Two opposing articles about Prahran Square came out in the Age in February with a lot of emotionally charged language: Prahran Square is nightmarish of garishness, zing and glitz, by Norman Day and Prahran Square is Paradise over a Parking Lot by Carey Lyon (Lyons Architects).

The Norman Day perspective suggests this public space, which has been open since December 2019, lacks taste, is not cohesive and does not generate its own activity given there are no cafes to attract passers-by.

In response, Carey Lyons, who had a key role in the design of the Square, outlines that the design emphasizes “human amenity, inclusivity, walkability, flexibility, and sustainability.”

The Keen Planning team went on an excursion to Prahran Square a couple of weeks ago to make up our own minds.

What struck us the most as planners was that the square offers many hidden gems that are revealed upon exploration: there are pathways and play equipment around corners waiting to be discovered and the Prahran Square Library provides a community facility and a destination at the north end of the Square.

We could see people using the Square in a number of ways and given it was Friday lunchtime there were many people enjoying an outdoor lunch on the sloping lawn.

A number of our team members have also visited Prahran Square to participate in events and the consensus is that it is a welcoming and lively public space.

We say that Prahran Square is a success however we can also see that it is going to evolve as the trees and vegetation matures and the architecture begins to mellow with age and show the signs of being well loved.