Enabling future impact assessment of Melbourne’s expanding rail infrastructure

Leveraging infrastructure investments to improve the public realm

Like many large-scale transport projects, measuring impact is essential to defining the success of major investments. With Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) now under construction, the Suburban Rail Loop Authority is focused on ensuring that the neighborhoods around new stations grow into vibrant, thriving communities.

To support this vision, Gehl conducted an Urban Baseline Study — collecting and analyzing data from the six initial station precincts to establish benchmarks before infrastructure is implemented. These benchmarks will help measure the impact of the SRL over time. The study lays the foundation for future, comparable data collection by documenting a variety of data sets including demographic shifts, changes in public life patterns, user profiles, and the quality, quantity, and typology of public spaces. In doing so, it indirectly defines success criteria to be revisited in future evaluations.

The study focuses at precinct profiles, public space assessments, and public life surveys. Precinct profiles draw on existing socio-demographic and environmental data, such as amenities, land use, and tree canopy coverage. Public space assessments include field observations on walkability, perceived safety, and Gehl’s 12 Quality Criteria. To evaluate public life, additional on-site, eye-level data was gathered using Gehl’s methods. All data was compiled in a live dashboard, allowing for cross-comparisons across data sets and precincts — providing a powerful tool for shaping human-centered development.