Project purpose

The HOMIFY initiative started in June 2020 as a way to reimagine four ‘everyday’ open public spaces and the surrounding streets and plazas in Sydney Olympic Park. The project was a partnership with Street Furniture Australia and CM+ Architecture.

A diverse number of outcomes were developed directly in response to community and stakeholder feedback. We are now seeking community feedback on the project and its outcomes.

Scroll down to Have Your Say section to provide your feedback on the project. Consultation closes Friday 31 December 2021.

Please use the “+ FOLLOW” button at the top of this project page if you wish to be kept informed on the project outcomes and updates.

Project background

HOMIFY is a made up word. It stands for "creating a sense of home in our everyday public spaces...."

HOMIFY was a response to a key community feedback of adding colour, vibrancy and experiences to our everyday local spaces. It aims to attract more people outdoors, to relax and socialise, and to feel ‘at home’ in Sydney Olympic Park. Lessons learnt from the experiment can also be used to elevate everyday experiences in other areas of the Park.

As part of this project four local spaces in the Sydney Olympic Town Centre were identified as activation opportunities. Then Sydney Olympic Park Authority in partnership with Street Furniture Australia and CM+ Architecture embarked on a human- centred design process to identify community ideas for these places.

Map showing location of the 4 Homify sites; Jacaranda Square, Stockroute Park & Laneway, Pop-Up Park & Pullman Link, and a photo from each location showing the area.

Community engagement

Discovery Process

A 10-week human-centred discovery and research phase began in June 2020 with posters, postcards and digital tools used to inform and engage the community. See community participation page for more information.

Through this process, the community and stakeholders were deeply engaged through a number of innovative ways to establish their needs, aspirations and inspirations. This included:

  • Online discovery workshops
  • Empathy interviews
  • Site observation visits
  • Surveys

The community and stakeholders were informed of the project through various channels:

  • Posters across the town centre and in the residential towers
  • Retailer newsletters
  • Community notices
  • Online surveys

Community participation in the engagement involved:

  • 30 onsite interviews with retailers and residents
  • 70 responses to the community survey
  • Nearly 100 stakeholders participating in online discovery and co-design workshops.
  • The feedback was added to the ongoing feedback from 2019 and 2020.

Community also participated in the creative activations which were undertaken as a result of the engagement outcomes. For more information on this please see the Homify creative activations.

Discovery findings

Key community priorities identified through the HOMIFY Discovery process are summarised below. For more information download the HOMIFY Discovery report and visit the project image gallery and video gallery.

Experiences

  • Welcoming places that attract and surprise
  • Small regular events, markets and live music
  • Places to meet and work, small and intimate spaces
  • Places for exercisers, cyclists and dog-walkers
  • Vibrant laneways with colour and discovery experiences
  • Interesting food and cultural experiences
  • Safe place for kids and families

Asset improvements

  • Welcome signs with site names
  • Variety of comfortable outdoor seating and furniture
  • Community event infrastructure
  • Community noticeboard
  • Public and Community art
  • Adult and kids outdoor play
  • Mood, experiential, festive lighting

Other improvements

  • Diversity of parking options
  • Diversity of retail and outdoor dining
  • Improved wayfinding and place identity
  • Accessible and affordable community facilities and meeting rooms

Discovery photos

Outcomes

The project has resulted in a number of outcomes.

  • Rings of experience framework*

    A rings of experience framework was developed for the town centre creating distinct identities and outcomes for each of the four sites.

    Note: These are ideas only and should not be taken as confirmed plans for the future of these sites.

    For more information see 

  • Experience infographics*

    Experience infographics were developed for each of the four sites to capture the key community priorities.

    Note: These are ideas only and should not be taken as confirmed plans for the future of these sites.

    For more information see 

  • Concept designs *

    Indicative concept designs and artist impressions for each of the four sites were developed to inspire further planning and ideas.

    Note: These are ideas only and should not be taken as confirmed plans for the future of these sites.

    For more information see 

  • Creative activations program

    Based on the community feedback, experience infographics and artists impressions a number of creative activation projects were initiated that could be delivered quickly to improve the community experience.

    For more information see 

  • Updated events and activation criteria

    The community feedback in the Homify project was used to refine the SOPA Events and Activation Grant Funding goals and criteria, which was then used to activate the park from October 2020 to June 2021.

    For more information on the funded initiatives see 

  • Asset improvements

    Community feedback from the project is being used in planning of asset improvements for these four sites. The first of these include the addition of community amenities in Jacaranda Square, Pop-Up Park and Bicentennial Park.

    For more information see 

Have Your Say

Let us know what did you like about the HOMIFY project. Your feedback will help us to deliver better project outcomes. Please use the “+ FOLLOW” button at the top of this page if you wish to be kept informed of project updates.

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