Brisbane - A New World City

7/27/2019 Brisbane - A New World City

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/brisbane-a-new-world-city 1/78

BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL | URBAN RENEWAL BRISBANE

THE MAKING OF A NEW WORLD CITY, 1991-2012



THE MAKING OF A

1991-2012

This submission has been produced by Brisbane City Council.

Queries regarding this submission can be directed to:

Ms. Rebecca Arnaud

Executive Ofcer, Urban Renewal Brisbane

Brisbane City Council

GPO Box 1434

Brisbane QLD 4001

Australia

T: +61 7 3403 8888

F: +61 7 3334 0014

Selected images courtesy of Brisbane Marketing.



BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL | URBAN RENEWAL BRISBANE

CONTENTSINTRODUCTIONCV of nominee and portfolio ................................................................7

List of demonstration projects/themes ..............................................15

Demonstration project i –

POST-INDUSTRIAL CITY .....................................................22

Demonstration project ii –

RIVER CITY .................................................................................42

Demonstration project iii –

NEW WORLD CITY ................................................................60





INTRODUCTION


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/brisbane-a-new-world-city 6/786 INTRODUCTION

FIG 1 | City of Brisbane's Geographical context

TABLE 1

Worldwide quality of Life index 2009

RANK COUNTRY 2007 SCORE COUNTRY 2008 SCORE COUNTRY 2009 SCORE

1 Austria 9.71 Switzerland 9.71 Switzerland 9.70

2 Switzerland 9.45 Austria 9.64 Austria 9.57

3 Norway 9.25 Australia 9.28 Norway 9.56

4 Australia 9.24 Canada 9.27 Denmark 9.36

5 Luxembourg 9.21 Luxembourg 9.21 Canada 9.21

6 New Zealand 9.10 Norway 9.16 Australia 9.20

7 Denmark 9.08 Sweden 9.08 Sweden 9.20

8 Canada 8.96 Denmark 8.98 Luxembourg 9.13

9 Singapore 8.96 Netherlands 8.91 Finland 9.07

10 Netherlands 8.74 New Zealand 8.91 Germany 9.05

Sources: IMD World Competitiveness Online 1995-2009, May 2009; Austrade

Australia needs a “lifestyle city” and Brisbane is it.BERNARD SALT, Demographer, KPMG

Nestled between the azure waters of Moreton

Bay and an arc of mountains known as the Scenic

Rim, Brisbane boasts world-class facilities,

outstanding infrastructure, cutting-edge

architecture and remarkable leisure experiences.



CV OF NOMINEE AND PORTFOLIO

THE MAKINGS OF A RISING GLOBAL STAR

Urban Renewal Brisbane (URB) has transformed Brisbane from a suburbanbackwater into a dynamic global city. For more than 20 years, this unique Brisbane

City Council initiative has been planning and implementing large and small-scale

urban renewal projects in Brisbane’s inner city, with outstanding results.

Brisbane is an urban success story, yet this was not always the case.

Twenty years ago, the city was still a big country town, a place where

alfresco dining was a novelty, young people left to nd ‘real jobs’ in Melbourne,

Sydney or Europe and housing choice meant deciding between a single and

double-storey home in the suburbs.

It was a relatively young city, emerging from the scrub little more than 160

years earlier, yet it was already struggling with urban decay.

Today, Brisbane is Australia’s ‘New World City’, an easy-living city, proudly

casual, yet with a growing sophistication. With a population of 2.0 million, it is

Australia’s third largest city, a subtropical metropolis located in the heart of the

nation’s fastest growing region.

Australia consistently ranks among the world’s top ten countries for its quality

of life1 and Brisbane is considered the nation’s ‘lifestyle’ city. Internationally,

it’s a star on the rise, ranked by fDi Magazine2 as one of the top ten Asian

cities of the future in 2009/2010.

Brisbane is the state of Queensland’s economic engine room, with an economy

valued at $85 billion—almost half (46.5 per cent)3 of the total state economy.

Local employment is growing faster than in any other Australian state capital.

It has a balance of widely contrasting economic drivers. On the one hand,

it’s the headquarters of the state’s multi-billion dollar resources industry andan international centre of excellence in the eld of mining technology and

services. Nearly two hundred national and international mining companies

are based in greater Brisbane. But on the other, the city is forging ahead

as Australia’s innovation leader on the talent, skills, intellect, creativity and

immense drive of a multitude of small businesses and young entrepreneurs.

