The city of Melbourne, Australia has launched an online ‘Neighborhood Portals’ program to facilitate the spread of information and promote community engagement. The interactive portals in each distinct community within the city will feature the latest local news and information and connect community members with the city council.
The initiative is part of the City of Melbourne’s Neighbourhood Model – which is designed to help the council connect with, understand, and respond to individual communities across the city.
The portals will feature:
- an overview of each neighborhood, including facts and figures about the area;
- an acknowledgement of Traditional Owners and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung places of significance with an interactive map;
- a list of local priorities, community feedback, and council plans in action ; and
- community news.
The portals can be seen at Participate Melbourne.
The city council is also launching a ‘Connected Neighborhoods’ program, which will offer grants of up to AUS $2,000 (~US $1390) to support projects that benefit the local areas.
“The neighborhoods in the City of Melbourne are unique, each with their own identity, priorities and aspirations. That’s why we’ve implemented a place-based neighborhood approach to better understand the individual needs and ideas of people across our vibrant municipality,” said Lord Mayor Sally Capp. “We’re proud to further enhance connections within our communities with the launch of our Neighborhood Portals, which will be a hub for local information, updates on council plans in action and good news stories from the local area. We look forward to working closely with Melburnians through our Neighborhood Partners to bring their needs and ideas into fruition.”