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Cities are defined by people. They are defined by the ways in which we live and work, move from place to place, and interact with each other. That is why - as we change - our cities need to adapt.

Vibrant cities evolve by addressing the changing and growing needs of the people they serve, and endure by retaining the characteristics that initially attracted people to them.

Melbourne 2030: Planning for Sustainable Growth
In 2002, the Victorian Government released the metropolitan strategy, Melbourne 2030: Planning for Sustainable Growth, which established an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) around Melbourne. The UGB was designed to:

• Direct urban growth to areas where appropriate infrastructure and services can be supplied.
• Protect valuable peri-urban land and environmental features from urban development pressures.

The UGB surrounds the urban areas of metropolitan Melbourne and has been reviewed periodically to address population growth and infrastructure needs.

Expanding the Urban Growth Boundary
In 2010, following the release of Melbourne @ 5 Million, the UGB was reviewed to accommodate an additional 600,000 new dwellings, with 284,000 allocated to growth areas, primarily in the north and west of Melbourne. The expansion included:

• Rigorous environmental studies to manage and protect natural features and species.
• Provisions for future transport corridors.

In 2012, an independent Advisory Committee recommended approximately 6,000 hectares of 'logical inclusions' to the UGB. The current UGB was reaffirmed in Plan Melbourne 2017-2050, and changes to it now require a majority vote in both houses of Parliament.

Plan Melbourne 2017-2050
Plan Melbourne is a metropolitan planning strategy shaping the city’s and state’s future over 35 years. It integrates long-term land use, infrastructure, and transport planning, focusing on distinctiveness, liveability, and sustainability. The plan includes:

• 9 principles to guide policies and actions.
• 7 outcomes for a competitive, liveable, and sustainable city.
• 32 directions to achieve these outcomes.
• 90 policies detailing actionable steps.

Additionally, a 5-year implementation plan outlines 112 actions for near-term progress.

Future Planning Framework
Since 2017, local councils have collaborated on Melbourne’s Future Planning Framework, including six draft land use framework plans for metropolitan regions. As part of Plan Melbourne 2017-2050, these plans address:

• Productivity
• Housing choice
• Integrated transport
• Liveability
• Strong communities
• Sustainability and resilience

The 30-year vision aims to shape population and industry growth, inform service and infrastructure planning, guide investments (e.g., Suburban Rail Loop), protect regional distinctiveness, and improve environmental resilience.