Werribee is growing as a mixed-use city centre that supports residential, commercial, social, educational and civic functions. As the Werribee City Centre continues to grow, it is important that it retains a sense of place. This means having a strong identity and character that is deeply felt by locals and visitors. This identity is made up of many things, such as natural features, built form, art, attractions, indigenous and post-settlement heritage, stories, histories and experiences. The design of the City Centre should be highly identifiable as Werribee. It should reflect and celebrate the diverse culture, history and environs of Werribee.

A quality common to all vibrant city centres is diverse public life, which is nurtured by a wide range of activities and functions. Werribee is growing as a mixed-use city centre that supports residential, commercial and civic functions. An important principle is providing well-designed streetscapes and infrastructure to support and promote diverse public life that will make Werribee a vibrant city centre.

Vibrant city centres are easy and attractive places for people of all abilities to move around by foot, bicycle, public transport and vehicles. They are DDA compliant. They put people first but also support well managed vehicle movement. They are connected strongly to their surroundings and encourage people to be active. In addition to these physical qualities, vibrant city centres are also digitally connected and accessible through smart technology.

Vibrant city centres have streetscapes which attract people, business and jobs. Well designed, multi-modal streetscapes create environments that entice people to stay and spend time, generating higher revenues for businesses. The Streetscape Framework is designed to improve the quality of streetscapes for people and thereby improve the vitality and success of commerce in the City Centre.

Well designed, safe and welcoming streetscapes encourage communities to connect, communicate and interact. This creates healthy communities and people. Werribee has an excellent climate for public life all year round. By creating comfortable, healthy and safe streetscapes, public life in Werribee can flourish. The design of streetscapes should invite people in, by being easy to access, and encourage them to stay, by being comfortable, interesting, safe and vibrant.

There is an urgent need to redesign our cities to become more environmentally sustainable. Reducing heat island effect, increasing canopy cover, minimising pollution, effectively using storm water and filtering run-off into the river are important in achieving this. A pedestrian/bicycle-friendly and public transit-oriented city centre will reduce energy consumption and create a more sustainable centre that supports both people and the environment. The Streetscape Framework is designed to make the Werribee City Centre more environmentally sustainable.

Successful city centres must be highly functional and serviceable to support city life. By incorporating functionality and durability, smart and modern streetscapes can be more affordable and efficient to maintain to high standards of presentation, safety and access. By providing well-designed, well-constructed, well-managed streetscapes, pride and ownership will be felt amongst stakeholders and the community.

Successful and sustainable city centres are flexible and adaptive. They are able to respond to new needs and opportunities as they arise. The Streetscape Framework is designed to position Werribee as a progressive 21st century city that supports changing needs into the future.