‘More seagulls than people’: Nine months after reopening, City Square is a ghost town
Melbourne's redeveloped City Square remains largely deserted nine months after reopening, with vacant retail spaces and a lack of foot traffic. Despite government investment and a 'glow-up' design, the area has struggled to attract visitors.
Why it matters
The failure of a high-profile public space redevelopment highlights challenges in urban planning and post-construction activation in major cities.
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Share A A A A couple sit in the sunshine eating their lunch on a park bench in City Square while two small children chase seagulls along the grey paving stones.
The square opposite the Town Hall reopened nine months ago, but it’s still largely deserted, with the hospitality and retail outlets underneath the Westin Hotel facing the square still vacant and boarded up.
Seagulls rule the roost at the redeveloped City Square. Simon Schluter Temporary fencing cordons off the vacant shops, and a “Retail For Lease” sign advertises them for rent as flagship opportunities with exceptional ground floor options.
Despite a “glow-up” after City Square closed for eight years while the Metro Tunnel was being built, it remains largely unoccupied.
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