Merri-bek and Kingston City Councils have launched a national guide & toolkit to help local councils across Australia create healthier, happier open streets around schools.
Pioneered in 2021 in Merri-bek, the Open Streets initiative creates temporary car-free spaces around schools during drop-off and pick-up times. A simple idea with powerful results, Open Streets transforms busy school streets into safer, more welcoming places for active travel, play and community connection.
Developed from five years of experience delivering over 120 Open Streets days, the School Open Streets Guide and Toolkit for Australian Local Governments provides practical guidance, templates and proven approaches from both Merri-bek and Kingston councils.
This resource is designed to support councils regardless of their level of experience, from those exploring the Open Streets concept for the first time through to those looking to build longevity into existing Open Streets pilots.
Parents and school communities will also find the guide helpful in building community and council support to bring Open Streets to your local school.
The guide is made up of three core parts:
- Council-led Open Streets – provides step-by-step guidance for councils and schools establishing and delivering their first Open Streets initiative.
- School-led Open Streets – supports councils to then transition to an ongoing model managed by volunteers, empowering schools and local communities to deliver Open Streets as regular initiatives.
- Templates – providing Merri-bek & Kingston example collateral of everything needed to support delivery – including draft letters, signage, webpages, surveys and much more.
Council officers are supported with planning timelines, indicative costs, implementation considerations, case studies and ready-to-use templates that can be adapted to local contexts.
Designed as an interactive digital resource, users can easily navigate between relevant steps, templates and links within the digital version.
Download the free guide & toolkit to start creating healthier, happier streets near schools today!
Download the School Open Streets Guide & Toolkit
To help us track the impact and reach of the guide, we kindly ask you not to redistribute this guide other than by sharing this link.
