greville street precinct social & commercial impact assessment

Prepared for City of Stonnington

Final Report – June 2015

Greville Street Precinct SCIA Social & Commercial Impact Assessment

13T12T9T7T6T3T2T1T0TGreville Street Precinct SCIA <Social & Commercial Impact Assessment>

Ref: Greville Street Precinct SCIA M15044 Draft Hill PDA | 54

CONTENTS Executive Summary ........................................................................... 3

What Is a Social and Commercial Impact Assessment? ................ 3

Likely Social and Commercial Impacts .......................................... 3

Conclusion................................................................................... 4 1 Introduction ................................................................................ 5 2 Greville Street and King Street: The Current Position ................. 13

Retail Trends ............................................................................. 13

Greville Street ........................................................................... 17

Street Traffic and Movement ..................................................... 20

Street Users .............................................................................. 22 3 Literature Review ...................................................................... 26 4 Case Studies .............................................................................. 32 5 Commerical Impact of Greville Street Traffic and Amenity works38 6 Social Impact of Greville Street Traffic and Amenity works ........ 46 7 Conclusions ............................................................................... 51 Appendix A: Data Tables .................................................................. 53



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The following Social and Commercial Impact Assessment (SCIA) has been prepared to understand the potential impacts of changes proposed by City of Stonnington for the Greville Street and King Street Area.

The City of Stonnington intend to promote the shared use of space on these streets by cars and pedestrians, to create opportunities to reduce conflicts between transport modes, improve the civic and open space. This will allow for reorienting traffic, permitting events and functions to be held, with trade and street dining possible on the whole of the streets.

Council have commissioned HillPDA to assess the social and commercial impacts of proposed changes.

What Is a Social and Commercial Impact Assessment?

A social ‘impact’ affects the level of social or community activity generated in a defined area either positively or negatively. Social impacts may directly affect the social well-being of an area’s residents, visitors and employees by changing the social amenity and character of an area, the degree of social interaction, the availability of employment, social perceptions and opportunities. Social impacts may also alter the level of demand for services and accessibility to those services.

A commercial impact assessment is oriented towards the level of commercial activity in an area. Estimates can be made of the expected impact of a scheme on the level of commercial activity in an area.

Analysis of likely social and commercial impacts can be compiled into a Social and Commercial Impact Assessment (SCIA) that estimates the consequences of a particular proposal to a community(s) and / or society and local businesses. In addition to identifying the potential impacts, a SCIA should recommend ways to enhance the positive effects and reduce or mitigate the negative effects.

Likely Social and Commercial Impacts

The following section summarises the key issues and likely impacts identified by this SCIA.

Greville Street and King Street are expected to see an improvement in amenity and as such, attract more people to the Streets from



within the local area and further afield. By attracting more people, businesses located on the street and in the surrounding streets will benefit through increased trade. Concerns that restricting motor vehicle access to areas will negatively impact on businesses are likely to be overstated. The impacts can be mitigated with appropriate signage.

The community and social benefits are likely to outweigh the negative impacts of the proposed changes. Pedestrian safety will likely improve following the implementation of the proposed changes, active transport should increase and car usage should reduce. Negative impacts of the scheme such as potential anti-social behaviour can be managed by providing adequate lighting.

During the delivery stage of the proposed changes, there will be potential for adverse impacts on amenity by way of noise, dust and construction related traffic. At this stage a detailed Construction Management Plan should be prepared to minimise and manage those impacts. Upon completion, the amenity of the area would be enhanced through the proposed changes in addition to the provision of open space.

The proposed changes will allow a mix of uses and community space and would facilitate a higher level of social cohesion and community engagement than the current, traffic and parking configuration. The changes would promote a positive flow on effect to the broader community to the benefit of social health and wellbeing.

Conclusion

This SCIA has found that the proposed changes to the configuration of Greville and King Streets would result in a range of positive and negative social impacts. The impacts vary in their significance and on balance are considered to be positive, delivering a number of key social and commercial benefits. Where the impacts are negative, they are generally constrained to the construction and implementation phase, or can be sufficiently mitigated through appropriate design measures.



1 INTRODUCTION

The Proposed Works

The City of Stonnington has prepared a plan to improve pedestrian safety and traffic movement along sections of Greville Street and King Street, Prahran. The proposed changes intend to promote the shared use of space by cars and pedestrians. The changes will create opportunities to reduce conflicts between transport modes, improve civic and open space, and reorient traffic to allow events and functions to be held in civic space, with trade and street dining possible on the whole of the affected streets.

Figure 1: Greville Street, Prahran

Source: Nearmap (2015)

Greville Street is a well-known retail and entertainment destination in Melbourne, within the broader Chapel Street precinct. In addition to being a destination, Greville Street performs an important role in connecting Chapel Street to the Prahran Train Station and beyond.

Proposed changes to traffic flows are designed to reduce conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles, improve pedestrian space and amenity and create opportunities for on-street dining and trade and increase land area for open space and community uses.

The proposed changes are shown in the following figure and identified in the descriptions that follow:



Figure 2: Greville Street, Prahran



Section A: Grattan Street West (between Grattan Street and the Prahran Train Station)

West of Grattan Street, the present two way traffic configuration is proposed to be transformed to a one way street with parking provision on the southern side of the street with a shared pedestrian and car space adjacent to the Prahran Train Station.

Figure 3: Grattan Street West Proposed Changes




Section B: Grattan Gardens

Two options have been proposed for the Grattan Gardens component of the proposed works.

The first of these is a shared pedestrian zone. West of the intersection with Izzett Street / Edmonds Street will be a shared zone extending from the Izzett Street / St Edmonds Street intersection past the intersection of Grattan Street west of Grattan Gardens. Kerbs will be flush with the road surface. Footpaths will be widened and the Grattan Gardens will be made more prominent. The southern edge of the park will be opened to the street with a new forecourt for everyday and special events, performances, and markets, with vegetation brought closer to the street edge.

Access via motor vehicle will be from the shared zone to the east. Access to the west of the section will be possible from right turning traffic exiting Grattan Street. Vehicles existing the section can do so by exiting west on Greville Street or - for traffic travelling west from the Chapel Street end - turning north on Grattan Street.

Figure 4: Grattan Gardens Proposed Changes - Shared Street Option




The second option proposed for Grattan Gardens is largely as for the first option, but with the addition of the full closure of the section of Greville Street south of Grattan Gardens.

Figure 5: Grattan Gardens Proposed Changes - Closed Street Option



Section C: Greville Street / Chapel Street

At the Eastern end of Greville Street, where Greville Street intersects with Chapel Street, the street will remain open one way to traffic heading from east to west. Parking on the southern side of Greville will be removed. The additional area provided by the removal of this parking will be used as additional 'amenity space' which will be furnished with trees and removable street furniture. Surface treatment to provide a kerb flush with the street is being considered to facilitate possible closure of the street for events.

Access into Greville Street from Chapel Street will be across a strip over the Chapel Street pavement, and the turning into Greville Street will be tighter than at present. Parking on the north side of Greville Street will be retained in the existing configuration. This configuration will exist from the intersection at Chapel Street to the junction of Greville Street with Izzett Street and St Edmonds Street.

