The open space network has been developed around four concepts that emphasise the environment, history and people of the place.

‘A Place to Jam’ acknowledges the need for high quality social spaces for the local residents. The pocket parks combine to provide a diversity of configurations and opportunities to encourage locals to meet, to socialise, to play and to ‘Jam’. Bangs park provides a central yoga sized lawn framed by a large curved seat, designed to be used for group gatherings and events and is already popular with the local Jiu Jitsu studio which runs outdoor classes in the park. Mount street park provides a series of linked curved seats, each offering smaller spaces for groups of two or three to pause and chat or play music, whilst looking over the larger ‘frisbee’ sized lawn.

The ‘Urban Art Garden’ concept proposes to combine garden spaces with urban art, like open air galleries to provide relaxing, nurturing spaces to unwind. Art works, supported by City of Stonington enable a changing and locally distinctive Art scene that engages with the local community. Bangs street Park includes a series of murals by Giovanna da Silva using the surrounding walls and the electricity box to create a ‘lounge’ feel.

The ‘Pocket Swamps’ concept integrates Water Sensitive Urban Design throughout the precinct using the parks as overflow points to capture and filter runoff from the surrounding streets whilst reducing flooding. Prahran was originally swamp land, drained to allow rapid development in the 1840s. The ‘Pocket swamps’ are planted with indigenous ‘swamp’ planting palettes that would have once dominated the identity of this area. Bangs park has a rain garden all along the northern edge of the park, this collects and filters water from the adjacent streets.

Local textures have informed the materiality of the design, creating a resonance with the modern and the ancient place. Each park has a main path the ‘Catwalk’, designed to connect the network, the striped brick pathway takes its inspiration from the glamour of the textile shops of Chapel street. Lining the path connecting all parks is the ‘Bunyip wall’. Constructed from recycled bricks recalls the brick industry that once dominated the local area and remains in the remnant cottages. The brick wall undulates in height, with the recycled bricks laid in courses of single colours giving the wall a reptilian character, hinting at the bunyip myths of the Koo Wee Rup swamp. Recycled bluestone pitchers, recovered from the Council depot are used to create stepping stone rings within the gardens providing balancing trails for kids and further emphasising the rise and fall of the swamp.