What should Melbourne be like in 2050?

Rome wasn’t built in a day. It wasn’t built in an election cycle either.

Great cities are built over generations. Each big decision and mighty effort builds on what has come before.

Melbourne finds itself at a historic juncture. We have had some challenging years, a once-in-a-century crisis. Now Melbourne is poised for rapid growth and transformation.

Melbourne is once again the fastest growing city in Australia, and the City of Melbourne was the fastest growing municipality in the country last year.

This change presents big opportunities and big challenges. Growth is not an end point in itself. It must be for a purpose: to create a better city and a better life for those who call it home.

That’s why one of my first actions as Lord Mayor was to call for the biggest gathering Town Hall has ever seen – the Melbourne 2050 Summit.

On May 9, the voices of more than 1000 Melburnians will be asked to answer a big question: “What should Melbourne be like in 2050?”

What are the big ideas, the bold initiatives, that will secure Melbourne’s place in the top league of world cities?

What should our homes, streets, and transport system look like? What sort of jobs will we do? What will Melbourne be famous for? What are the values that we stand for and bind us together as a city?

Everyone in Melbourne is invited to share their ideas.

For those of us of a certain age, 25 years is not that long. Consider what Melbourne was like in 2000. The Bolte Bridge, Docklands Stadium and the new Melbourne Museum had only just opened. There was no Fed Square, ACMI or Eureka Tower. There weren’t many Asian eateries beyond Chinatown. To find our way to them, we needed the Melway. And Melbourne’s population was almost two million fewer than it is today.

2050 is the same length of time away. That poses the challenge: what can we achieve by then?

Here are some ideas. A conversation starter.

What if Melbourne became a city without homelessness? A city where every single person can find a home.

What are the industries where Melbourne can build a competitive advantage and can lead the world?

What if Melbourne was known for its beautiful environment, parks and gardens, clean air, water and food – a city where families can swim in the rivers and waterways, including the Yarra?

How do we build on Melbourne’s reputation as a global sporting and events capital, or as a great education city? How do we take it to the next level?

What will be the values that define the people of Melbourne: freedom, respect, equality, dignity, mateship, a city for all?

All ideas are welcome. All are needed. The Melbourne 2050 Summit is a golden opportunity to cement our place as the world’s best and fairest city for the long term.

Share your big ideas for 2050 at Participate Melbourne.

Please be part of Melbourne’s future. You are invited. •

Nick Reece is the Lord Mayor of Melbourne