Figure 6: Greville Street / Chapel Street Proposed Changes




Section D: King Street

Changes to King Street are included in the proposed works. The existing one way street will have traffic removed, with barriers erected to allow the entrance of service vehicles to the street. The footpath on the Southern side of the street will be widened and trees planted along the edge of the footpath. Materials interfaces between the 'pavement' and the road area will be removed and the road area to be used for dining / events.

Figure 7: King Street Proposed Changes




Purpose of this Report

This report will provide an assessment of the expected social and commercial impact the proposed changes to parking and traffic configuration on Greville Street will have on the community; stakeholders including businesses in the area, residents and users of Greville Street.

To understand the impact of the proposed changes, a survey was undertaken to identify the users of Greville Street. The survey determined where the users had come from, their mode of travel to Greville Street, and identified the purpose of their visit to the Street.

Surveys were undertaken over a number of days to understand the visitation patterns over a period of time. Evening and weekend visitation patterns were also taken into account for the survey.

In addition to the user survey, relevant recent literature was reviewed to identify the expected impact of traffic mitigation measures on retail, commercial and residential environments.

A limited number of case studies were identified to provide examples of comparable instances where traffic mitigation and provisioning works had been undertaken. Where possible the impact of these works on the community was identified through reference to the case studies.

Structure of the report

The first section of the report identifies the current position and context of Greville Street. An overview is provided of retail trends across Victoria and Melbourne in particular. Shifts in sector performance are highlighted with main sector trends identified. The impact of new shopping channels is also described.

The section goes on to provide specific information about the Greville Street retail context. The land use of Greville Street is described by type by total floorspace.



2 GREVILLE STREET AND KING STREET: THE CURRENT POSITION

Retail Trends

This section of the report provides an examination of retail trends in Victoria and examines retailing in the study area and retail potential of the study area. The section focuses on the role and potential of:

Greville Street;

The main shopping strip of Chapel Street; and

The broader retail context for Melbourne.

The longer term pattern of retail turnover has been dominated by the food sector. The sector has grown in part due to diversification of food products and markets but is also boosted in challenging economic conditions in which consumers focus more retail spending on food over other commodities.

Household goods and cafes and restaurants have also shown growth patterns over time, following shifts towards housing markets and the lifestyle economy.

The department store sector and fashion more generally has been under pressure from new retail distribution channels including online retail.

Figure 8: Retail Turnover by Industry Group, Australia ($ millions)

Source: Derived from Australian Bureau of Statistics (2014) 8501.0 Retail Trade, Australia

0.0

2000.0

4000.0

6000.0

8000.0

10000.0

12000.0

Apr-

1982

Nov

-198

4

Jun-

1987

Jan-

1990

Aug-

1992

Mar

-199

5

Oct

-199

7

May

-200

0

Dec-

2002

Jul-2

005

Feb-

2008

Sep-

2010

Apr-

2013

Food retailing

Household goodsretailing

Cafes, restaurants andtakeaway food services

Other retailing

Clothing, footwear andpersonal accessoryretailing

Department stores



The retail supply market has changed and diversified over time. A range of new distribution channels and new retail formats has emerged over the past decade as businesses search for models that appeal to customers.

Online retail has grown significantly over the past decade. The rate of online growth has been assessed by some analysts to be slowing, as the sector begins to reach the limits of market penetration for some retail categories. The categories most aligned with online retail have been commodities like books, music and clothing.

Figure 9: Growth in Online Retail Trade in Australia

Source: Urbis (2014) Retail Trends, Drivers & Outlook

Figure 10: Online Retail Penetration by Retail Commodity Group

Source: Urbis (2014) Retail Trends, Drivers & Outlook



In terms of physical property and new business entrants, the Australian market has experienced significant activity over the past decade. Key trends are listed below.

International brand retailers have increasingly entered the Australian market, setting up flagship stores in the main capitals, with Melbourne being the main destination. Within Melbourne the CBD, Chadstone and Melbourne's prime retail strips have been the main targets for new stores like H&M, UNIQLO and Zara.

Diversification in the supermarket and grocery sector is occurring, with the two main supermarket chains (Coles and Woolworths) being challenged at the budget end of the market (e.g. Aldi, Costco) and at the boutique end of the market to some extent in some areas (e.g. Leo’s, Thomas Dux). Some speciality foods stores and traditional stall markets are also benefiting from specialisation. The main supermarket chains are also introducing new formats, including large format stores that include non-food product lines.

Strong growth has been seen in cafes, restaurants and associated entertainment sectors, particularly in places that offer a unique and enjoyable experience.

Large format stores that specialise in a range of product lines have continue to grow, like Ikea, Costco and Direct Factory Outlets and in liquor (Dan Murphy’s and First Choice for example).

Online retail and discount clothing outlets have generated significant competitive pressure on department stores and traditional clothing and fashion outlets. In Melbourne, the impact of DFOs (Discount Factory Outlets) has been particularly evident in the increased vacancy rates on Bridge Road. The strip which was once renowned as a discount and clearance fashion shopping strip now has vacancy rates over 20%.

Bulky goods retail stores and category killers, like Bunnings and Masters in hardware, are evolving and offering new product lines. Independent stores that operate in these product lines are under strong competitive pressure.

Temporary ‘pop up’ stores have become a bigger part of the retail landscape in recent years, offering low cost options to target specific markets at specific times.



In addition to the above outlet models, new technology and communication channels are expected to continue to change the way retailers access and service customers. Ongoing improvement to online retail distribution networks is expected.

These and new trends are diversifying the retail supply market. To be successful, centres will need to keep pace with customer expectations in terms of amenity, offer, service and overall experience.

Chapel Street is one of Melbourne prime retail strips, as defined by Knight Frank. Knight Frank reports that the prime strips remain relatively popular due to the unique destination shopping experience they offer and strong tenancy mix. The Knight Frank research report states that the retail strips continue to evolve whilst focusing of food and services for their customer base. Chapel Street has also been successful in attracting and retaining fashion stores as a key part of its mix.

However, vacancy rates have risen to their highest level in five years reaching 8.4% in late 2014. Part of the rise in vacancy has been attributed to the redevelopment of Chadstone Shopping Centre and the opening of the Emporium in Melbourne CBD IN April 2014.

Over recent months, the vacancy rate in Melbourne CBD is reported to have fallen to 1.75%, which should increase demand for Chapel Street retail premises.

Shown below is a list of the prime retail strips and their vacancy rates from 2012 to 2014.

Table 1: Vacancy Rates in Prime Retail Strips, 2012-2014

Source: Knight Frank (2012 2014) Melbourne Retail Prime Strip Market Overview

Prime Strip Sep-12 Aug-13 Aug-14

Church St, Brighton 1.70% 1.10% 1.10%

Acland St, St Kilda 3.70% 2.70% 2.60%

Clarendon St, South Melbourne 6.20% 4.10% 4.10%

Glenferrie Rd, Malvern 4.50% 6.20% 5.00%

Puckle St, Moonee Ponds 4.40% 2.70% 5.90%

Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn 3.60% 5.30% 6.70%

Toorak Rd, South Yarra 6.90% 12.80% 7.60%

High St, Armadale 3.00% 6.40% 8.30%

Chapel St, South Yarra 4.30% 6.10% 8.40%

Burke Rd, Camberwell 7.20% 6.00% 9.50%

Bridge Rd, Richmond 11.50% 16.50% 19.30%

Melbourne Total 5.30% 6.90% 7.70%



Malcolm Gunning, president of the REINSW commented in October 2014 in the Australian "The profile of retail has changed, and not just with the move to online shopping. What customers want has changed. They want a shopping experience." However rents are reported to have risen faster than turnover and landlords have largely been blamed for problems with trader viability and rising vacancy rates - not just in Chapel Street but more widely including Sydney's Oxford Street where high traffic volumes - and limited availability of food and drink establishments along the strip - have been identified as being a contributory factor in the recent problems retailers have faced in attracting customers.

