The city of Stonnington in Melbourne's inner south-east takes in some of Melbourne's finest suburbs. Yet proximity to the CBD has its tradeoffs and open space is at a premium.
To address this shortage, Council has embarked on its biggest-ever capital works project to transform a huge car park in Cato Street, Prahran, into a world-class urban park.
Following a competitive pitch, Council appointed Icon Agency to design and execute an extensive community engagement and public relations program to launch Cato Square. Icon's brief was to engage residents, traders and stakeholders early and often, with the ultimate objective being the project's successful implementation. Generating positive community sentiment ahead of construction was paramount.
Icon's solution included creating a dedicated 'project hub' adjacent to the Cato Square site to serve as a physical HQ for community engagement and ongoing communications. A media and stakeholder communications program was rolled out, resulting in extensive positive earned media.
Our focus was to position Cato Square as a positive addition to the local community whilst ensuring that stakeholders felt listened to and supported. Alongside our engagement partners Capire Consulting Group, Icon also facilitated community engagement forums, held an on-site launch event, and designed the hub fit-out.
See a full overview of the project here.