Brisbane is the ‘Gen Y’ of international cities: youthful, progressive and

condent, home to Australia’s premier live music scene, the nation’s largest

1 See Table 1.

2 (fDi Magazine, 2010)

3 (Brisbane Marketing, 2010)

INTRODUCTION 7



FIG 2 | Media articles highlighting Brisbane's transformation. Courier Mail 1991

and Sydney Morning Herald 2008

“I’ve been consistently struck by the

number of young people on the

streets and in the bars and galleries.

A demographic that is smart,

switched on and looking to create

something special here.”

DAVID BERTHOLD, Artistic Director

and CEO of La Boite Theatre,

quoted in Australian Magazine, 2009.



Gallery of Modern Art and one of the most important centres for digital games

design outside the USA. Brisbane is the nation’s gateway to the Asia-Pacic

markets and ‘knowledge’ now accounts for much of the city’s exports.

No place has been more critical to Brisbane’s emergence on the world stage

than the city centre and no group more instrumental to the inner city’s renewal

than URB. URB introduced new ways of thinking about the city and facilitated

the creation of a strong city identity reective of Brisbane’s subtropical climate

and relaxed, outdoor lifestyle.

Brisbane’s formerly one dimensional business district has now blossomed into

a global nexus for commerce, the heart of an increasingly rich network of inner

urban creative, cultural, educational, research and living precincts.

The work of URB is recognised as a national benchmark in urban renewal.4

URB’s success, especially in the early stages, can be largely attributed to the

incredible level of government support underpinning its operations. Established

in 1991 by Australia’s largest local government authority, Brisbane City Council

(Council), it has been continuously funded and supported by Council for 20 years.

From 1991-1996, URB was also funded by the Building Better Cities program, a

Commonwealth Government initiative administered by the Queensland Government.

It was a complex arrangement, yet it achieved an unprecedented level of cross-

government integration.

Building Better Cities (Better Cities) has been credited with precipitating the

most signicant change in urban Australia post World War II. In Brisbane, it

removed signicant barriers to redevelopment by funding large infrastructure

and environmental rehabilitation initiatives—something individual players in the

market place could not afford to do.

The former Chief Executive of the National Capital Planning Authority, Lyndsay

Neilson, oversaw the creation, development and implementation of Better

Cities. He considers URB’s foundational work in Brisbane’s inner north-easternsuburbs among the nest of all 26 nationally funded projects:

“Nothing was more dramatic and long-lasting in effects, both direct,

and indirect through demonstration, than the revitalisation of the inner city

areas of Sydney, Perth and Brisbane. The work of the Inner Brisbane

Urban Renewal Authority… was transformative.” 5

But this project was just the beginning. URB’s mandate was soon extended to

take in all growth areas in suburbs within ve kilometres of the Central Business

INTRODUCTION 9

4 (Neilson, 2008).

5 (Neilson, 2008).



“Trevor Reddacliff in inner Brisbane, with his private developmentbackground, was especially adept in convincing private investors

of the merits of investing in ‘his’ area, and they did. Millions

of dollars poured into his projects, and inner Brisbane rapidlybecame a national exemplar in urban renewal.”

LYNDSAY NEILSON, former Chief Executive, National Capital Planning Authority

TABLE 2 – Awards List

Year Award Company

1993Customer Service Category – Award for outstanding and exceptionalperformance and achievement in the service of Brisbane City

Lord Mayor’s Awards forExcellence

1994

Church Street Affordable Housing Project – Award for Excellence in

Urban DesignTeneriffe Apartments – Mayor’s Award for Best Urban Renewal Project

Royal Australian Planning Institute

Queensland Master BuildersAssociation Awards

1995Urban Renewal Taskforce Management Structure – Winner of BetterCities’ Award for outstanding urban area management

National Awards for Innovationin Local Government

1996

Inner North Eastern Suburbs Urban Renewal Project – NationalOccasional Special Award for Planning Excellence

Mactaggarts Place Woolstore Conversion – Award for Excellence –Special Project

Royal Australia Planning Institute

Urban Design Institute ofAustralia

1997New Farm, Teneriffe and Newstead Riverside PromenadeMaster Plan – Award for Excellence in Landscape Master Plans

Australian Institute of LandscapeArchitecture

1999Cathedral Place – Urban Renewal Award for ExcellenceMariners Reach Newstead – National Award for Excellence in the BestUrban Renewal Project award category

Urban Development Instituteof Australia

2000Urban Renewal Taskforce Education Strategy – Award for Excellencein community education and customer service

Lord Mayor’s Award forExcellence

2003 RiverWalk – Certificate of Merit Planning Institute of Australia

2006Woolloongabba Structure Plan – Certificate of Merit – Urban DesignPlans and Ideas