Greville Street

Greville Street is identified in the Chapel Street Strategic plan as being "the “cool alternative” area for shopping, dining, joining the cafe set of being entertained." Greville Street and King Street (to the East of Chapel Street) are shown in the following map.

Figure 11: Greville Street and King Street



While this report does not purport to be a retail assessment, estimates of growth in retail expenditure by broad retail sector for the Prahran population have been made. The expenditure and floorspace generation estimates are shown in the table below.

Table 2: Retail Expenditure Projections by Retail Store Type - Prahran

Expenditure by Retail Store Type ($m2015)

Demand for Retail Floor Space (sqm)

2015 2030 2015 2030

Supermarkets & Grocery Stores 55.5 69.4 5,041 6,306

Specialty Food Stores 13.5 16.8 1,416 1,772

Fast-Food Stores 12.9 16.2 1,521 1,903

Restaurants, Hotels and Clubs* 28.1 36.2 5,618 7,242

Department Stores 14.6 18.3 4,169 5,216

Apparel Stores 20.4 25.5 3,577 4,475

Bulky Goods Stores 37.3 46.6 10,077 12,606

Other Personal & Household Goods Retailing 25.0 31.2 5,311 6,644

Selected Personal Services** 7.7 9.9 2,192 2,826

Total Retailing 214.8 270.1 38,924 48,990

Source: HillPDA

The estimates do not show projections of retail expenditure that will is captured by Prahran retailers, or the quantum of retail floorspace that the expenditure will generate in the suburb. Rather they show the level of spending that will be generated by residents from within the area by broad retail categories, and represents potential turnover for local retailers.

Some of this retail expenditure will be retained within the area, while some will leak out to neighbouring areas, to Melbourne CBD, and to large shopping centres such as Chadstone Shopping Centre. The challenge for retail centres is to retain as much of the locally generated expenditure as possible, and to attract additional expenditure from outside of the local area. This can be done by improving the area's amenity and attractiveness to shoppers.



Land Use on Greville Street and King Street

Land use in Greville Street is shown in the following map. The land use is predominantly retail. Cafes, restaurants and office make up the majority of non-retail land uses.

Figure 12: Land uses on Greville Street and King Street

The distribution of land use by type by total floorspace in the strip is shown in the following table. These figures have been derived from GIS analysis of the City of Stonnington rates database.



Table 3: Land use (SQM) on Greville Street and King Street

Use Estimated Floor area (SQM)1

Count of establishments

Shop 5,400 70

Office 2,400 25

Attached dwelling 60 1

Shop/cafe/restaurant 400 2

Municipal offices 3,600 2

Office type use 600 1

Total 12,500 100

Source: City of Stonnington Rates Database

Street Traffic and Movement

The traffic report prepared by O'Brien for Council identifies Greville Street as a collector street. The main destinations on the street are the retail and dining premises, the library and Town Hall, Grattan Gardens and the community facilities located in the gardens area. The street is also used as a thoroughfare for pedestrians accessing Prahran Rail station and for access to retail on Chapel Street at the eastern end of Greville Street.

The section of King Street considered by the proposed street works is a one way section of road between Chapel Street and the roundabout at the southern end of Little Chapel Street. King Street has limited retail offer - narrow footpaths mean that pedestrians use the road, with consequent potential issues for pedestrian safety.

On Greville Street, the intersection with Izzett Street and St Edmonds Street is perceived as confusing and potentially hazardous. However the O'Brian report and available crash data do not indicate a high number of accidents at this intersection.

Traffic movements on Greville Street are shown in the following charts. Data are presented for a Friday for a 12 hour period from 7AM and on a Saturday for a 6 hour period from 9AM.

The number of pedestrians using the street, and intersections on the street is broadly comparable to the number of passenger vehicles that use the street. In total, 6,300 passenger vehicles travelled either

n These numbers have been rounded



along Greville Street or across Greville Street at the Izzett Street / St Edmonds Street intersection (on the Friday on which the survey was undertaken). This compares to just over 5,800 pedestrians and cyclists over the same period (5,690 pedestrians / 120 cyclists respectively).

Pedestrian activity as a share of total movements in the survey locations increased during the course of the morning (on both Friday Saturday), peaking between 1PM and 2PM accounting for between 55% and 60% of all movements on the street in the peak period.

Figure 13: Street Movements - Friday

Figure 14: Street Movements - Saturday



Street Users

A survey was undertaken to establish the origin, purpose of visit and mode of travel of users of Greville Street. The survey was undertaken over three days: Wed 8th April, Thursday 10th April and Saturday 11th April. Surveys were undertaken at three sites on Greville Street - adjacent to Grattan Gardens, at the intersection of Greville and Izzett Street, across from the library entrance.

Purpose of visit

Other than respondents passing through the street en-route to another destination, visiting retail premises was the most frequently cited reason for visiting Greville Street, accounting for 21% of responses. This was followed by those Dining/Drinking in premises on the street.

Figure 15: Purpose of Visit

Source: HillPDA



Mode of travel

Visitors to Greville Street largely had their mode of travel relatively evenly split between those who arrived by car, pedestrians and Public transport users, with the latter accounting for a marginally higher proportion of visitors than other modes at 36% of visitors Cyclists and those arriving by other modes (including motorbike and skateboard) accounted for 5% of visitors to Greville Street.

Figure 16: Mode of Transport

Source: HillPDA

The mode of transport by purpose of visit is shown in the figure below. The figures show than approximately half of those visiting Greville Street for Retail purposes or to visit businesses on Greville Street ravelled by car, while those who came to Greville Street for dining/drinking or for work purposes, the majority - 41% in both instances - travelled by public transport. A minority - just 6% - of those who travelled to the street to use the library or community



facilities, travelled by car, with the remainder choosing to walk, cycle or use public transport to reach their destination.

Of those shoppers who travelled to Greville Street by car, 11 parked on Greville Street. The remaining shoppers (9) parked either in the Cato Street car park, or were dropped off in the area, or parked on streets in the surrounding area.

Figure 17: Mode of Transport by Purpose of Visit

Source: HillPDA

Origin of visitors

The analysis of visitor origins to Greville Street shows that the majority of visitors to the street are local.

Analysis of the date indicates that 75% of visitors to Greville Street came from within a 5 km radius of the precinct. The proportions of visitors to Greville Street by distance travelled are shown in the following figures.



