A practical camera setup that combines movement counts at the edges of a civic square with occupancy counts across the places where people gather.

A joined-up view of a busy public space

Prahran Square is a 10,000 m² urban parkland project at the corner of Izett and Chatham Streets in Prahran. It opened on 1 December 2019 and includes a 500-bay underground car park. The parkland is open every day, with the car park operating 24 hours. Its retail edges, lawn, amphitheatre, seating and shared spaces create a compact but varied public environment.

The site uses a mix of line counts and occupancy counts. Four cameras are positioned at the four corners of the square to count movement across the main approaches. Each camera records people crossing a defined line, with direction separated so arrivals and departures can be understood. This provides a clear picture of pedestrian flow around the perimeter without trying to follow the same person across the whole site.

Three additional cameras cover the amphitheatre seating, shared gathering spaces and the lawn. These cameras measure occupancy within defined areas at regular intervals. The result is a view of how many people are present in each space, how that changes during the day, and how the square is being used during events, quiet periods and changing weather conditions.

The same people-counting approach extends beyond the central square. Cameras also measure activity associated with the car parking area and the community library. This helps connect public-space activity with supporting facilities: when the precinct becomes busy, operators can see whether that is reflected in parking demand and library use.

How the setup supports better decisions

The combined view is more useful than any single counter. Line counts describe flow at the boundary. Occupancy counts describe activity inside the space. Together they support planning, reporting and day-to-day operations. A council team can compare entrances, see which areas attract people, review peak periods and understand how long spaces remain active. The information can also support event planning, cleaning schedules, activation decisions and future changes to the precinct.

The configuration is deliberately simple to explain and extend. Each camera is assigned either a line or an area of interest, so the reporting logic matches the way the space is managed. New views can be added when a new activity zone is created, while existing views can continue to provide a consistent time series. This makes the system useful both for immediate operational questions and for longer-term evidence about how the precinct performs.

The system is designed to produce statistics rather than identify people. Counts are assigned to lines and areas, allowing the site to be understood as a place without creating a register of individual visitors. Results can be viewed in dashboards, compared over time and shared as reports for planning and management.

Prahran Square demonstrates why a mixed measurement model is valuable in a complex public place. Counting movement at the corners and occupancy in the square gives a simple, joined-up view: how people arrive, where they go, and which spaces are working hardest.

Why this approach matters

Prahran Square shows how different counting methods can work together: line counts explain movement, while occupancy counts explain use. This is a practical model for civic spaces where people enter from several directions, pause in different areas and use nearby facilities as part of the same visit.