Planning Institute of Australia

2007

Brisbane’s City Centre Master Plan – National Award for PlanningExcellence and Minister’s Award – Urban Planning Achievement andUrban Design Plans and Ideas

Fortitude Valley Urban Vision – Award for Excellence – Urban DesignPlans and Ideas

Eastern Busway – Award for Excellence – Urban Design Plans and Ideas

Woolloongabba Structure Plan – Certificate of Merit – Urban PlanningAchievement


2008Neighbourhood Planning in Urban Renewal Areas, A CommunityEngagement Framework – Award for Excellence in Urban Planning


2009Brisbane City Centre Neighbourhood Plan – Award for Excellence –Urban Design Plans and Ideas


2010 Vibrant Laneways – Certificate of Merit in Urban Design Plans and Ideas

Toowong Auchenflower Renewal Strategy – Certificate of Merit inUrban Design Plans and IdeasPlanning Institute of Australia

2012

Urban Renewal Brisbane 20 years

- National Award for Excellence

- Special Mention

- Government Leadship Award


Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize

Property Council Australia



District (CBD) and the CBD itself. Plans have now been generated for more

than 1000 hectares of prime inner-city land.

Much of URB’s triumph can be attributed to its partnership with the private

sector. URB completely reformed the city’s adversarial approach to planning.

No longer was it developer against government planner, resident against big

business; URB united stakeholders in a common vision and harnessed the

specialist skills of each to achieve unparalleled innovation.

As a government body, URB operated within an existing bureaucratic structure,

yet it quickly became known for its ‘real world’ focus—a rare quality for

a government planning agency.

This can be largely attributed to the inuence of the late Trevor Reddacliff,

a former architect with a wealth of private sector experience who served

as Chairperson of the Urban Renewal Task Force (URB’s original name)from 1991-2005. Reddacliff’s practical understanding of development was

embedded into both URB’s culture and modus operandi. Projects were always

considered holistically, with an emphasis on urban design, place-making and

environmental sustainability.

So highly valued was this industry perspective that upon Reddacliff’s death

a board of ten high-prole architects, urban designers and other professionals

was appointed in his place.

Though URB’s structure, leadership and even name have changed over the

years, the group has remained true to its original purpose. It is a supplier

of ideas, a facilitator between government and the development sector, a

galvaniser of community opinion and the source of boundless energy and

enthusiasm. Today, the city’s most difcult planning problems and most

challenging renewal projects, are tasked to URB.

URB has achieved an extraordinary amount of change within a relatively

short period of time; with around 120 hectares of obsolete industrial land now

redeveloped or under construction. Residents and businesses have streamed

back to the inner city, with 50,000 residents6, 22,000 dwellings7 and 1.2 million m2

of ofce space8 added from 1991 to 2011.

An estimated $8.75b has been invested into URB areas of responsibility.

URB offers an easily adaptable management structure for international cities.

It operates using a exible, multi-disciplinary model focused on outcomes

rather than regulation. It does not require legislative change and serves to

INTRODUCTION 11

6 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011)


8 (Colliers International Research, 2010)



In 1995, URB received the National Award

for Innovation in Local Government from the

Building Better Cities program, acknowledging

the uniqueness of its management structure.

“Brisbane has achieved a global reputation for

the quality of its urban life, not least because of

the close and effective attention the city gives

to top quality urban design. Urban Renewal

Brisbane (URB) is the widest-ranging of the city’s

agencies charged with this task, with a remit

that extends from the central business district

to a range of old industrial and warehouse areas

in the inner city that have been successfully

transformed into new living and working

districts. Particularly impressive is the way

that the work of URB is now being embodied

in an imaginative strategy for achieving

sustainable urban growth across the entire city

and its surrounding region, by using transportcorridors, including the city’s brilliant BRT (bus

rapid transit) network as a catalyst for urban

transformation.”

Sir Peter Hall, Lee Kuan Yew World City Judge


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/brisbane-a-new-world-city 13/78 INTRODUCTION 13

strengthen, rather than supplant, local planning schemes. Through creative

partnering with the private sector, it can achieve lasting microeconomic reform.

URB has delivered sustainable renewal projects to ensure Brisbane’s

continuing liveability, quality of life and prosperity into the future. It serves as

an inspiration for cities across the globe.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2011). Census Data 1991-2011.

ACT: Commonwealth of Australia.

Brisbane Marketing. (2010). Brisbane Economic Annual 2010: a retrospective.

Brisbane: Brisbane City Council.

Colliers International. (2010). Research & Forecast Report: Brisbane CBD Ofce.

