FAQs
- Kate Hulett: Fremantle-based artist and creative producer with a background in psychology and a focus on civic connection and environmental justice.
- Melanie Clark: Long-time Fremantle retail business owner with a corporate background, passionate about sustainable, community-focused retail environments.
- Hannah Fick: Creative director at KINN & Co, leading marketing and public event projects in Fremantle and across Australia.
Depaving asphalt areas
Planting native vegetation and pollinator-friendly plants
Traffic calming to slow vehicles and improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and other forms of movement
Creating a flexible, low-clutter environment for people to enjoy
Now–Late 2025: Engagement, feedback and design refinement
Early-Mid 2026: Construction and planting
Mid 2026: A reimagined William Street ready for the community to enjoy
- Ongoing engagement with local businesses and residents
- Opportunities to provide feedback on design options, materials, and future use via the William St. Reimagined Survey
- A community planting day and launch event
What is the William Street Reimagined project?
William Street Reimagined is an urban greening initiative and collaboration between FreoDOC Town Team and the City of Fremantle. The project aims to transform the eastern side of William Street (between High Street Mall and the Federal Hotel) into a more welcoming, biodiverse, and people-friendly space. It involves removing asphalt and introducing native vegetation, seating, and pedestrian-focused design.
Who is leading the project?
The project is being delivered by the City of Fremantle in partnership with local placemaking group FreoDoC. It’s supported by the Streets Alive Grant Program and will be guided by input from local businesses and the wider Fremantle community.
Streets Alive is community-led funding program delivered by Town Team Movement in partnership with Main Roads WA and the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA).
The program consists of $5 million over 5 years and supports collaborative projects that improve the safety of WA local roads by making them more vibrant and people-friendly.
Who are FreoDOC?
FreoDOC
FreoDOC is the central Walyalup (Fremantle) Town Team focused on improving the vibrancy of Fremantle through small and large interventions. The Town Team is made of three core members, Kate Hulett, Melanie Clark and Hannah Fick. They are long-time, active members of the Fremantle community, supporting the City’s creative arts and destination marketing programmes through their various paid and unpaid work, plus their creative and personal projects.
FreoDOC collaborators:
Dr. Brad Pettitt
Brad Pettitt was elected to the Legislative Council of the WA Parliament in 2021. Until taking up this role in the Upper House of the State Parliament, Brad was the Mayor of the City of Fremantle. He was first elected mayor in 2009 and re-elected in 2013 and 2017. Prior to this, Brad was the Dean of the School of Sustainability at Murdoch University.
Fremantle Culture Council (FCC)
The FCC is an association with the objectives to promote and support cultural initiatives in greater Fremantle / Walyalup. All members of the FCC board are unusually passionate about culture, community, and the arts, and are keen to bolster Fremantle’s future as a culturally innovative and thriving City — one which cares about people and the planet. A key initiative of the FCC is the weekly ‘Culture Club’ meet ups, where interested and engaged citizens are invited to gather to discuss civic life, share cultural ideas, and foster a more connected community.
Design Freo
DesignFreo is a platform celebrating design and designers in the port city of Fremantle / Walyalup and beyond. A not-for-profit founded by a group of local designers, makers and doers, Design Freo loves design, loves Fremantle, and deeply cares about its future. The group is interested in how design can bring joy to the everyday and also in how design can tackle the bigger issues facing our communities and planet. Through events, workshops and exhibitions, DesignFreo creates opportunities to see what designers do, hear their ideas and join a broader conversation about why it’s important.
FOMO FREO
Nestled in the heart of Fremantle’s Walyalup Koort, FOMO Freo is a mixture of independently owned & run businesses that make up an eating, drinking, dining and shopping precinct in central Fremantle.
Why is this project happening?
This project responds to community interest in creating cooler, greener, safer, and more vibrant streets. It supports local biodiversity, pedestrian safety, community wellbeing, and aligns with the City’s strategic goals for climate resilience and public space improvement.
FreoDOC selected this high traffic, central section of William Street as a key site where de-paving, rewilding and traffic calming measures will enhance community amenity and promote safer, greener streets in Fremantle.
What modifications are being considered to the project area?
Key interventions being considered by the William St. Reimagined project team include:
Is the project permanent?
William Street Reimagined is designed to be enduring but includes flexible and low-impact elements that can evolve over time, ensuring alignment with City Design strategies and plans. It will also serve as a prototype for future green spine projects in Fremantle.
This FreoDOC initiative aligns with the City’s Strategic Community Plan, Urban Forest Plan, Creative Arts Strategy, Greening Strategy, and Kings Square Masterplan. It reflects a broader movement to reimagine and reclaim urban space for people, plants, and place-based connection — one patch of bitumen at a time.
How will the project affect traffic, parking and local businesses?
Driving and Parking:
One way vehicle access on William Street will remain (except for some periods whilst construction is underway). However, traffic will be slowed to enhance safety and support shared use. Street parking is located on the opposite side of the road and will not be removed as part of this stage.
The project will not impact any current car parking bays and it will maintain the existing bicycle parking within the scheme
Local Businesses:
The aim is to increase foot traffic, support alfresco dining, reduce heat, and improve the overall visitor experience. Local businesses will be directly engaged to provide input on alfresco use, signage, and activation ideas.
During the construction phase, there will be minor road closures and disruptions - the community and key stakeholders will be kept updated by City officers as the project progresses.
Indicative Timeline
What kinds of plants will be used?
All plantings will be native to the Walyalup (Fremantle) area and selected to support pollinators, improve biodiversity and provide year-round visual interest. The planting list aims to include a mix of native endemic groundcovers, shrubs, and flowering perennials like kangaroo paws, basket flowers, native daisies, and more.
You can find the planting list in the FAQ & Key Documents section of this MySay page.
How can I get involved?
This project will involve the community by providing:
You can subscribe to recieve project updates via this MySay page.