Explore the award-winning Student Precinct at the University of Melbourne’s Parkville campus – a $230M transformation and one of Australia’s largest youth-led co-creation projects. 

Highlights of the tour include: 

• First Nations design inspiration – see how the urban topography and pavement patterns tell the stories of Melbourne’s eels and waterways. 
• Co-located student services – from academic support to Indigenous student programs, all within an accessible and welcoming environment. 
• Heritage meets innovation – integration of refurbished historic buildings with bold, contemporary architecture. 
• Sustainability in practice – adaptive reuse, urban heat mitigation, and green infrastructure. 
• Ground plane activation – outdoor gathering spaces designed for inclusivity, cultural expression, and everyday campus life. 

More than a construction project, the Student Precinct is a living example of how deep, sustained engagement can reshape an institution. 

Explore the revegetation project bringing new life to the iconic heritage-listed Melbourne General Cemetery in the heart of the city. 

Older cemeteries are places of respect, reverence, and reflection – but also hold some of the largest untapped green spaces for recreation and discovery. Balancing the needs of the community with the requirements of a functioning cemetery grounds is a considered process. Through the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust’s (SMCT) Project Cultivate, we set new benchmarks for sustainable horticulture in heritage cemeteries – planting indigenous grasses, wildflowers, and groundcovers to improve biodiversity and strengthen the cemetery’s living legacy. 

Through considered engagement, SMCT has opened the conversation for how a cemetery can look and contribute to the community beyond the traditional roses and monuments. 

Join SMCT Horticulture Assets Manager Helen Tuton at this beautiful cemetery, and discuss how partnering with Traditional Custodians, local community, schools, and families has enabled the award-winning Project Cultivate to flourish.

Please note: 

• This event takes place in a historic operating cemetery with uneven ground, old monuments etc. Please be aware of your surroundings and of any visitors who may be on site during your tour. 
• Most areas are accessible by pathway, but navigating narrow paths between monuments may be required.
• Dress for the weather conditions – there is limited shade. 
• Bring your own water bottle. 
• Public toilet facilities are located on site.  

Hosted by:

Tracks of Change is a guided tour that highlights how community engagement has influenced the design and use of Melbourne’s public spaces and infrastructure. 

Travelling by tram and on foot, you’ll visit a selection of locations where engagement has shaped outcomes in areas such as urban renewal, heritage, major infrastructure, and community health. At each stop, participants will hear from practitioners and stakeholders about the engagement approaches used, the challenges of balancing diverse interests, and the lessons learned in building trust and inclusion. 

The tour will explore themes including co-design, accessibility, embedding Indigenous perspectives, managing conflict, and addressing engagement fatigue. By connecting engagement theory with real-world practice, participants will gain practical insights into how authentic processes can create better outcomes for both communities and decision-makers. 

Please note:

• The tour will involve boarding and exiting trams and short walking segments (5–15 minutes each). 
• Participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and bring weather-appropriate clothing (hat, raincoat/umbrella, water bottle). 
• Travel will be within Melbourne’s Free Tram Zone, so there will be no requirement to have a Myki (transport) card. 
• Most sites are accessible; however, some uneven surfaces or outdoor conditions may be encountered. 

The Metro Tunnel will create a new end to end rail line from Sunbury in the west to Cranbourne/Pakenham in the southeast, with bigger and more modern trains and five new underground stations.

Testing is now underway and the Metro Tunnel will be open in 2025. 

The new State Library Station will be a northern gateway to the city, and the surrounding precinct will be changed to provide better spaces for pedestrians, cyclists and the area’s growing residential community.

It will include an underground passenger connection to Melbourne Central Station, allowing commuters to conveniently interchange between Metro Tunnel and City Loop train services without having to touch off and on again. The new station will have three entrances, including an underground connection directly into Melbourne Central Station.

On this one-hour tour, you will experience the full front of house station environment including retail, concourse, the 220 metre platform level, line wide artworks and the (Victorian first) platform screen doors.