Brisbane: Colliers International 2010.

fDi Magazine Dec/January. (2010). Asian Cities of the Future 2009/2010.

United Kingdom: The Financial Times Ltd.

Neilson, L. (2008). The ‘Building Better Cities’ program 1991-96: a nation-building

initiative of the Commonwealth Government. In J. Butcher, Australia Under

Construction: nation-building – past, present and future. Canberra: ANU E Press.



FIG 3 | Aerial images of Brisbane City



LIST OF DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS/THEMES:

Theme 1: Post-industrial City – Transforming obsolence into opportunity

Theme 2: River City – Reconnecting Br isbane with its river

Theme 3: New World City – Planning for sustainable growth

SUMMARY OF URB’S ROLE IN TRANSFORMINGBRISBANE INTO A NEW WORLD CITY

URB’s comprehensive approach to urban renewal steps outside traditional

planning models. Not content simply to ‘plan’ renewal, URB partners with local

residents, business owners and the development sector to actually deliver

liveable communities able to sustain their quality of life over the long-term.

URB works at the macro, precinct and site-specic scale. Broad renewal

strategies and planning frameworks guide change over the long-term, design

guidelines and master plans manage development within neighbourhoods and

demonstration projects help spark development at a site level.

URB facilitates development on every level, from generating commercially-

viable investment opportunities to eliminating bureaucratic obstacles and

championing plans and projects through government approval processes.

Extensive, ongoing community and stakeholder consultation is a consistent

feature of all URB activities.

Three project-based themes have been developed to capture the extensive

range of activities undertaken by URB over the past twenty years:

Theme 1: Post-industrial City –Transforming obsolence into opportunity

URB was originally established to regenerate former industrial suburbs in

Brisbane’s inner north-east—one of which was a major employment centre—and reverse the social and physical decline. URB’s specic roles included:

• preparing master plans and infrastructure plans to guide new

development and investment

• commissioning economic, transport, social needs, infrastructure, open

space, marketing and other studies to inform the master planning process

• partnering with developers and land owners to facilitate the

redevelopment of derelict sites

INTRODUCTION 15



FIG 4 | Urban Renewal Brisbane's key demonstration projects 1991-2011

1. Church Street public housing

2. Teneriffe Apartments

3. Teneriffe Village

4. Mariner's Reach

5. Teneriffe Wharves

6. Central Brunswick

7. The Cannery8. Centro on James Street

9. Cathedral Place

10. Brisbane Powerhouse

11. River Gallery Apartments

12. Freshwater Apertments

13. Goodwill Bridge

14. Cutter's Landing

15. Floating Riverwalk

16. Fortitude Valley Entertainment Precinct

17. Green Square

18. Emporium

19. One Macquarie

20. Market Street

21. Kurilpa Bridge

22. Northern Quarter

23. Jacob's Ladder

24. Albert Lane

25. Woolloongabba Antique's Precinct

26. Little Roma St.

27. HQ

28. China Town Mall

29. King George Square

30. Burnett Lane

31. Newstead Riverpark

32. Spencer Lane

33. Inner City Bypass



• facilitating heritage restorations, working with government heritage

agencies, to ensure the adaption of older buildings did not

compromise their heritage value

• managing the redevelopment of Council-owned land to deliver

affordable housing and public spaces

• delivering key catalyst projects, including cultural centres and

transport services

• identifying critical infrastructure needed to facilitate sustainable city

growth and working with different levels of government to fund and

deliver major infrastructure.

Theme 2: River City –Reconnecting Brisbane with its river

URB developed an ambitious strategy to reconnect Brisbane residents withtheir river. This strategy inspired and informed a myriad of plans and renewal

projects over a 20 year period in multiple riverfront locations. URB’s specic

roles included:

• identifying barriers to sustainable waterfront development and cultural

change and developing overarching renewal strategies

• embedding river-focused strategies into local plans

• developing strategic directions to inform long-term government

infrastructure plans • preparing plans to coordinate new transport infrastructure and

public space investment

• negotiating with developers and land owners to ensure publicly

accessible walkways, bikeways, parklands and ferry terminals along

the river

• investing in new riverfront promenades and bikeways and pedestrian

infrastructure

• managing the delivery of new riverfront community facilities and

cultural assets

• working with different levels of government to deliver new pedestrian

bridges and ferry services.

