Neighbour Hub Design

Our goal is to create a Neighbour Hub in every Victoria neighbourhood.

What is a Neighbour Hub?

Neighbour Hubs are public structures that foster community connection and provide emergency resources for neighbourhoods in Victoria. These vibrant public gathering spaces help connect and prepare communities for emergencies and can include elements such as solar charging stations, bulletin boards, local emergency information, and storage for emergency supplies.

What We Engaged On

Thank you for helping us develop design templates by providing input through our online survey and feedback sessions for future Neighbour Hubs in Victoria!

Public engagement took place from March 25 to April 20, 2022. The level of public participation was consult.

We asked the community what Neighbour Hubs should feature, how they should look and how they should feel. More than 200 people participated in the engagement process.

NEW: Neighbour Hub Design Templates

Your input has helped inform the development of three design templates for Neighbour Hubs in Victoria.

Design Selection for Kings Road Neighbour Hub

A Neighbour Hub is now in Hillside-Quadra.

Based on feedback from local engagement from May to September 2022, the Kings Road Neighbour Hub is a HIVE design (one of three templates developed during city-wide engagement process) in front of Wark Street Park. Check it out!

Future Neighbour Hubs

Locations for Neighbour Hubs will be announced in the future. Stay tuned to Prepare Your Community | Victoria and get involved in your local neighbourhood association.

What We Heard

Neighbour Hubs should be:

Centrally located and accessible by walking, cycling or public transit

Welcoming and inclusive for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities
Well-maintained and activated

Neighbour Hubs should feel:

Safe and secure

Clean
Environmentally friendly
Relaxing
Inclusive/welcoming

Neighbour Hubs should feature:

Emergency resource storage
Seating and gathering spaces
Weather protection
Natural elements including greenery

Charging stations
Select lighting
Signage/community information/maps

Additional amenities at or near Neighbour Hub locations could include garbage and recycling bins, water fountains, public art, bicycle parking, neighbourhood sharing facilities, and cultural, historical or ecological information.

About Neighbour Hubs

During emergency events, connected communities are more likely to take collective action to reduce neighbourhood impacts and protect public health.

In 2018, the City’s emergency community preparedness program Victoria Ready partnered with Building Resilient Neighbourhoods to deliver Connect and Prepare, a pilot program on resilience and emergency preparedness. One tool that emerged was a structure that could serve as both a public gathering space and a hub for emergency information and supplies.

The first Neighbour Hub pilot in Victoria was designed and built by Neighbour Lab in spring 2019 on Leonard Street near Cook St Village and activated with the support of local residents.

Another Neighbour Hubs was then added on Harbour Road in Vic West in spring 2021.

These pilots highlighted the need for more Neighbour Hubs in publicly accessible locations, including on local streets where neighbours can easily connect.