REGEN
streets

Greater Melbourne is richly diverse. Each street, village and neighbourhood has passionate individuals, neighbours, sporting clubs, local businesses, community organisations and councils who know their place best; they know the history, the quirks and they hold their own visions for a more equitable and hopeful future.

How can we actively support local activation towards regeneration and nurture learning and connectedness between unique communities? How do we ensure that these community-led efforts influence the centralising forces in our system which stifle genuine transformation?

Regen Streets aims to generate and support a wave of connected regenerative neighbourhoods. This project works with communities that are holistically organising towards regeneration, including converting energy systems, creating circular food systems, providing green spaces for people to gather and connect, and to deepen connection to their places and their cultures.

Why this matters:
“The most powerful tool in economics is not money, not even algebra, it is a pencil. Because with a pencil you can redraw the world.”
- Kate Raworth

Challenge Goal:
Generating a wave of connected regenerative streets across Greater Melbourne

Current phase:
In development

During 2022, galvanised by the increasing climate threats and the fracturing social fabric created during Melbourne’s sustained lockdowns, two local communities (made up of Regen Melbourne alliance members) initiated what came to be known as our Regen Streets pilot sites.

These initiatives are Village Zero Sandringham and Greening Cromwell St. As these initiatives gathered momentum, it became apparent that they were a local microcosm of our macro-regenerative challenge - how to collaborate across silos in service to people and planet.

In the first half of 2023 we are working with our existing sites to learn from their community-led approach to establish supporting infrastructure which will spread the lessons and raise the ambitions and efficacy of local activation. The project aims to support the establishment of the next wave of Regen Streets locations during Spring 2023.

Lead Convenor:
Nina Sharpe

How to get involved:
This initiative is in development which means we’re currently setting up meaningful opportunities for collective action.

Please keep an eye out for upcoming events.

And if you are currently working on a future Regen Streets site contact our Portfolio Lead, Nicole Barling-Luke nicole@regen.melbourne.