Figure 18: Greville Street Visitor Origins

Source: HillPDA

Figure 19: Distances Travelled by Visitors to Greville Street

Source: HillPDA

0-5 KM

5-10 KM

10-20 KM

20+ KM



3 LITERATURE REVIEW

This section summarises the relevant recent literature and research on pedestrianisation, impacts of road closure on businesses, and issues comparable to those considered by the Greville Street Project.

The review of recent literature found that the experiences of cities in creating pedestrianised areas and restricting the access of cars to areas was generally mixed.

Pacurar2 - in an assessment of the impact of pedestrianisation on the local economy of Cluj Napoca in Romania - found that the conversion of streets into car-free areas had not generated a comprehensive revitalisation of the city centre. The old town of Cluj Napoca had suffered as a result of the growth in out of town shopping malls. The author noted a lack of diversity in the retail offer available in the town centre and this pattern was observed to continue following pedestrianisation in 2010.

However, a number of benefits achieved by the pedestrianisation of city streets were noted. These included cleaner air, fewer accidents, healthier and more pleasant environments. An additional benefit noted by Pacurar was the increase in social and cultural events on the pedestrianised streets, rising from 115 in 2008 to 171 in 2012.

The author noted that by itself "pedestrianisation did not lead to an economic overhaul of downtown or old-town areas".

Sastre et al3 (2013) identified seven ways in which pedestrianisation and traffic reductions schemes can improve an area. These are summarised as:

Environmental improvement - a reduction in pollution and the number of accidents;

Tourism - in older cities with historic cores, pedestrian schemes improve the environment for tourists;

Identity - revitalisation of focal points of a city;

2 Pacurar, Bogdan-Nicolae. 2013. Pedestrianisation in Cluj-Napoca. An Economic (Re)Development Tool? Journal of Settlements and Spatial Planning 4.1 (2013): 95-99.

3 Economic Impact of pedestrianisation in historic urban centre, the Valdemoro case study (Spain) Julián Sastre, Ana Sastre, Ana Maria Gamo, Tomás Gaztelu. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 104 ( 2013 ) 737 – 745, 2nd Conference of Transportation Research Group of India (2nd CTRG)



Aesthetics - pedestrianisation typically accompanies improvements to the urban realm, renovation of urban buildings and decorative aspects of an area;

Cultural - cultural events including street theatre, buskers, artistic performances revitalise an area;

Social - increase in the 'social nature of an area'; and

Economic - increases in commercial activity.

Research by Yim Yiu4 also commented on the main advantages of pedestrianisation being the beneficial environmental impact, the social impact and the economic impact, with the third- the economic impact - resulting from the first two. Increased safety and improved amenity lead to higher pedestrian flows and consequently improved economic benefits. The economic benefits occur in two ways: Firstly, improved amenity entices more people to visit the area. The improved amenity encourages those people who are in the area to stay longer, and therefore spend more money. Secondly, the improved environment encourages social and cultural activities and events in the pedestrianised space. People coming to participate in / enjoy these activities are likely to spend more money. Earlier work by the OECD (1978) found that half of cities that had implemented pedestrianisation schemes reported an increase in retail turnover.

The work cites a number of examples of successful implementation of the pedestrianisation of city streets, noting Oxford Street London in the 1970s, Trafalgar Square in the 1990s and the New York City Broadway experiment of the 2000s. Heavy traffic, noise pollution, road hazards, air pollution are seen as detrimental to the outdoor shopping experience. Pedestrianisation allows vehicle flows to be reduced and pedestrian flows to be increased. Footfall count and pedestrian flows are identified as important determinants of retail viability.

Sastre at al's work highlighted that a prime concern of retailers and businesses is the loss of parking spaces and presumably access to their premises from car based customers. The report noted that the experience of a number of cities shows that businesses typically increased incomes following pedestrianisation. The report cited research from UITP ("Better Mobility in Urban Areas", 2001) which identified the increase in commercial activity following the

4 Chung Yim Yiu, The impact of a pedestrianisation scheme on retail rent: an empirical test in Hong Kong. Department of Real Estate and Construction, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong



pedestrianisation of areas in different cities. The figure extracted from the report is shown below:

Figure 20 Practical Examples of Increases in Commercial Activity Following Pedestrianisation

Source: UITP (from Sastre et al)

Roberts (1990) also found that retail turnover increased by more than 60% in Scandinavian, German and Austrian pedestrianisation schemes. Robertson (1994) reported that retail turnover increased by 20% following the implementation of a pedestrianisation scheme in Norwich UK. Yim Yiu notes that there are flaws with the methodology in these pieces of work, as they failed to take into account other economic changes over the periods being compared. Questionnaires surveys of retailers reported on by Yim Yiu also had methodological failings. Yim Yiu adopted a control street to overcome these methodological flaws and concluded that the increase in pedestrian flows in the pedestrianised streets "increases significantly the retail rental value of the street by approximately 17 per cent". The increase in rental value is typically a response to greater retailer demand for premises resulting from higher levels of turnover.

Research supporting the economic case for pedestrianisation in the UK undertaken by Edward Erdman (1989) during the 1980s identified that a rental premium existed for pedestrianised high streets over non-pedestrianised high street owing to higher pedestrian footfall and subsequent higher levels of retail trade. Over the period of the study, Erdman recorded that the rental rate for pedestrianised streets increased by over 40% while retail rents in vehicular streets increased by less than 20%. The research also noted that there was even a slight premium over covered shopping centres.

The City of Melbourne, in a review of the impact of the Swanston Street pedestrianisation works, identified a rage of economic impact



studies that had reviewed the impact of pedestrianisation schemes. The relevant studies and the results are summarised in the table below.

Table 4: Summary of Economic Impact Studies of Pedestrianised Areas

Study Years of Study

Location Survey Size

Results

Deutscher Industrieund Handelstag (1979)

Various 233 local authorities in Germany

Businesses in 331 pedestrianised areas

Turnover % of firms with turnover increases inside of area: 83% % of firms with turnover increases outside of area: 24%

Transport and Environment Studies (1987)

1987 London (UK) Retailers on Neal Street, Covent Garden

Turnover 60% of respondents claimed higher turnovers

Edward Erdman Research (1989)

1987-88 14 UK towns Various street sections

Increase in rental prices (in prime shopping sites) Vehicle street: 19.7% Pedestrianised street: 42.5%

DoE and The Association of Town Centre Management (1997)

1996 Coventry (UK)

Sample of retailers in town centre

Increase in sales levels 40% Increase in foot traffic 25%

Local Government Commission (2001)

1997 Lodi (US) Survey of pedestrian improvement area

Increase in new business 60 new businesses Decrease in vacancy rates From 18% to 6% Increase in sales tax revenues 30%

Local Government Commission (2001)

1998 West Palm Beach (US)

Survey of pedestrian improvement area

Increase in property values 1993: US$10-US$40 per sq. foot 1998: US$50-US$100 per sq. foot

Source: City of Melbourne 'Swanston Street - A Snapshot'5

In other instances, Macrae noted that a number of US examples of pedestrianisation schemes have been reversed, while a scheme in

5 City of Melbourne 'Swanston Street - A Snapshot Attachment' 1 Agenda Item 6.2 Council 31 March 2009



York England recorded a small decline in trade following the implementation of a pedestrianisation scheme.

