Arden

Plan for Victoria sets a clear, state-wide vision for how Victoria will grow over time. A Victoria that is inclusive, liveable, sustainable, prosperous and enriching.

The Arden Precinct is one of fifteen Priority Precincts where the Victorian Government is planning transformational change to deliver new jobs and homes.

Just two kilometres from the centre of Melbourne’s CBD, the Arden Precinct presents a landmark urban renewal opportunity in an accessible and vibrant part of central Melbourne. The precinct is aiming to home around 20,000 people by 2051.

Just two minutes by train from Parkville’s hospitals, universities, and research institutes, and two stops from Melbourne CBD, Arden is ideally placed to deliver quality and affordable housing for a broad range of residents.

The future for Arden was established in the Arden Vision (2018)(opens in a new window), which identified 8 key directions for the precinct:

Transforming Arden into a landmark destination
Designing a distinctive place
Embedding sustainable change
Accommodating diverse communities
Prioritising active transport
Investing in community infrastructure
Celebrating water
Creating diverse open spaces

Arden Central

Development Victoria and the Department of Transport and Planning are delivering the urban renewal of the Victorian Government’s landholding in the Arden Precinct, known as Arden Central, which is approximately 12 hectares of land located around the new Arden Metro station.

For the latest information, please visit https://www.development.vic.gov.au/projects/arden(opens in a new window).

Arden Vision

Arden will be a new destination for Melbourne, setting the standard for urban renewal. It will contribute to a future Melbourne that is both the world’s most liveable and most forward-looking city.

The precinct will have its own civic heart and character. It will remain connected to its First Nations and industrial heritage as it changes to support a diverse resident and worker population. It will become a new neighbourhood in Melbourne, with quality and affordable housing, a thriving network of open spaces, active transport connections and adaptable community facilities, schools and workspaces.

Arden will be at the forefront for sustainable development, embracing new ways to live, learn, work and travel in an energy efficient district. Water will be safely managed to become a visible feature in the landscape, while green spaces, trees and water will help the precinct become a cooler, greener version of the city.

The Moonee Ponds Creek corridor will be revitalised as a new green spine for Melbourne. It will be a celebrated waterway, valued for its environmental and cultural heritage, and serving as a recreational space biodiversity habitat and active transport functions. The creek corridor will be an essential link for Arden and neighbouring urban renewal precincts.

Partnership with all levels of government, the community and the private sector will deliver the eight key directions that support the vision for Arden.

Precinct projects

Arden Vision 2018(opens in a new window)

Arden Structure Plan - July 2022(opens in a new window)

Planning Scheme Amendment (C407melb)(opens in a new window)

Metro Tunnel Project and Arden Station(opens in a new window)

Frequently asked questions

The precinct and surrounding area are expected to support up to 34,000 jobs by 2051, just two minutes by train from Parkville’s hospitals, universities and research institutes.
These include bio-medical, health sciences and education employment as new industries and businesses invest into the precinct as well as construction jobs resulting from development of new infrastructure and neighbourhoods.
The Arden Development Contributions Plan provides a framework for the funding and delivery of over $400 million of critical community infrastructure to support the future Arden community.
The Victorian Government has heavily invested in the precinct with new city-shaping projects, including the new Arden Station as part of the Metro Tunnel Project.
Separately, the Arden Drainage Infrastructure Development Contributions Plan Overlay (DCPO4) provides an interim mechanism to collect levies for critical drainage infrastructure, while a permanent mechanism is being prepared by the Victorian Government in collaboration with Melbourne Water and the City of Melbourne.
The Planning Scheme Amendment C407 includes a Public Acquisition Overlay to be applied to a small number of landholdings necessary for essential flood management works, including drainage, to create the proposed street network, provide open space, and other critical public infrastructure works.
The Department of Transport and Planning is working closely with businesses/organisations required to relocate to accommodate these works and will endeavour to facilitate and support them throughout this process to minimise impacts on business operations where possible.
Our plans for the Arden Precinct have been shaped by the insights and priorities of the Arden local community and a broad range of other stakeholders.
The Victorian Government engaged the community on the Draft Arden Vision & Framework in 2016, the Draft Arden Structure Plan in 2020 and on the draft planning scheme amendment in 2021.
The draft planning scheme amendment was also referred an independent Standing Advisory Committee. This process provided all submitters with the opportunity to have their submissions heard through public hearings in 2022.

Got a question?

Email the team at precincts@transport.vic.gov.au to find out more about the precinct.

Transport

Updated 10 June 2026