‘Future Geelong’ map charts city’s potential growth

THE Committee for Geelong has launched ‘Future Geelong,’ an interactive map envisioned as the blueprint for the city’s growth and development paths.

This digital platform merges a range of existing projects, approved urban concepts, and ambitious future plans with instructive case studies, providing an expansive projection of what Geelong might become.

Committee for Geelong CEO Michael Johnston said that the map represents the culmination of the Committee’s extensive planning and visioning efforts.

“The big ideas, the city-shaping projects are well-known,” he said.

“We have captured this in the ‘Future Geelong Map’ – a platform that brings all these ideas together.”

Mr Johnston highlighted the map’s utility as a regional discussion piece for collaboration with government, private enterprise, and the broader community.

He also noted that the map is dynamic, and meant to evolve with the city’s growth, welcoming new information, ideas, and aspirations.

“Existing projects are combined with approved concepts and plans, aspirational projects, and case study examples,” Mr Johnston said.

Initiated in 2022, the Committee for Geelong partnered with Tract Consultants to bring the project to fruition.

Tract Consultants senior principal town planner Simon Loader said the map addresses Geelong’s significant population growth and changing demographics.

“At its essence, while Future Geelong describes one of many possible futures, it seeks to respect the many wonderful attributes that the existing community value,” Mr Loader says.

“This has allowed us to develop a complete picture of how we will live, move, work and play in this wonderful city region.”

The inception of the project involved a series of workshops, where the committee tapped into the collective foresight of members to visualise the region three decades from now.

“A key benefit of Future Geelong is it has synthesised the many strategies, plans and frameworks to coalesce

these ideas and visions into a single reference point.”

“It is the perfect platform to generate a discussion amongst the community, businesses and with all levels of Government.”

“As our city grows there will be natural evolutions that will alter, add to, or remove some of the current actions within Future Geelong.”

“These changes can be made rapidly or over time, but it ensures that the Committee’s strategic thinking

remains agile and adaptable to an ever changing world.”