INTRODUCTION 17



FIG 5 | In 2011, Brisbane is a vibrant New World City



Theme 3: New World City –Planning for sustainable growth

Over recent years, URB has been managing growth in Brisbane’s CBD and

surrounding frame areas and facilitating Brisbane’s emergence as a ‘New

World City’. URB’s specic roles included: • preparing strategic plans to manage growth and infrastructure

investment in the CBD and growth precincts within a 5km ring from

the inner city

• creating renewal strategies and detailed statutory ‘neighbourhood’

plans for the CBD and 12 other renewal precincts to guide development

• undertaking detailed economic, transport, urban design and other

studies to inform long-term planning

• preparing master plans and design guidelines for key sitesand localities

• driving the adoption of sustainable, subtropical design practices

in development

• negotiating with developers to deliver integrated, high-quality

public spaces

• managing the redevelopment of key public spaces and laneways

• working with different levels of government to deliver major

transit connections.

INTRODUCTION 19



PLANS AND STRATEGIES YEAR PHYSICAL OUTCOMES

• Inner Suburbs Action Plan Study finalised 1988

• Urban Renewal Task Force established

• Urban Renewal Report: Inner North-EastSuburbs Brisbane finalised

1991

• Building Better Cities Funding allocated

• Riverside Study finalised

• Newstead and Teneriffe Master Plan finalised

1992

• Inner North Eastern Suburbs Master Planfinalised 1994

URB receives the National Better Cities Innovationin Local Government award for outstanding urbanarea management

1995

• Church Street public housing: $4 millionresidential development

• Tenerif fe Apartments: $13.5 millionresidential redevelopment of a 1920swoolstore

• Newstead and Teneriffe Waterfront andTeneriffe Hill Local Area Plans adopted

• Fortitude Valley Development Control Planadopted

1996• City Cat high-speed ferry service launched• Tenerif fe Village: $24 million mixed-use

redevelopment of former Paddy’s Market

• New Farm, Teneriffe and Newstead RiversidePromenade Master Plan finalised 1997 • $22 million SW1 Sewer upgrade

• Emporium Master Plan finalised

• Brisbane Powerhouse cultural centre conceptfinalised

• Newstead Village Master Plan finalised

1998

• Mariner’s Reach: $90 million residentialredevelopment of derelict land

• Tenerif fe Wharves: $100 million residentialredevelopment of riverfront woolstoreand wharf

• Central Brunswick: $145 million residentialredevelopment of Carlton United Brewery

• The Cannery: $35 million village-styleredevelopment of former State Cannery

• Newstead Riverpark Master Plan finalised 1999

• Centro on James Street: $72 million mixed-use redevelopment of former Coca-Cola site

• Cathedral Place: $130 million mixed-useredevelopment of a Catholic Cathedral

2000

• Brisbane Powerhouse: $17 millionredevelopment of the city’s first municipalpower station

• River Gallery Apartments: $45 millionresidential redevelopment of formerAustralian Maritime Depot

• Freshwater Apartments: $41 millionresidential development on former HMASMoreton site.

• Valley Gateway Master Plan finalised 2001 • $33 million Goodwill Bridge opens

20 INTRODUCTION


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/brisbane-a-new-world-city 21/78 INTRODUCTION 21

PLANS AND STRATEGIES YEAR PHYSICAL OUTCOMES

• Bulimba Master Plan finalised 2003

• Cutter ’s Landing: $200 million residentialredevelopment of former Colonial SugarRefinery Site

• $220 million Inner City Bypass opens• $17 million floating RiverWalk opens

• Valley Music Harmony Plan finalised 2004

• City Centre Master Plan finalised

• Urban Futures Brisbane Board established2006 • Fortitude Valley designated Australia’s first

dedicated entertainment precinct

• Valley Urban Vision finalised 2007• Green Square: $160 million commercial and

affordable housing development• Emporium: $100 million mixed-use

redevelopment of former BCC bus depot

• Albion Neighbourhood Plan adopted

• Inhabit program launched2008 • $800 000 Market Street revitalisation

• One Macquarie: $62 million residentialdevelopment of derelict industrial land

• Woolloongabba Centre NeighbourhoodPlan adopted

URB receives the Planning Institute of AustraliaMerit Award for its Community EngagementStrategy.

