This resulting human scale has been further reinforced
through the strategic placement of various benches and
furniture elements, plant pallets and a coordinated use of
colour across the park’s different spaces.
These spaces regularly punctuate the linear park and range
from small focused interventions (for example, revegetation
areas) through to larger activation nodes (including Ross
Reserve Activation Node), with each providing passive
and/or active areas for the community. The type and
distribution of spaces work well and have been seamlessly
integrated into the park’s linear framework through the reuse
of materials such as trusses (used to form seating enclaves),
and the insertion of new and colourful sporting areas and
courts, where, on the day of my visit, I observed numerous
pick-up games of basketball and table tennis underway. It is
a testament to the project’s design and execution that these
areas appear to be consistently used well into the evening.
Accompanying these more intensively programmed areas
are plantings that run the length of the park corridor. What
is particularly appealing about these plantings is that
despite them still being, at the time of my visit, at the stage
of establishing themselves, their effect in the setting is
immediate. Interestingly, Kirsten Bauer, director of Aspect,
explained that the tree planting constraints provided the
opportunity to search for and use a new dwarf tree cultivar,
Corymbia citriodora ‘Scentuous,’ (dwarf lemon-scented gum)
that complemented the site’s existing plantings but whose
height would remain below that of the rail viaduct. These
new native woodland plantings complement the indigenous
plantings currently on site, and in time will match these
already established areas in terms of scale and, hopefully,
the native fauna they attract.
At the moment, these areas are watered naturally by rain.
A system of rain gardens that run the length of the linear park
also collects rain runoff, allow swater to percolate into the soil
and directs excess runoff into the local stormwater system.
These rain gardens form part of a larger catchment system that
harvests water captured from the overhead railway line and
distributes it via downpipes to swales in the park below.Overall, my biggest concern for this project relates to
maintenance; I assume this is in the hands of the various
councils along the length of the project. When walking through
the project during the day, for instance, I could already see
weeds taking root in some of the more prominent areas of the
new plantings and rain gardens. If not kept in check these will
challenge the design integrity of the project. At night when I
strolled through the linear park, several of the overhead features
intended to light up the Djerring Trail walking and cycling path
were not functioning. The lack of light in these specific areas
made me feel quite uncomfortable.Putting aside these concerns, which are largely outside the
design team’s control, Aspect Studios has done a remarkable job
of managing and integrating the concerns of the project’s large
number of stakeholders. The end result is a series of hard and
soft-scaped spaces that present a casual but inviting feel and
offer open space for both resident communities along the rail
line and casual commuters disembarking at the station.
The Caulfield to Dandenong Level Crossing Removal Project is
an exceptional demonstration of design thinking, visioning and
realization of works. In essence, it is a fantastic outcome for the
local community.03 04P R O J E C T
LANDSCAPE ISSUE 163 028 — 029