The City of Melbourne has approved the design and construction of a new park in City Road Undercroft Park. The proposed design converts the currently underutilised area of asphalt and large support columns into a new 5,000-square-metre vibrant park below Kings Way.
Designed by the City of Melbourne team, the new park will include a street-style skate park and plaza, a roller-skate rink winding through planted areas, a bouldering wall, basketball and netball half courts, quiet zones, gathering areas, seating, and greenery. The project aims to improve safety, maximise activation, and enhance connectivity whilst providing the community with much-needed passive and active recreation.
“…from a neglected undercroft beneath a major city underpass into a vibrant, accessible and sustainable urban open space…..to become an iconic gathering place for Melbournians”
City of Melbourne Mayor – Nicholas Reece
The design has been developed since May 2024 in consultation with the community, consultants, and other stakeholders to define the spatial design based on various programmatic uses. A creative professional provided advice to develop the design and create a unique, vibrant identity with a strong sense of place.
The new park also seeks to provide usable open space whilst reducing the impacts of flooding and minimising the impacts on traffic on surrounding roads. A key consideration was user safety and improving passive surveillance through lighting, activation, and safety cameras.
City Road Undercroft Park is seen as a possible prototype for the redevelopment of other undercrofts in Melbourne. Construction is expected to start in late 2026 and be completed within the 2026-27 financial year, with funds already allocated in the draft City of Melbourne budget.