FAQs

The Subi Streets project is a City-wide initiative by the City of Subiaco to rethink how its streets and laneways are designed and used. Instead of seeing streets solely as corridors for cars, the project shifts the focus toward creating versatile community spaces that everyone can enjoy.

Subi Streets is about turning the City’s streets into lively community places while keeping people moving efficiently where needed.

To enable these outcomes, the project will develop comprehensive:

•  Movement and Place Framework
• Design Guidelines for all streets and laneways in the City
• Implementation Framework to guide future upgrades.

Incorporating the Healthy Streets approach, the project will help the City become a place where walking and riding are enjoyable, public spaces are inviting and inclusive, and everyone can go about daily life in a healthy way. This approach directly supports our community’s values of health, wellbeing and sustainability, and aligns with the City’s broader goals around safer streets and promoting active lifestyles.

Subi Streets is a City‑wide initiative unlike any transport planning project we’ve undertaken before. It’s about creating a long-term blueprint (to be implemented over the next decade and beyond) for how every street and laneway in the City of Subiaco looks, feels and functions. This project directly reflects the City’s residents and stakeholders' clear vision for a green, vibrant, welcoming, active and accessible city by putting people first in street design.

For decades, most streets have been designed mainly for cars, prioritising the quick movement and parking of vehicles. This car-centric approach has often come at the expense of people’s comfort, safety and health. By transforming street environments with a people-focused approach, this project aims to create streets and laneways where people enjoy spending time , promote a healthier lifestyle, increase urban greenery and help local shops and cafés thrive.

Absolutely – your voice is essential. The Subi Streets project is being designed with the community, not just for the community. The City will undertake extensive engagement as we develop the Movement and Place Framework, Design Guidelines and Implementation Plan. This means there will be opportunities to have your say through surveys, drop-in sessions, online feedback and other forums as each part of the project takes shape. We want this framework to be truly shaped by the community, so that when it’s rolled out, it feels like your plan for your streets. Keep an eye out for upcoming engagement opportunities. By participating, you can ensure that the final Subi Streets outcomes reflect our collective values and aspirations.

See FAQ ‘How can I get involved?

Movement and Place is an urban planning framework that recognises all streets serve two key roles: Movement (transporting people and goods) and Place (providing a space for community life).

‘Movement’ refers to how a street moves traffic. For example, how efficiently people move by walking, riding their bike or e-scooter, using public transport (buses) or driving motor vehicles. A high-movement street’s objective is to keep people moving safely, whatever mode of movement or transport they’re using, and with minimal delay (think of a main road at peak hour).

‘Place’ refers to the street’s value as a destination and public space; essentially, how much people want to be on that street for purposes other than passing through. A high-place street might be a vibrant shopping strip, café-lined laneway or neighbourhood street where people stroll, meet, sit or play, meaning the design should invite people to spend time there.

Traditionally, the ‘movement’ function (especially for cars) has dominated street design. Under the Subi Streets project, we are rebalancing this by prioritising people-friendly places and incorporating the Healthy Streets approach while still accommodating movement needs.

Using Movement and Place and the Healthy Streets approach, Subi Streets will develop three key documents that together will guide transport and public realm decisions for the next decade and beyond. These include:

1. Movement and Place Framework
2. Design Guidelines
3. Implementation Framework.

Healthy Streets is an evidence-based, people-focused approach to designing city streets that puts community health and wellbeing at the heart of decision-making. It complements Movement and Place by focusing on the human experience of the street.

Developed by public health and transport expert Lucy Saunders, the Healthy Streets approach outlines 10 key indicators of a street that is good for people. The basic idea is that if we make our streets comfortable, safe and interesting for people, however they choose to travel, we improve public health. People are then more likely to have a better experience walking or riding, socialising with neighbours and generally feel happier and more connected to the community.

The Healthy Streets approach is a human-centred framework that embeds public health objectives into transport and urban design, so that every decision about a road or footpath is also seen as an opportunity to improve people’s quality of life.

You can watch this explainer video [takes you to You Tube] or visit www.healthystreets.com for more information.

Subi Streets will bring together all the City’s street-related considerations into one holistic plan to be implemented gradually over time. As each street comes up for upgrade or maintenance, or as funding becomes available for improvements, the City will refer to the Subi Streets Movement and Place Framework, Design Guidelines and Implementation Framework to guide and implement changes accordingly.

