The focus of the Woodstock – Salt River Revitalisation Framework was on how to reinforce the environment as an “efficient and qualitative living environment”. Therefore, a holistic debate on inner city revitalisation had to move beyond issues of historic character, clean ups, crime and grime and respond to a range of more complex social and environmental issues. An extensive participation exercise allowed a wide range of views to be expressed that informed the analysis and outcomes.

The Framework put forward a broad strategic vision for the regeneration of the area. The vision was translated into a set of strategies and concrete proposals. Proposals included urban design interventions within public precincts with opportunities for historic preservation, the restoring of key public spaces and the reinforcement of economic opportunities associated with historic and cultural public spaces and main routes or corridors. The framework concluded with a spatial, social, economic and management strategy that comprised of bite-size projects that were sufficiently practical for community-based organizations to implement and sustain with limited funding and resources.

At the outset and throughout the process, the question of “an efficient and qualitative living environment” formed the basis of analysis for this strategic framework. The challenge was to address issues of quality and efficiency in a context of extreme diversity, living patterns and standards.