The impact of pedestrianisation on British streets was commented on by Glancey (1997)6 who noted "Pedestrianisation sounds noble in principle, but the truth is that, unlike Romans, we do not make much use of pedestrian streets and squares except during shopping hours, and we certainly don't enjoy them. Where are the cafes and fountains, the old men in natty hats playing draughts, the gorgeous girls and handsome boys on their scooters? They exist only in the "virtual" world of architects' drawings in Britain". A further issue noted is the impact of pedestrianisation on streets after traditional retail opening hours. Referencing King's Lynn in Norfolk England, Clancy observed "when the sun went down, the pedestrianised streets dies with it… Not a place you'd want to walk on your own."

The issue of safety is also raised in Melbourne City Council's Review following the closure of Swanston Street to car traffic.

Opposition to pedestrianisation schemes has typically been strong amongst retailers located in areas to be affected. Pugalis (2006) commented that "Shopkeepers (in Copenhagen) in particular were incensed at this decision which they saw as an attack on their livelihood". Opposition to the scheme presumably reduced when it was observed that trade in the CBD had increased by between 25 and 40 per cent"7.

Further literature bolsters this finding. The beneficial economic impact to retailers is noted by Iranmanesh8 (2008). "After closing vehicle access in a district the rate of retail turnover usually increased".

Eilís Lawlor, in a 'Just Economics' report on the case for investment in the public realm noted "Case study evidence suggests that well-planned improvements to these public spaces can boost footfall and trading by up to 40%". The report also noted that "Investing in better streets and spaces for walking can provide a competitive return compared to other transport projects; walking and cycling projects can increase retails sales by 30%".

6 No lovers, no mopeds, no smiling after 8pm. It's time to step on the cult of the pedestrian

Glancey, Jonathan. The Independent [London (UK)] 25 Apr 1997: 7.

7 Pugalis, L 2006, ‘Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen’, University of Newcastle, Oct. 2006 Final Paper. 8 Nasim Iranmanesh, Pedestrianisation a great necessity in urban designing to create a sustainable city in developing countries, 44th ISOCARP Congress 2008

http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/indexinglinkhandler/sng/au/Glancey,+Jonathan/$N?accountid=13552

http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/pubidlinkhandler/sng/pubtitle/The+Independent/$N/46190/DocView/312624749/fulltext/C5F0E171FFD5465BPQ/1?accountid=13552



South Molton Street in London (UK) was pedestrianised during the 1970s. The street is currently home to high end fashion retail, café dining jewellers and located to the South of Oxford Street and east of Bond Street - both of which are significant retail destinations in their own right. Following the pedestrianisation, South Molton Street is reported to have seen a significant increase in retail rents (Roberts and Greed, 2014) as the retail performance of the street improved.



4 CASE STUDIES

Pedestrian Streets

This section provides a selection of examples of the pedestrianisation of streets and implementation of vehicle movement restrictions. Two local examples are provided, and two international examples.

Swanston Street Melbourne

Swanston Street in Melbourne was originally closed to through traffic in 1992. Prior to the closure the street had been the principal north south thoroughfare through the CBD. 70% of traffic along the street was using Swanston Street as a means of accessing areas outside Melbourne's CBD. The result was a reported "significant improvement to the street experience for pedestrians and public transport users". Annual event attendance in Swanston Street is reported at more than one million, with organised events, parades, rallies and functions attracting close to an additional one and a half million people.

In terms of meeting the objectives stated for the closure of the street to vehicular traffic, following a review by Melbourne City Council in 1997 it was recorded that:

50% less vehicle accidents in the 1995-1995 period than 1989-1991 period;

40% reduction in pedestrian accidents over the same period;

Observed fall in crime since the closure of the street9;

The occupancy rate in retail tenancies has been higher than in other areas of the CBD since the closure of the street.

Not all the noted impacts from the closure of the Street to traffic have been positive. Traders on the street reported that the closure of the street had a negative impact on retail turnover. However the Council review found that "based on rental levels in Swanston Street, the closure had a neutral impact on trading performance"10.

In addition to changes / perceived changes in turnover resulting from the closure, the review found that the tenancy mix in Swanston Street had changed with an increase in restaurant and speciality

9 Coinciding with the opening of the new police station in 1997 in Swanston Street. 10 Melbourne City Council (MCC), Swanston Street Review, October 1997.

"Based on rental levels in Swanston Street, the closure had a neutral impact on trading performance"



tenancies. In part this reflected footpath widening but was also part of a broader trend observed elsewhere in the CBD.

Council's Review of the impact of road closures noted the following:

82% reduction in accidents when two way streets were converted to pedestrian streets;

Traffic levels affect social interaction on streets - streets with more than 16,000 vehicles per day had three times fewer social intersections than streets with 2,000 vehicles per day.

Yarraville Pop-up Park, Ballarat Street, Yarraville

Ballarat Street in Yarraville was temporarily closed off to traffic in 2011 to make way for seating and pedestrians. In December 2014 the park - located between Murray and Canterbury Streets in Yarraville - was made permanent. The location of the pop-up park was chosen as it was not deemed to be a central traffic route, and was intended to provide a place where the community "can congregate like a little village square in one of the busiest part of Yarraville village, where they can relax, play with their kids, or have a coffee with friends"11.

Figure 21: Yarraville Pop-up Park

11 http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/village-choice-yarraville-takes-road-less-travelled-in-popup-park-20111218-1p0uh.html

Complaints from one trader located away from the park centred on the 'unfair advantage' that it would provide to café traders who were located near the park.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VxVj4eJG1Tc/T6agW_JYneI/AAAAAAAAAHg/AywhSaugh1o/s1600/P4143471.JPG



At the time the concept was initial unveiled, complaints from one trader located away from the park centred on the 'unfair advantage' that it would provide to café traders who were located near the park.

A local business owner in favour of the park was quoted as saying the park "instantly became the heart of the little village. A bit like a city square that you see in little European villages, it just instantly became a spot that people would meet"12

Some concerns of local traders located away from the park had been addressed by Maribyrnong Council who opted to make the park and alcohol free zone. Maribyrnong Mayor Grant Miles said “They (objecting traders) see it as a compromise, obviously they thought they were losing trade with the pop-up park program in the past, but the main thing that is going to allay those concerns is no alcohol."13

Via Urbana - Rome

A recent campaign to pedestrianise parts of Rome focused on Via Urbana in the older district of the city centre. Here, support from shopkeepers has been overwhelmingly in favour of the scheme with around 90% of local retailers in favour, having noted that retail sales increased by 30%14 during a period of street closure for gas main maintenance purposes.

Figure 22: Via Urbana - Rome

12 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-16/yarraville-pop-up-park-becomes-permanent-after-singing-protest/5970092 13 http://www.maribyrnong.starweekly.com.au/story/1793344/yarraville-pop-up-park-saved-after-traders-step-up/ 14 http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/mar/13/pedestrianisation-rome-italy-car-parking-ban

A recent campaign to pedestrianise parts of Rome focused on Via Urbana in. Support from shopkeepers has been overwhelmingly in favour of the scheme with around 90%, having noted retail sales increased by 30% during a period of street closures.



