Amenity is both:
- the pleasantness or attractiveness of a place,
- a desirable or useful feature or facility of a building or place.
Both definitions are used within local government.
The first definition is most often associated with town planning conditions and/or nuisance complaints.
The second is sometimes used to describe assets located within parks or streetscapes such as; BBQs, park furniture and toilets provided for the comfort and enjoyment of the user. Public toilets and shower blocks in particular are often referred to as amenity blocks or public amenities.
City of Port Phillip Planning Glossary
The City of Port Phillip Planning Glossary notes that amenity is a fundamental but sometimes elusive planning concept. It has its usual meaning of the pleasant or normally satisfactory aspects of a location which contribute to its overall character and the enjoyment of residents or visitors but also has a wider ambit. It can have a physical component such as the character and appearance of building and works, proximity to facilities, quality infrastructure and absence of noise, unsightliness or offensive odours."