Who Cares

Who really cares about individual suburbs development and infrastructure? It is evident from community facebook pages, talk back radio and letters to the editor that local residents do; but it is always after the fact, when their objections have no impact. What if development values their feedback earlier in the design process?

Rosanna is a case study in the North East of Melbourne to test an alternative to the planning process, where the community consultation is moved up the framework ladder closer to the to. The onsite dog walking gossip, the social media chats and talk-back radio discussions take centre stage as a means of acknowledgement and attempts to answer the question of “who cares”.

This project seeks to propose an alternative framework for the suburb of Rosanna and explores the uncomfortable conversations of how corporate stores are placed on site. It aims to walk the line of community discussions and endemic landscapes, flooding creeks and even walking the dogs, for an architecture that is attempting to acknowledge all.

The local’s memories, values and recognitions become apparent; balustrades, bricks, awnings, even bus stops are smeared on site to feed this hunger to be heard. Will the locals now accept this proposal as they are now listened to earlier within the planning process framework– perhaps next time you walk down to Rosanna a once angry local might have something nice to say.