The Streets Initiative worked alongside the City of Melbourne to develop climate-resilient interventions for flood-prone Kensington, with a particular focus on Mercantile Parade. Responding to the area’s flood risk, limited biodiversity and underutilised public space, the project explored how the existing streetscape could become a greener and more engaging community space while improving its environmental performance.

A combination of architectural and engineering interventions was developed to address these challenges, including a rain garden for stormwater management, communal seating, bike racks, shelter and a seed library. These were complemented by native planting, interactive water elements and educational features that make sustainable systems more visible to the community. Together, the interventions aim to improve flood resilience and biodiversity while creating a space that encourages people to gather, move, play and learn.