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 * Melbourne's Laneways and Arcades ** **Project compiled by Charlie, Velyan and Fred** //Dedicated to Beth Jackson //

When Melbourne’s town blueprint was first laid out by Robert Hoddle, in 1837, there wasn’t a laneway in sight. Not for this gracious lady of a city were there to be these rabbit-warren backways of iniquity. Hoddle had plans for broad boulevards and streets (each 99 feet wide), a rarity in cities at the time. What he did not foresee was the imperative of commerce: as more and more land was bought up by enterprise, and the large-scale blocks of his grid were carved up by the need for access this way and that, laneways, alleys and dead-ends cropped up virtually ad hoc. Now in the city’s backways a precious, diverse pulse awaits any who want to try their feet out, going this way and that, preferably with time, mapless, and an open mind to spare. 1 For our project we look to provide an in-depth report/review of the culture and heritage evolution of laneways and arcades, which have thus shaped the Melbourne CBD. As well as covering the history, we aim to explore other aspects which feature so interestingly in the lanes and arcades. Even 50 years ago, the curious attractions which you can now find were basically lifeless, and the development they have undergone has been a stunning process. We, as a group, are very intrigued in this topic, and expect it to be a very exciting project.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia page: [|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcade_(architecture)] An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers, or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians. Definition from Google dictionary: A lane is a narrow way or road

1 Text from The Age (Melbourne) Magazine

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