City of Greater Geelong: From Lowest Rated to Most Improved – Revitalising Little Malop Street

Client: City of Greater Geelong, VIC | Project timeframe: 2019 – 2020

The problem

In 2019, the City of Greater Geelong set out to understand how its main streets were truly performing from the community’s perspective.

When the results were compiled, one finding was clear: Little Malop Street pedestrian mall received the lowest Place Experience (PX) score across more than a dozen assessed locations. The street was central, visible, and full of potential – yet underperforming. Until then, discussions about improvement had relied largely on perception. The data created a turning point. Instead of asking whether change was needed, Council could now focus on how to intervene strategically and measure impact with confidence.

The solution

Place Score delivered structured Place Experience reporting to establish the “before” position for Little Malop Street in 2019. The assessment identified specific gaps in how the street was experienced and benchmarked it against other locations across the LGA. Using this evidence, Council implemented targeted upgrades and activation initiatives aligned to the issues identified.

Twelve months later, in 2020, Place Score returned to undertake the same Place Experience reporting methodology, creating a true “before and after” comparison using consistent metrics.

The outcome

The 12-month review recorded a 47% uplift in Little Malop Street’s Place Experience (PX) score – the largest improvement across all streets measured. By establishing a baseline and committing to a structured review, the City of Greater Geelong was able to quantify impact, demonstrate return on investment, and validate its revitalisation strategy with measurable evidence.

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