Manly 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's village character.

The Manly 2015 Masterplan aimed to develop this character further and bring Manly into the 21C as a contemporary compact village. A place that combined 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 to connect with the natural setting.

A key theme in advancing the village concept was the continued pedestrianisation of the town centre. Through this initiative, Manly had 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. It is the quality of the public domain and the vitality resulting from pedestrians filling the streets that make these places so great to visit.

 Through intelligent investment and sustainable design, the masterplan aimed to achieve improved liveability, prosperity, and sustainability. Providing an environment that would be better positioned to draw upon the amenity of the extraordinary natural setting.

 The Masterplan also focused on enhancing economic activity and convenience of access, improving parking provisions and pedestrian inter-connectivity, providing a better range of services and employment opportunities.

 The finalised and enacted plan envisioned a pedestrianised town centre framed by a ‘Beach Terrace’ to the East, the HarbourGateway to the South, and a ‘Grand Boulevard’ to the West to strengthen the existing international reputation of Manly as an iconic locale with an outstanding built and natural environment.

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