Wellbeing and Connectivity’ will be released in early 2023.
More information can be found at Geography Teachers' Association of Victoria Inc.
Page last updated: 31/01/23