Manly today is a vibrant bustling beachside town and tourist destination with a people friendly atmosphere thanks largely to the efforts of our forefathers who chose this setting and established Manly specifically with a village character.

We have an opportunity to develop this character further and bring Manly into the twenty first century as a contemporary compact village. A place that combines living, working and leisure, a place with an appropriate density and diverse cultural landscape, a place with all the services required for day to day living, and a place that connects with its beautiful natural setting.

 A key theme in advancing the village concept will be the continued pedestrianisation of the town centre. Through this initiative, Manly has an opportunity to become Australia’s only pedestrianised town centre with car parking facilities provided on the periphery.

Pedestrianised town centres are the hallmark of many European villages and city centres and it is the quality of the public domain and the vitality resulting from pedestrians filling the streets that make these places such great places to visit.

Through intelligent investment and sustainable design, we can achieve improved livability, prosperity and sustainability. It will be a place with enhanced economic activity and convenience of access, improved parking provisions and pedestrian inter-connectivity, a better range of services and employment opportunities and a place better positioned to draw upon the amenity of the extraordinary natural setting.

A pedestrianised town centre framed by a ‘Beach Terrace’ to the East, the Harbour Gateway to the South, and a ‘Grand Boulevard’ to the West will strengthen the existing international reputation of Manly as an iconic locale with an outstanding built and natural environment.