An artists impression of how a greened-up Katherine Place will look.Credit:Melbourne City Council
Also having the green treatment are Katherine Place,Guildford Lane and Coromandel Place.
The lanes were selected by council-appointed engineers,sustainability experts and landscape architects from 800 public nominations made after the plan was floated in March.
An artists impression of a plated-out Guildford Lane.Credit:Melbourne City Council
The city council mapped the amount of sunlight each lane received,measured their exposure to wind,and looked at precisely how they were used,before selecting them for greening.
Denis Sabbadini is the proprietor of the Waiters Restaurant in Meyers Place.
An artists impression of Coromandel Place.Credit:Melbourne City Council
He said closing the lane temporarily and greening it would let people see the potential of planting it out.
His business has witnessed the evolution of the lane,from an empty thoroughfare for deliveries into a place where people could enjoy excellent wine and food.
He said this latest project was a way Meyers Place could continue to evolve.
The greenery and extra seating would help people"feel even more at home in the laneway",he said.
The city's newly re-elected lord mayor,Robert Doyle,said the draft concepts showed that the city's lanes could be invigorated using planter boxes,vertical gardens,climbing plants and trees.
"We can add another layer"to the laneways'attraction,he said,by"making them green and therefore more efficient at cooling the city,intercepting and cleaning stormwater,and improving air quality".
Cr Doyle said the plan was for Guildford Lane to become a leafy refuge from the city,with climbing plants and pots complementing the lane's brick warehouses.
"They're also considering a community garden for residents and a series of innovative'drain-gardens'to capture rainwater."
In Coromandel Place,residents and business owners who are taking part in the trial program want to make their lane more inviting,with seats,planter boxes,green walls and art installations.
Katherine Place near Southern Cross Station may get trees to make it into a miniature boulevard,complete with ivy-covered archway.
The council is launching the draft plan on Thursday with the greening of Meyers Place,culminating in a gardening workshop next Saturday,November 12,from 2pm.