Buchanan Street, Scotland

In Glasgow, Scotland, Buchanan Street is a pedestrian street serving as Glasgow’s main retail strip. It is the centre of the city with a library main, (covered) shopping arcades, two shopping centres, smaller scale speciality retailers, and a museum. Buchanan Street is of a different scale to Greville Street and serves a different purpose. However, the lessons learnt from Buchanan Street may be applicable in the local context.

Figure 23: Buchanan Street Glasgow, Scotland

There are regular street theatres on the street and a monthly farmers market takes place. In 2003 Buchanan Street was voted Scotland’s favourite street in a BBC/CABE poll. It was awarded a Congress for New Urbanism award for excellence in 2004. It is identified as being Glasgow's main promenade where people meet up to shop or socialize.

Shared Streets

Shared streets differ from pedestrianised streets in that vehicle traffic is still permitted to use the streets. The time of day which they are permitted to use the street may be restricted in some instances although generally, use of the street is permitted at all times other than during events. Traffic speed restrictions are typically very low and pedestrians are often given priority. Limited distinction is made between the area of roadway intended for vehicle traffic and the area typically regarded as pavement. The removal of traffic lights and



road markings will often serve to increase the level of ambiguity and uncertainty at intersections. This additional uncertainty has been shown to modify the psychology of street users, encouraging greater vigilance and care, resulting in a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

Bendigo City Centre - Shared Space

The Walk Bendigo program was intended to prioritise walking and create a safer environment for users of, and visitors to, the City Centre. The program was launched in response to a 2007 report that identified that the existing street design reflected a historical prioritisation of higher traffic speeds, traffic volumes and the availability of parking. In order to address the negative impacts arising from the existing street layout the City of Grater Bendigo conceived a CBD wide program of works to improve pedestrian safety and the amenity in the city centre.

"It was planned to create a connected pedestrian network linking access points to key city destinations. The social and community function of the CBD was to be enhanced by allocating space for alfresco dining and street events".15

Figure 24: Hargreaves Street and Bull Street Intersection

Source: Department of Transport.

"The junction of Hargreaves and Bull Streets is central to shopping, dining and civic facilities. Walk Bendigo created a street space that can be entered and crossed from any point in any direction".

The performance metric adopted to judge the success of the implementation of the shared streets initiative was a target reduction

15 transport .vic.gov.au (Case Studies Bendigo Town Centre: Creating Shared Space to Improve Pedestrian Safety) accessed at http://economicdevelopment.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/1091898/Bendigo-Casestudy.PDF on 29th May 2015.

http://economicdevelopment.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/1091898/Bendigo-Casestudy.PDF



in traffic speed to an average of 20 kilometres per hour. This target was not met. However, traffic speeds on the streets affected by the scheme had fallen from an average of 40.5km/h to 27.5km/h.

Australian Examples

Other examples of mid-sized and regional Australian cities that have pedestrianised streets and introduced traffic reduction and shared space initiatives include:

Langtree Avenue Mildura,

Cavill Avenue Gold Coast,

Bridge Street Ballarat,

Nicholas Street Ipswich,

Maude Street Shepparton

Little Mallop Street Geelong.

Cronulla Mall, Cronulla,

Hardware Lane, Melbourne;

Port Macquarie Town Centre, including the shared space intersection of Horton Street and Clarence Street; and

Ernest Street, South Brisbane.

Other pedestrian streets internationally include:

Wall Street, Asheville, NC, USA

Strøget District, Copenhagen, Denmark

Cat Street, Tokyo, Japan

Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL, USA

Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA, USA

In Australia, centrally located pedestrianised streets include:

Pitt Street Mall and Martin Place in Sydney

Bourke Street Mall & Swanston Street in Melbourne

Queen Street Mall and Brunswick Street Mall in Brisbane

Rundle Mall in Adelaide

Hay Street and Murray Street Malls in Perth

Elizabeth Street in Hobart

City Walk in Canberra

Smith Street in Darwin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildura,_Victoria

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavill_Avenue

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Coast,_Queensland

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballarat,_Victoria

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipswich,_Queensland

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepparton,_Victoria

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geelong

http://www.pps.org/%22%20data-mce-href=





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitt_Street_Mall

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Place,_Sydney

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourke_Street,_Melbourne

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Street_Mall

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunswick_Street_Mall

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rundle_Mall

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay_Street,_Perth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_Street,_Perth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Street,_Hobart

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Walk,_Canberra

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_Street,_Darwin



5 COMMERICAL IMPACT OF GREVILLE STREET TRAFFIC AND AMENITY WORKS

The analysis of the impact of the proposed works on Greville Street has been split into two distinct sections. The first looks at possible commercial impacts of the works in the community. The following section will provide an analysis of the potential social impact of the works on the community stakeholders. The analysis considers the potential impacts of each of the options proposed for Greville Street and King Street, these being; 1) the development of the shared street concept, and; 2) the full closure of the street to motorised traffic.

The impacts have been assessed for each component of the works. The potential impacts have been assessed through examination of recent literature covering the pedestrianisation and traffic mitigation measures in other locations. These have been identified and are described below. Note, the description of these impacts is not an indication that they are likely to happen or not to happen in the proposed Greville Street / King Street works. That they are included is that the potential for these impacts to occur has been identified and the likelihood has been considered.

Positive Commercial Impacts

Commercial positive impacts of the proposed works are expected to occur as a result of higher levels of turnover. The change in turnover may stem from a number of factors.

A major impact is expected to stem from the increased pedestrian amenity. By reducing the number of cars, shoppers may take longer to linger in the street, and the longer they stay, the more likely they are to spend. Increasing the attraction of the street environment through planting, gardens and events is likely to increase the overall level of pedestrian amenity.

The improvement in pedestrian amenity is expected to be greater under the full closure of Grattan Gardens to motorised traffic. The removal of motorised traffic would increase actual and perceived pedestrian safety.

Pedestrian amenity is still expected to be improved under the shared street option, owing to an overall reduction in the volume of car traffic. The benefit of the shared street option may vary - according to which side of the street traders are located on - in the different sections of the proposed works, although traders in all locations on



the street are still expected to benefit from the proposed works though increased pedestrian traffic. Where existing car parking provision is removed to make way for increased paving and potential pavement dining space, traders are expected to see greater benefits than on eh side of the street where parking is retained.

The full closure option is not expected to incur varying degree of commercial benefits according to which side of the street traders are located on.

The increased level of pedestrian amenity, and the impact of 'making a change' on Greville Street and King Street may attract additional tourist visitors to the area. As a result, footfall would increase and retail spending would also be expected to increase.

The reconfiguration of sections of Greville Street and King Street with the intention of creating event space will also likely lead to increased cultural events and associated higher levels of patronage. More visitors on the street attending events may lead to more shoppers on the street spending money in local retail establishments.

However, the variation or change in levels of turnover may vary by business type. Food and drink outlets - particularly those with the potential to take advantage of pavement dining options - are likely to see a different impact to a retailer that benefits from car-based consumer activity. These types of retailers might include homewares, Manchester, and bulky goods sellers and as such, is not likely to prove to be a significant issue for the traders on Greville Street. The increased commercial activity benefiting food and drink retailers, restaurants and cafes may in part be attributable to the proposed works on Greville Street and King Street, and in part in may be a result of the changing broader retail trends that sees a greater proportion of disposable income focussed on food and drink expenditure.

