Caulfield to Bentleigh and Elsternwick online info session: Phase 2: Draft Maps

Caulfield–Bentleigh & Elsternwick Activity Centres

Phase 2 Draft Maps – Key Takeaways

SELA Studio recently attended the Victorian Government’s online session on the draft structure plans for Caulfield to Bentleigh and Elsternwick. This phase signals a clear shift in how these centres will be planned and delivered.

What’s Changing

Density is coming
Medium to high-density housing is being concentrated around train stations, with clear transition zones into surrounding neighbourhoods.

Activity centres = integrated systems
Planning is moving beyond zoning. Transport, housing, public realm and services are being treated as a coordinated urban system.

Public realm is under pressure
With limited new open space, more will need to be delivered through streetscapes and private development. Tree canopy, microclimate and interface design are becoming critical.

Controls still evolving
Heights and built form are indicated, but not locked in. There’s still an opportunity for design-led input.

Delivery will be development-led
Much of the uplift, especially landscape and public realm, will sit within private projects and planning approvals.

What This Means

• Early-stage input is becoming essential

• Landscape needs to be embedded in feasibility, not added later

• Coordination between planning, architecture and landscape is critical

SELA Perspective

Landscape is no longer a finishing layer, it’s becoming core project infrastructure.

SELA Studio is working with clients to navigate these changes through early advice, design strategy and delivery-focused documentation.