2009

• $63 million Kurilpa Bridge opens• Northern Quarter legal precinct

commences: $1.9 billion public privatecommercial precinct redevelopment

• $2.6 million Jacobs Ladder revitalisation• Albert Lane revitalisation• Woolloongabba Antiques Precinct:

$8.5 million redevelopment

• Fortitude Valley Neighbourhood Plan adopted

• Howard Smith Wharves – Expressions ofInterest closed

• Toowong Auchenflower Renewal Strategyfinalised

• Kangaroo Point South Renewal Strategyfinalised

• Newstead and Teneriffe WaterfrontNeighbourhood Plan adopted in 2010

• Milton Station Neighbourhood Plan adopted

in 2010

2010

• $700 000 Little Roma Street revitalisation• HQ: $290 million 5-star Green Star

sustainable retail and commercialdevelopment

• $8 million China Town Mall redevelopment• $28.5 million King George Square

redevelopment• $2.5 million Burnett Lane revitalisation• CityCycle launched

• Eastern Corridor Neighbourhood Plan adopted• South Brisbane Riverside Neighbourhood Plan

adopted• Toombul Nundah Renewal Strategy finalised• Taringa-St Lucia Renewal Strategy finalised

2011• Newstead Riverpark: $500 million mixed-use

redevelopment of derelict industrial land(stage 1 complete)

• Spencer Lane revitalisation

• Toowong Auchenflower NeighbourhoodPlan adopted

• Kangaroo Point Neighbourhood Plan adopted 2012• 111 Eagle Street $700 million office

development complete• Wintergarden $100 million refurbishment• New CityCat terminal opening in Tenerife

FIG 6 | Timeline of key Urban Renewal achievements



POST-INDUSTRIAL

CITY

Transforming obsolenceinto opportunity

DEMONSTRATION PROJECT 1



POST-INDUSTRIAL

CITY


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/brisbane-a-new-world-city 24/7824 POST-INDUSTRIAL CITY

FIG 8 | Map showing significant problems facing the Inner North-East in 1990 –

taken from original Urban Renewal Report 1991

FIG 7 | Initial area of

responsibility for Urban

Renewal Brisbane

(Inner North-East)



A | PROJECT NAME

Post-industr ial city: Transforming obso lescence into oppor tunity

B | PROJECT LOCATION

URB’s initial scope of responsibility included 730 riverside hectares

immediately adjacent to Brisbane’s CBD—the suburbs of Fortitude Valley,

Newstead, Teneriffe, Bowen Hills and New Farm.

C | PROJECT DESCRIPTION

SCALE AND NATURE OF THE PROJECT

A city in decline

Twenty years ago, Brisbane was a big country town. Though a relatively

young city, it was already struggling with economic stagnation, industrial

strife and urban decay.

Commentators describe the city at the time as ‘dying from the inside out’9.

Suburbs in the inner north-east were particularly hard hit. Advances in

the shipping industry left wharves abandoned and empty warehouses

became commonplace as manufacturers consolidated their operationsinto purpose-built suburban premises.

By the early 90s, the local employment centre, Fortitude Valley, once

Brisbane’s retail nucleus, had deteriorated into a run-down business

district, blighted by chaotic trafc, crime and visual pollution. While the

‘Valley’ remained a colourful incubator for live music talent, its appeal was

limited. For many, the Valley was just too unsafe and unsavoury.

An exhaustive three-year Council study10 uncovered the depth of issues

confronting local communities and in 1991 URB was formed to drive and

coordinate renewal in Brisbane’s inner north-east.

The scale of the challenge was immense. It was the single largest urban

renewal project ever attempted in Australia. Despite its proximity to the

CBD, there was little appetite for redevelopment. Highly-contaminated

industrial sites lay scattered across the area, with major investment

required to upgrade local infrastructure.

POST-INDUSTRIAL CITY 25

9 (Staerk , 2010)

10 (Brisbane City Council, 1990), Refer to Section H: Supporting Document 1



FIG 9 | Original Urban Renewal Master Plan taken from the Urban Renewal Repor t 1991

TABLE 3

Example planning studies used to guide

URB's planning work

Newstead/Teneriffe Strategic Planning Study

Fortitude Valley Strategic Planning StudyJames Street (Fortitude Valley) Planning Study

Teneriffe Woolstores Urban Renewal Strategy

Strategic Road Network Study

Brisbane Light Rail Transit Study

New Farm/Teneriffe Local Area Mobility Plan

The Riverside Study

New Farm Park Concept Plan

Merthyr Park Design Plan

New Farm Powerhouse Assessment

Sewerage Infrastructure Project

Affordable Housing Strategy

Disability Access Study FIG 10 | Original New Farm Powerhouse Assessment

Study and Affordable Housing Strategy documents



OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES

A vi sion for the future

URB embarked on an ambitious project11

to reinvigorate Brisbane’s innernorth-east12. URB’s overarching vision for the project area was simple: build

sustainable, liveable communities. A distinct vision was created to guide the

renewal of each suburb:

For ti tude Valley

– Revitalise as a major retail, business, tourist and commercial centre

with a bohemian character.

Newstead

– Redevelop as a self-contained urban village within a highlylandscaped environment.