Negative Commercial Impacts

Negative impacts of the proposed works essentially boil down to the converse of the positive impact. A fall in trade might be expected to result from fewer shoppers that use motor vehicles as their mode of transport visiting Greville Street or King Street.

This may occur as a result of a number of factors. The first is related to parking provision. Trade would be expected to fall if motorists who currently shop at Greville Street and King Street are unable to find conveniently located parking spaces that enable them to access the



retail facilities on the street. This would assume that motorists who currently park on Greville Street to access retail outlets would not be prepared to use alternative parking facilities elsewhere in the local area. Given the travel mode share profile of shoppers on Greville Street with half of shoppers arriving in the area by car, this is a moderate risk that may impact retailer turnover. However, it should be borne in mind that a relatively low proportion of the shoppers that travelled by car - parked on Greville Street, with the majority opting for alternative car parking options.

The second reason that motoring shoppers expenditure in the street could decline is a lack of familiarity with the proposed street and traffic configuration. In particular, this is likely to be an issue if the proposed changes to the parking configuration receive significant negative publicity. The duration of this impact might be expected to be relatively short as visitors familiarise themselves with the amended configuration of streets and parking.

Both the first and second factors that could potentially negatively impact on the expenditure of motorists visiting Greville Street and the surrounding area are likely to have a marginally greater impact under the closed street option rather than the shared street option for Greville Street. However, given the impact of these factors is expected to be relatively limited, there is unlikely to be a significant difference in the negative impact that results from either option.

A further reason why trade might decline would be related to the disruption to the street during the implementation phase of the proposed works. As with the lack of familiarity with the proposed configuration leading to motorists staying away from the area for a period of time, the perception that construction works are detracting from the retail environment and the amenity of the streets may cause shoppers to stay away from the Greville Street and King Street area. The duration of this impact is likely to be relatively short term and confined to the construction period and for a short while after the changes have been implemented. Council would stage the works to mitigate negative impacts on trade during the course of implementation.

Turnover may also be negatively impacted in retail establishments that would not cater for 'crowds' or attendees at cultural events. Whereas some retailers - notably food and drinks establishment - may benefit as a result of increased footfall at a music event for example, the impact on a retailer focused on home improvements for



example, is likely to be modest and may even decline (NB - there are no home improvement stores identified on Greville Street).

A final potential impact causing a decrease in turnover may also result from antisocial behaviour on street detracting from the amenity of the area. Anti-social behaviour resulting from reduced passive surveillance occasioned by motor vehicle traffic could over the longer term - deter evening visitors from the area, leading to a decline in spending in restaurant retailers. However, as identified in the City of Melbourne Case Study example earlier, crime levels in Swanston Street were reported to have fallen since the closure of the street. However, Councils designs have been developed with improved lighting and security measures. These measures should help to lessen the impact of reduced passive surveillance.

The following table identifies the potential commercial impact of the proposed works on a location by location basis. Based on findings from the review of literature and case study material, the likelihood of the impact occurring has been estimated together with the expected timing and duration of the impact. The majority of impacts are expected to occur in the post completion phase of the works, with only a small number associated with the potential disruption occurring during the actual implementation of the works. Positive impacts are expected to be ongoing, whereas the negative impacts are largely anticipated to be short-term in nature, as consumer behaviour adjusts to take account of the revised road configuration. Strategies to mitigate the negative impacts identified and to maximise positive impacts have been listed.


Section Affected Stakeholder Detail Impact Level of Impact Timing of Impact

Mitigation Strategy

A - Greville Street West

B - Grattan Gardens

C Greville Street / Chapel Street

Businesses Food and drink businesses

Increased pedestrian footfall and associated expenditure on food and drink

High - Positive Post completion - ongoing

Marketing and promotion strategy


B - Grattan Gardens



Increased tourism visitors and tourism expenditure on dining




B - Grattan Gardens



Increased cultural events and associated increase in spending on food and drink


Facilitation and promotion of Event hosting and Cultural Events


B - Grattan Gardens


D - King Street


Increased anti-social behaviour impacting perceived customer safety

Low - Negative Post completion - ongoing

Ensure adequate lighting on Greville Street and King Street

Table 5: Commercial Impacts of Proposed Changes



B - Grattan Gardens


D - King Street


Increased anti-social behaviour impacting perceived customer safety during cultural events


Ensure adequate security measures during events


B - Grattan Gardens


D - King Street

Businesses All retail Customers stay away as a result of reduced parking availability

Low - Negative Implementation phase and Post completion - short term duration

Provide clear signage of alternative parking options such as Cato Street Car park


B - Grattan Gardens


D - King Street

Businesses All retail Customers stay away as a result of disruption during the course of construction

Medium - Negative

Implementation phase - short term duration

Will be short term in duration. Where possible minimise impact of construction works (e.g. undertake works in non-core business hours).A Construction Management Plan would need to be prepared to minimise and manage those impacts


B - Grattan Gardens


Businesses All retail Lack of familiarity with road configuration leads to shoppers travelling by car staying away

Low - Negative Implementation phase and Post completion - Short term duration

Will likely be short term in duration as users adjust to proposed works. Provide clear signage and directions.



B - Grattan Gardens


Businesses Other retail Increased pedestrian footfall and associated expenditure on retail

Medium High - Positive

Post completion - ongoing

Promotion and marketing


B - Grattan Gardens


Businesses Other retail Increased tourism visitors and tourism retail expenditure



Promotion and marketing


B - Grattan Gardens


Businesses Other retail Increased cultural events and associated footfall lead to positive change in spending

Medium - Positive


Promote cultural events


B - Grattan Gardens


Businesses Other retail Increased cultural events lead to negative change in non-cultural or associated businesses


NA



B - Grattan Gardens



Increased pedestrian footfall and associated expenditure on food and drink



D - King Street Businesses Food and drink businesses

Reduced passing trade from motor vehicle traffic

Low - limited parking provision for existing customers on King Street - Negative

Implementation phase and post completion - ongoing

Clear signage and directions for parking facilities


Increased turnover arising from opportunity for pavement dining




Increased turnover arising from higher levels of pedestrian amenity and potential events held on proposed space

Medium - Positive




6 SOCIAL IMPACT OF GREVILLE STREET TRAFFIC AND AMENITY WORKS

As with the identification of commercial impacts, the social impacts of the proposed works have been assessed through examination of recent literature.

The potential social impacts are identified here, followed by the potential negative social impacts. The impacts are grouped according to who is affected, whether they be users of the street - including shoppers, users of community facilities, or those passing through - or local residents - including residents of Greville Street and residents in the wider local area.

Positive Social Impacts

All users of the street are expected to benefit from the improved safety afforded by reduced motor vehicle traffic. While the number of accidents that occurred on Greville Street as identified by the Obrien Traffic report is low, the perception of improved safety on the street will benefit local residents and users.

Should the streets be perceived to be safer, increased levels of visitation may occur. If this visitation uses active transport - walking or cycling - then there are expected to be beneficial health outcomes to users of the street.

Increased safety on the street, in conjunction with improved amenity, may lead to a high number of people using the street. Increased visitation levels could result in higher levels of social interaction. Lower levels of road traffic safety may deter some members of the community from visiting an area. This may apply to particular demographic cohorts to a greater extent than others. Older age cohorts may be more likely to visit the street as a result of improvements in safety, and benefit from increased levels o0f social interaction.

