Avondale Heights Community Programs
Co-designing local events to foster connection, inclusion and place-based creativity
The challenge
AvondaleHeights is one of Moonee Valley’s most culturally diverse neighbourhoods, witha strong base of local facilities, abundant open space, and a vibrant mix ofyoung families and older residents. Despite this, community cohesion andparticipation in local life had been impacted by the pandemic, and Council waslooking to reinvigorate civic life through a series of place-based programs andevents.
The challenge was to design a flexible programthat responded to local needs, leveraged existing community assets, and empowered residents to take part in shaping their neighbourhood—all while aligning with the vision and objectives of MV2040.
What we did
CoFutures ,in partnership with placemaking studio Localite, prepared a detailed proposal to design and deliver a community-led suite of programs in Avondale Heights.Our approach focused on collaboration, creativity and responsiveness, and included:
- Analysing local demographic and cultural data to understand needs, preferences and participation trends.
- Mapping existing community assets and potential program venues, including the Avondale Heights Library and Learning Centre, Early YearsCentre, and local parks and pavilions.
- Offering Council two tailored approaches to program development:
- Approach A: Internal ideation workshops with Council to rapidly generate and shortlist program options.
- Approach B: Establishment of a Community Champions Panel toco-design and shortlist programs through a more participatory and place-based process.
- Designing flexible packages to support program delivery—covering event preparation, communications and promotion, on-the-ground coordination, and evaluation.
- Embedding an evaluation and engagement reporting framework to capture outcomes, lessons learned and future recommendations.
Outcomes
The Avondale Heights Community Programs initiative provides Council with a scalable and community-informed model for local activation. By aligning events and programs with community needs and local assets, the project aims to foster stronger connections, support wellbeing, and build community wealth. The implementation plan and support packages offer a ready-to-go framework for piloting and evaluating a suite of local programs through 2024–25 and beyond.