Teneriffe

– Capitalise on heritage buildings and water frontage to create new

residential and commercial environments.

New Farm

– Preserve the existing built character and social fabric and enable the

suburb to grow and mature.

FROM STRATEGY TO REALITY URB began by developing master plans, setting out the development

philosophy and framework for each suburb, in partnership with stakeholders

such as key landholders. Detailed studies were commissioned to inform the

planning process13.

Tailored strategies and measurable objectives were embedded into each

master plan. Seven broad strategies however, guided all renewal efforts:

1 Infrastructure investment

Aspirations to create new urban communities were limited by inadequate

infrastructure and congested roads. URB identied and directed government

funding into key infrastructure projects to kick-start and support private sector

development, assisting in the delivery process.

• Brisbane’s S1 Sewer, the city’s main sewer line through the

north-east, received a $22m major upgrade, supported by local

system improvements.


11 Refer section H: supporting document 2


13 Refer Table 2 and section H: supporting document 4&5



FIG 13 | Green Square affordable housing project

FIG 11 | Brisbane's riverfront promenade have provided continuous public access to the river

FIG 12 | Brisbane's revitalised China Town Mall–Photos courtesy of Urbis



• In 2002, the 4.5km, $220m Inner City Bypass (ICB), the state’s largest

infrastructure engineering project undertaken for decades, was

constructed to divert non-essential regional trafc from the Valley.

• Public transport was signicantly improved through the establishment

of the super-fast ‘CityCat’ ferry service and a direct bus service

connecting residential areas to the Valley and CBD.

2 Public space

Poor-quality footpaths and sparse parks and trees within former industrial

areas deterred potential new residents and businesses. URB coordinated

public and private investment to deliver an incredible array of public realm

improvements, dramatically enhancing the area’s liveability14. These included:

• network of bikeways and riverfront promenades ensuring continuous

public access to the Brisbane River between Newstead and the CBD • $7m upgrades of the two main pedestrian malls, Brunswick St Mall

and Chinatown Mall and connecting streets

• upgrades to major public parks and new open space, including

riverfront parkland

• streetscape upgrades, landscaping works and local traff ic

calming measures

• rejuvenation of local shopping precincts Merthyr Village and

Carramar Centre.

3 Affordable housing

Brisbane’s inner north-east traditionally hosted much of the city’s low income

and subsidised housing. Retaining this function was considered crucial to the

city’s ongoing diversity and the sustainability of future communities. During

planning, URB identied suitable sites for affordable housing, using $8m of

federal funding to deliver demonstration projects including the multi-award

winning Church Street Public Housing Project15. More recently, URB has

targeted government land holdings, working with developers and BrisbaneHousing Company to deliver additional projects, including Warry Street and

Green Square in Fortitude Valley and Masters Street in Newstead.






FIG 15 | Brisbane's first municipal powerstation, the historical Brisbane Powerhouse, has beentransformed into the city's premier live arts venue

FIG 14 | The revitalised Emporium – a multi-award winning retail, residential and commercial

development on a former bus depot site



4 Economic revitalisation

URB partnered with the Fortitude Valley Chamber of Commerce to increase

local jobs by stimulating the existing employment base and encouraging

business relocations. URB’s master plans identied the Valley’s northern

entrance as a prime location for new retail and commercial developments.

Surrounded by busy roads and lacking river views, these sites held little

attraction for residential development, but URB believed retailers and

businesses could benet from their high exposure and large lot sizes. Master

plans16 ignited the conversion of these industrial areas to vibrant high-density,

mixed-use developments, and specied environmentally sustainable urban

design standards to ensure their future market appeal.

URB planned and managed the redevelopment of key Council landholdings to

deliver catalytic projects, including:

• Emporium: a multi-award winning retail, residential and commercial

development (including boutique hotel) on a former bus depot site.

• Green Square: a sustainable, mixed-use development featuring 5

and 6-star Green Star rated ofce buildings, an affordable housing

complex and parkland.

• Newstead Riverpark: an eight-precinct residential, business and retail

‘suburb within a suburb’ on a 17ha former gasworks site.

5 Cultural revivalStrategies17 were introduced to strengthen the area’s vibrancy and function as

a cultural hub. Fortitude Valley was designated as the nation’s rst dedicated

entertainment precinct, which saw restrictions on live music volumes relaxed

and regulations introduced requiring apartments to be noise insulated. URB

also facilitated Council’s $17m refurbishment of Brisbane’s rst municipal

power station, Brisbane Powerhouse, into a live arts precinct, and a major ret

of two historical commercial buildings into Australia’s rst integrated creative

arts space, the Judith Wright Centre.URB enhanced liveability by improving public safety in entertainment precincts

through crime sensitive design and encouraged outdoor dining, markets, live

music and mixed-used development through local plans. URB also negotiated

with proponents of major new developments to deliver ‘community benets’

such as public art, public space and oor space for community organisations

to the value of 0.4% of construction costs.