Usage of community spaces is likely to increase as a result of improved safety and amenity. This would increase the viability of community facilities.

Furthermore, the increased opportunity for cultural events would help to build and strengthen community identity and cohesion. Opportunities for hosting cultural / community events would be facilitated further under the option which proposes closing to traffic the section of Greville Street south of Grattan Gardens.



Beneficial health outcomes would also be realised through improvements in air quality. Air quality improvements would be expected to occur as a result of reduced motor vehicle usage. However, the impact of this is expected to be extremely localised.

Negative Social Impacts

Anti-social behaviour may arise as a result of reduced passive surveillance occasioned by reduced motor vehicle traffic. Rises in anti-social behaviour were identified in a number of case studies, including Parramatta, NSW and in the UK. However, in the City of Melbourne Case Study example, crime levels fell on the Street when Swanston Street was closed to through traffic.

While residents and users of Greville Street may benefit from increased safety arising from reduced motor vehicle usage on Greville and King Street, the residents and users of surrounding streets may experience the opposite. If traffic that formerly would have used Greville Street and King Street is diverted onto surrounding streets, the level of safety - perceived or actual - may fall.

Travel times to locations in the immediate area may increase as a result of the proposed works. Residents and users of the street travelling by car may need to adjust their journey to accommodate the proposed changes. This may result in increased journey times, whether caused by additional distances being travelled or increased negotiations at intersections of Chapel Street. However, it is expected that the increase in travel times will be minor and will adjusted to over a short period of time. Furthermore, some journey times may be reduced, particularly those undertaken on foot or by public transport if interaction with vehicular traffic at intersections is reduced.

The following table identifies the potential social impacts of the proposed works on a location by location basis. Based on findings from the review of literature and case study material, the likelihood of the impact occurring has been estimated. Strategies to mitigate the negative impacts have been listed. The positive impacts of the proposed changes outnumber the negative impacts. Furthermore, the effects of the negative impacts of the proposed changes are deemed to be relatively minor in comparison with the positive impacts that the proposed changes are expected to generate.


Section Affected Stakeholder Detail Impact Level of Impact Timing of Impact

Mitigation Strategy


B - Grattan Gardens


Residents

Users

Greville Street residents, Greville Street users, pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users

Improved safety through motor vehicle usage reduction

Medium - Positive


NA

D - King Street Residents

Users

Greville Street residents, Greville Street users, pedestrians, cyclists



NA


B - Grattan Gardens


D - King Street

Residents

Users

Local area residents, Greville Street users,

Improved amenity leading to increased usage of active transport (walking & cycling) and positive health outcomes

Medium - Positive


NA

D - King Street Residents

Users

Local Area residents, King Street users, pedestrians, cyclists



NA

Table 6: Social Impacts of Proposed Changes



B - Grattan Gardens


D King Street

Residents

Users

Greville Street residents, Greville Street users, pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users

Improved air quality through motor vehicle usage reduction

Low - Positive Post completion - ongoing

NA


B - Grattan Gardens


D - King Street

Residents, Users, Businesses

Local residents, users, businesses

Increased congestion on surrounding streets as motorists seek alternative routes

Low and relatively short term - Negative


Provide clear signage


B - Grattan Gardens


D - King Street

Residents, Businesses, Users,

Local residents, users, older age demographic cohorts, businesses.

Increased amenity and foot traffic leading to higher levels of social interaction, building community cohesion

Low Post completion - ongoing

NA

B - Grattan Gardens




Increased amenity leading to increased usage of community spaces


NA



B - Grattan Gardens


D - King Street



increased opportunity for cultural events would help to build and strengthen community identity and cohesion


NA


B - Grattan Gardens


D - King Street



Anti-social behaviour may arise as a result of reduced passive surveillance occasioned by reduced motor vehicle traffic


Ensure adequate lighting on Greville Street and King Street


B - Grattan Gardens


D - King Street



Increased travel times within the local area resulting from proposed works

Low- Negative Post completion - ongoing

Provide clear signage


Ref: Greville Street Precinct SCIA M15044 Draft HillPDA | 54

7 CONCLUSIONS

This report has assessed the proposed changes to the configuration, road layout and parking provision of Greville Street and King Street in Prahran, Stonnington. The proposed changes revolve around the public realm, enhancing public space, and providing a safer [pedestrian focussed environment with opportunities for public events and cultural events in the shared spaces.

It is expected that the proposed changes y will have an impact on Greville Street and King Street; the users of the streets, the local community, including businesses, residents, visitors and workers in the area. A number of the changes will be positive and a number will be negative. The extent of the impacts is expected to vary by location, and to vary in the effect they have on different stakeholders within the broader community. However, the positive impacts are expected to outweigh the negative impacts of the proposed changes, both in the number of impacts and in the effects that these impacts have. Most of the anticipated negative impacts can be mitigated through appropriate design measures and through the staging of construction works to implement the changes.

Positive impacts on the business sector focus around attracting more people to the Streets. By attracting more potential customers to Greville Street, businesses located on the street and in the surrounding streets should see increased turnover as a result. The impact may vary by retail type, with some retail sectors likely to be more positively affected by an increase in pedestrian footfall than others. Cafés, coffee shops, restaurants and convenience retailing are good examples of retail sectors that would be positively impacted by an increase in passing trade whereas discretionary retail purchases - bulky goods retail, Manchester and home wares - while still benefiting from an increase in pedestrian footfall - would not benefit to the same extent as the food and convenience retail sector.

Concerns that restricting motor vehicle access to areas will negatively impact on the potential for increased turnover and business viability, are worth noting. However, the review of the literature suggests that recent examples of pedestrianisation have benefitted local traders. Evidence from Victorian examples - including Swanston Street and Yarraville - also suggest that local traders have benefitted from restricted motor vehicle access. In order to minimise the impact on traders, clear signage to alternative parking locations such as the Cato Street car park and directional signage should be provided.



Community and social benefits are also likely to outweigh any negative impacts of the proposed changes. Pedestrian safety will improve following the implementation of the changes, although the benefits should not be overstated given the relatively low accident rate in the area. Follow on impacts may include an increase in the active transport and reduced car usage. Negative impacts of the scheme such as fears of anti-social behaviour could be managed. Appropriate lighting could mitigate the impact of reduced passive surveillance in the streets.



APPENDIX A: DATA TABLES

Table 7: Mode of Transport

Mode of transport Number of responses % of responses

Car 45 27%

Pedestrian 61 34%

Cyclist 5 3%

Tram 16 9%

Train 48 27%

Bus 1 1%

Other 4 2%

Total 180 100%

Source: HillPDA

Table 8: Purpose of Visit

Purpose Number of responses % of responses

Retail 39 21%

Dining / drinking 27 14%

Work 17 9%

Visiting Business /organisation 8 4%

Visiting friends / family 12 6%

Library / community facilities 20 11%

Passing through 54 29%

Other 10 5%

Total 187 100%

Source: HillPDA



ABN 52 003 963 755

Sydney

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Melbourne

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Brisbane

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greville street precinct social & commercial impact assessment

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