Right now, decisions about streets, such as where to add a crossing or what paving to use in a footpath, are generally made case by case. Subi Streets will provide a clear vision and holistic plan to help make the outcomes more consistent across the City. This means that over time, you’ll notice the City’s streets developing a more unified, people-friendly character.

Integral to the success of Subi Streets is preserving and enhancing the City’s distinctive cultural and heritage themes. Our community’s heritage spans from the deep cultural connections of the Whadjuk Noongar people who have cared for this land for thousands of years, to the European-Australian built heritage, such as historical buildings, century-old streetscapes and the overall character of older neighbourhoods. Subi Streets will weave this into every decision, ensuring that any changes respect the City’s heritage fabric and honour the cultural narratives that make our community unique.

An ‘Elders First’ approach, led by Karrda, will seek guidance from Noongar Elders at the earliest stages of planning and throughout all stages of the project. By listening to Elders and Traditional Owners first, we ensure that Noongar cultural perspectives and values are woven into the project’s vision from the very beginning. Cultural narratives, including Noongar knowledge of Movement and Place, will directly inform how we design and classify streets. We also plan to celebrate heritage and culture through visible streetscape design elements. By incorporating these elements, walking down a City street in the future may be both a visual and educational experience, with subtle cues that remind us of who walked here before, what the area was like in years past, and why it’s special today.

Subi Streets builds on a strong foundation of community engagement and strategic planning that the City has completed over the years. It’s informed by what our community has already told us through various plans, workshops and surveys. 

Community priorities like accessibility, shade (tree canopy) and social connection have been considered and will inform planning. The City has listened to community feedback over the years and used it to shape the objectives of Subi Streets, ensuring the project’s goals align with what the community wants for their city.

The project is a collaborative effort led by the City of Subiaco in partnership with Stantec, 361 Degrees Strategic Engagement and Communications and Karrda. 

Importantly, the community will be engaged and involved in shaping Subi Streets alongside the official project team to ensure the project outcome reflects everyone’s values and aspirations.  

There will be a range of opportunities for you to have your say throughout the project, so if you’re interested in being involved, be sure to:

• Visit Have Your Say Subiaco and register to receive project updates
• Subscribe to the Subiaco Snapshot e-newsletter
• Follow us on:
  1. Facebook
  2. Instagram
  3. LinkedIn

Current opportunities include:

• Complete a survey: The survey takes just 10 minutes to complete and will close at 5pm, Monday 26 May 2025. If you would prefer a hard copy of the survey, please contact the City via engagement@subiaco.wa.gov.au  or 9237 9222.
• Apply to join the Subi Streets Community Reference Group: Help shape the project from day one through to delivery. We’re seeking a mix of residents, business owners and visitors who care about creating safer, greener streets for everyone.  For more information, please refer to the Terms of Reference and submit an Expression of Interest Form to apply for the group. Submissions close at 5pm Sunday 6 July 2025. If you would prefer a hard copy of these documents, please contact the City via engagement@subiaco.wa.gov.au or 9237 9222.
• Visit a listening post: Keep an eye out for information about listening posts where you can drop by to chat with the project team and share your thoughts in person.  Upcoming:
  • Subi Farmers Market Saturday 14 June 2025, between 8am and 12pm. 

The process of preparing the Movement and Place Framework, Design Guidelines and Implementation Framework is expected to take up to two years:

1. Early to mid 2025 – Community and stakeholder engagement to determine project vision and guiding principles
2. Mid 2025 – Prepare draft Movement and Place Framework
3. Mid to late 2025 – Classify streets using the Framework and develop street categories
4. Late 2025 to early 2026 – Prepare Design Guidelines for each street category
5. Mid 2026 – Prepare draft Implementation Framework
6. Mid to late 2026 – Referral of draft Movement and Place Framework, Design Guidelines and Implementation Framework to Council, seeking consent to advertise
7. Late 2026 – Public advertising of draft Movement and Place Framework, Design Guidelines and Implementation Framework
8. Late 2026 – Finalise documents following public advertising
9. Late 2026 – Referral of final draft documents to Council for endorsement

Contact the City directly with any feedback, ideas, concerns or questions – we welcome ongoing conversations even outside formal consultation periods.

• Online feedback form: complete the Subi Streets online survey.
  
• Email: city@subiaco.wa.gov.au(External link) and include ‘Subi Streets’ in the subject line.
• Call: 9237 9222 to ask questions or to organise an appointment with a member of the Strategic Planning team. 
• Mail: address your feedback to the Chief Executive Officer, City of Subiaco, PO Box 270, Subiaco, WA 6904.