Bakery Hill and Bridge Mall Urban Renewal Precinct

Bakery Hill has always been a meeting place. A place where geologies and waterways, people and cultures converge.

The reimagining of Bakery Hill on Wadawurrung Country in Ballarat seeks to restore its function as the city’s meeting place. Its renewal draws on Ballarat’s history as a place for discovery, a place where old meets new and stories are uncovered. A place to continually explore, to come back to.

Working closely with the City of Ballarat, Hassell led the redesign of the precinct through a highly collaborative process with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners and the broader community. This collaboration embedded First Nations knowledge systems throughout, such as highlighting the Yarrowee River that now runs beneath the precinct and subtly integrating outdoor furniture in a way that reflects traditional gathering places.

Our breakthrough shared street model allows vehicle access while prioritising pedestrians. Reconfiguring one of the main thoroughfares, Grenville Street reclaimed 1,500m² of public space as a verdant green link. 

Dedicated gathering, play, dining and resting spaces are woven throughout Bridge Mall to encourage people to slow down and linger longer. The introduction of over 50 new native trees will help to cool the urban environment through increased shade and support local ecosystems by attracting native birds and insects.

This public realm transformation is the first phase in Bakery Hill’s evolution, driving remarkable change. Retail vacancies have already been reduced by almost 70%. The precinct, with Bridge Street at its heart, is now a renewed civic and gathering space, demonstrating how thoughtful design can revive regional destinations within a cultural landscape.