Draft Public Spaces and Recreation Strategy

Between February and December 2023, Willoughby City Council conducted extensive community and stakeholder engagement to develop a new vision for the planning, delivery and management of Willoughby City’s public space and recreation network for the next ten years. After considering the feedback received as part of this extensive engagement, Council adopted a new Public Spaces and Recreation Strategy at its 25 March 2024 meeting.

This new strategy goes beyond conventional supply and demand approaches and identifies the implementation of a placemaking lens to get the most out of what we have already, and to deliver new and improved public space outcomes through growth. This placemaking approach is underpinned by active community involvement and shared responsibility for public space design, activation and management and will allow us to be more flexible and adaptable in our recreational offerings, as well as test and validate ideas promptly to ensure they suit our community’s needs.

A copy of the adopted Strategy can be found in the Document Library on this page.

Thank you once again to all community members who took the time to participate and provide feedback in the development of this strategy.

Help us to review the new Public Spaces and Recreation Strategy 2023

Council invites your feedback on the new Public Spaces and Recreation Strategy 2023. The Strategy aims to address the evolving recreation needs and interests of our community. As a result, we are shifting to a placemaking approach which involves the community in the design, planning and management of public spaces for recreation and leisure.

Our community were supportive of adopting a placemaking lens to public spaces as it will offer them an increased opportunity to actively shape these spaces through a grassroots, community-led process.

Please review the new Strategy in the Document Library and leave your comments below in the survey prior to closure of the consultation period at 5pm, Monday 11 December 2023.

Come and ask us questions about the Strategy at the following places:

• Chatswood Mall - Wednesday 29 November from 11am - 1pm
• Willoughby Park Centre - Wednesday 6 December from 3pm - 5pm

This Strategy is the result of more than 300 community members participating in interviews, on-line surveys, pop-up stalls and workshops. For more detail, please refer to the engagement summary.

The Strategy has 5 key Strategic Opportunities from the community consultation. They are:

1. Create and promote a network of public spaces via activated recreational links.

2. Leverage future development and underutilised assets to deliver new public spaces.

3. Activate existing public spaces for increased recreational participation.

4. Encourage shared use and multi-purpose design of sports spaces.

5. Promote collaborative and co-ordinated planning and delivery.

Your feedback on these 5 Strategic Opportunities and their actions are invited to assist Council for the next 10 years as our population increases and our enjoyment of public spaces widens.