Case Studies
Dandenong’s Afghan Bazaar

Design Feature

Type of project
Placemaking
State
Victoria
Location
Urban
Dandenong’s highly acclaimed Afghan Bazaar Cultural Precinct is recognised as one of Melbourne’s prominent cultural precincts, highlighting the cultural, social and economic contribution of Afghan communities in Australia. After extensive consultation with a broad range of precinct stakeholders, a clear vision with aspirations and ideas for the precinct emerged into a Design Framework. This framework has been used to inform a multimillion dollar staged streetscape enhancement project which has attracted government funding and wide acclaim.
Facilitating community integration
In July 2010, the City of Greater Dandenong was successful in securing funding from the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship under the Cultural Precincts and Community Infrastructure Fund, for streetscape enhancements in the Afghan Bazaar Cultural Precinct in Thomas Street, Dandenong. In 2011, Council engaged Sinatra Murphy P/L, to consult with key stakeholders that work, visit, and are serviced by the Afghan Bazaar Cultural Precinct and openly invited ideas and input into the precinct as part of a pre-design dialogue and project scoping exercise. This community conversation phase resulted in a Design Framework with four major design elements directly informed by the ideas and aspirations of the community.
In 2012, Hassell Studios was appointed as the design team to develop a concept in direct response to the Design Framework. Hassell’s creative response to the design elements has become a signature of the streetscapes transformation.

In March 2014, joint funding totalling $1.1 million from the City of Greater Dandenong and the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship saw Stage 1 of the project completed and launched by the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. 
Stage 2 works were funded by the City of Greater Dandenong and completed in early 2016 continuing the signature design elements along the eastern side of Thomas Street. The streetscape improvements generate a sense of place via the incorporation of new paving with contemporary cultural patterns, bespoke street furniture, landscaping, street and decorative lighting and an integrated artistic centrepiece by artist Aslam Akram called ‘Lamp’. The project has propelled positive relationships between community and Council; elevated the precincts visitor appeal; and contributed to attracting attention from high profile food editors and events.
Project team
  • City of Greater Dandenong
  • State Government through the Office Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship
  • Sinatra Murphy P/L
  • Hassell Studios
  • Aslam Akram – Artist
  • Big Fish Workshop P/L

Project Cost
$1.1 Million
Health value
  • The UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) recognises the importance of socio-cultural dimensions in the complex and gradual process of people integrating locally and finding a place in their new home - a matter closely associated with mental health and wellbeing. This project offers health value by positively facilitating integration among the community.
  • In a global context, the Afghan Bazaar Cultural Precinct is a humble project, but it has strong links to events in Afghanistan and has revealed a social complexity connected to at least 250 years of ethnic tension which needed to guide the design process to deliver a streetscape strategy that would be embraced by the whole community.
  • In the context of people seeking refuge from their countries of origin, something that has helped shape, and will continue to shape, Dandenong’s contemporary cultural demographic this project is an example of how design can be a medium to support people integrating into a new community confidently.

Economic value
  • The Central Dandenong Consumer Survey (2014) identified the significant value in shop front presentation and how this translates to the local economy. Almost 70% of survey respondents placed presentation of the precinct or shopfront as a ‘very important’ to ‘extremely important’ factor informing shopping choices, and was subsequently identified as a key motivator for office worker spending before/after work and during lunch breaks.
  • In response to these findings, a Business Identification and Shopfront Improvement Project was developed with the aim of leveraging the significant investment in the public realm and to engage property owners and tenants in reinforcing the unique sense of place that has been created. The Afghan Bazaar Cultural Precinct’s contribution to improving the streetscape has therefore enhanced the area’s economic value.

Environmental Value
  • The project resulted in the removal of overhead powerlines and electricity poles which were relocated underground. Powerline relocation improves the street aesthetic and better secures electrical and telecommunication assets. This enhancement provided the conditions for a leafy streetscape and increased tree canopy.
  • New and more energy efficient lighting equipment was additionally incorporated to reduce the ongoing energy costs associated with street lighting.

Social value
  • The thorough consultation methods used throughout the process reinforced the social and cultural value inherent in the precinct. The Afghan community engaged with Council, consultants, state government and other community leaders about the area that significantly impacted their day-to-day lives.
  • The precinct is a high impact, highly used space where the Afghan community feel at home in their surrounds and welcomed by the investment that has been undertaken.
  • Attention in the design phase was directed to ensuring that the street offered spaces that provide social seating opportunities where people can connect and feel a sense of inclusion in the daily life of the community.

Use value
  • The Afghan Bazaar Cultural Precinct is a public open space that sustains high level use and visitation by local Afghan communities from the south east region of Melbourne and more broadly from across all of Victoria.
  • The precinct has hosted satellite events connected to the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival and been featured on mainstream TV through programs such as Coxy’s Big Break.
  • The Afghan Bazaar Cultural precinct continues to play host to organised cultural tours with a friendly and professional guide who leads tour participants to speciality shops, and introduces Afghanistan’s long history with Australia.
  • Delicious food samples are part of the experience which ends with a delicious meal in a local Afghan restaurant.

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