By Martin Whiteley
We call the small collection of shops surrounding Ferntree Gully railway station the ‘Village’. This helps distinguish the area from Burwood Hwy and Mountain Gate, but it could be so much more.
According to National Geographic, in most parts of the world ‘villages are settlements of people clustered around a central point. A central point is most often a church, marketplace, or public space. A public space can be an open space (sometimes called a village green), or developed square (sometimes called a plaza or piazza).’
This central point is one of the things I love about villages in England and across Europe. It’s one of the things I don’t see very often in Australia, where most shopping strips run either side of a busy road. Or we have the US-style shopping malls, such as Westfield Knox, with everything conveniently under one roof.
We don’t want huge crowds of people descending on the village every day, but we need to compete with, and differentiate from, these other shopping precincts if we want to attract a few more visitors. We can do this in a way that develops and supports a thriving community, and makes it an even better place to live.
We have the backdrop of the hills, the train station right in the centre, and ample parking. What else do we need to lift the place?
A genuine village atmosphere could be a great start. We might not have a village green or a piazza, but we do have 101 Station Street. This is a central square, just over the road from the station. Picture that square as a piazza in a small Italian town. Let’s call it Foothills Piazza. It would be pedestrianised, surrounded by boutique shops, outdoor tables with umbrellas, live music, and of course a fountain or clock tower in the centre. Now that would be a place to hang out.
Of course, this is just one idea, and it would be hard work to get to that point. Those parking spaces would have to go; shop owners would need access for deliveries. It would take a monumental effort from lots of people pulling together, and investment of time and money to bring this to fruition. But it starts with a vision for the place as a whole, ideas, lots of consultation and a plan. I believe the last plan was released in 2013-14.
Perhaps 2024 is the year to start working on a new plan. What would you like to see? Send us your ideas at gullynews@gmail.com. Happy New Year!
