Vibrant "placemaker" Gilbert Rochecouste says his first impressions of Warrnambool is that it has great bones.
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In the city to launch the 2018 Great South Coast Small Business Festival on Wednesday, the Mauritian ideas man said the seaside haunt held great potential.
“This place has got really good bones,” he said.
“What I mean by that is it’s got some laneways, it’s got lots of little precincts and it’s got a potential promenade from the city across the railway to the sea. Not many places have got that.”
Famed for his success in reviving Melbourne’s inner-city laneways, the precinct plan for Flinders and Degreaves, the Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne Food Truck Festivals and the Queen Victoria Markets Summer Nights, the creator of Village Well said ideas were the starting point to change.
“We can all create community, we’re all place-makers,” he said.
“It’s not about just council. The great places of the world have been created by communities and artists.
“My message to Warrnambool is if you’ve got a great idea and you love this place, don’t be afraid to step up.”
Speaking as guest speaker at the opening of the month-long festival, Mr Rochecouste said initiating city change began with focusing on positive attributes.
“Beautifying Warrnambool, activating Warrnambool, understanding its spirit, its essence.
“What makes it Warrnambool? What’s the quirky things that is us?
“Let’s reclaim the positives and reframe them.
“It could be about the wind and then we make a beautiful artistic wind sculpture that makes energy, but people Instagram it.”
The enthusiastic speaker who aims to inspire the search for renewed meaning, purpose and pride in places, said sharing ideas helped create projects.
“All ideas are good ideas and if others have similar ideas I’d encourage them to come together,” he said.
“Collaboration is much more fun. It takes a village to create an idea.
“It could be a great passagiata as the Italians call it, a future eat street, it’s low-hanging fruit, the small wins of life.
“Start small and do it together.”