FIG 16 | Example of the Teneriffe Woolstores that have been revitalised intomixed-use residential developments

FIG 17 | Before and after photos of Cutter's Landing, an old sugar refinery transformed intoresidential apartments

FIG 18 | Refurbished post office into stylishGPO restaurant and bar

FIG 19 | Planning Institute AustraliaCertificate of Merit for Urban RenewalCommunity Engagement Framework



6 Heritage development

The inner north-eastern suburbs are some of Brisbane’s oldest, home to

impressive heritage buildings. URB saw these grand and robust buildings as

major assets for the future community and their reuse as an essential component

of the project’s sustainability. URB worked closely with developers to deliver

high-quality conversions that retained their heritage value. Master plans for each

of the suburbs were specically designed to ensure new buildings were compatible

with the established built form, while encouraging innovation in design.

Key heritage developments include the redevelopment of:

• 10 former woolstores into award-winning residential and

commercial developments

• a department store, TC Beirne Centre, into a retail and

commercial space

• the 1920s Queensland State Canning Factory into loft apartments

(The Cannery)

• the 1893 Colonial Sugar Renery main renery building to loft-style

apartments (Cutters Landing)

• the Fortitude Valley Post Ofce into the GPO Hotel, a stylish

restaurant and bar

• a former department store into the McWhirters Centre, a retail

and residential complex

• the Sun Newspapers building into the Sun Apartments.

7 Community consultation

URB’S community engagement was far above legislative requirements and

even today is considered industry best practice (in 2009 URB’s Community

Engagement Strategy18 was acknowledged with a Merit Award19 from the

Planning Institute of Australia). All URB plans, from large master plans to small

streetscape improvements, have been developed jointly with the community

and other stakeholders, with opportunity for input at all planning stages. Thishas resulted in unprecedented public support.

Soon after its establishment, URB moved ofces to Fortitude Valley to

strengthen its ties with the local community, opening up a shopfront and public

library (containing all URB reports and studies). URB also:

• established community steering committees for each precinct

• engaged community activists and artists to liaise with residents

during detailed planning






FIG 20 | Vibrant living, working andentertainment precincts

FIG 21 | Example of Newsline – Urban RenewalBrisbane's regular community newsletter



• publicised plans and strategies through marketing, advertising

and media campaigns

• undertook surveys and held public displays, meetings and

design workshops

• produced a regular community newsletter (Newsline20), project-

specic newsletters and annual project reports.

Key innovations

1. Establishment of Australia’s rst dedicated entertainment precinct.

2. Successful integration of contemporary development with

heritage architecture.

3. Commitment to award-winning community consultation program.

4. Delivery of affordable housing demonstration projects through

public-private partnerships.

RESULTS AND LESSONS LEARNT

Inner city renaissance

Today, Brisbane’s inner north-east is unrecognisable. Vibrant retail, living and

entertainment precincts replace industrial decay. Derelict warehouses are now

stylish apartments. New public spaces and bike paths follow the riverfront

where old wharves once lay idle. The abandoned Powerhouse has become

one of the country’s hottest arts venues, an icon in the landscape alongside

landmark buildings featuring cutting-edge subtropical design.

Yet Brisbane’s inner north-east remains a diverse and inclusive community.

More than 700 new affordable dwelling units now provide homes at below-

market rates to low-income earners. These developments are of the highest

quality, scooping national awards for their design and construction.

The Valley has become Brisbane’s premier cosmopolitan, commercial and

entertainment precinct and Newstead and Teneriffe the city’s most sought-after

urban living communities. Between 1991 and 2011, the population grew by an

additional 14,00021 people and demand continues to escalate.

Life has returned to local business precincts, with the Valley shining as

Brisbane’s top retail and commercial destination, specialising in high-end

home furnishings and design, art galleries and youth fashion outlets. Economic

activity is thriving and the Valley workforce has increased by 70% since 1991.

The ‘Valley Gateway’ is now a state-of-the-art civic entry point, hosting an

exciting cluster of apartments, commercial tenancies, restaurants, cafes and


20 Refer section H: supporting documents 12-15




FIG 22 | The iconic James Street – a people oriented destination that embraces Brisbane'ssubtropical lifestyle



specialist retail outlets. With the introduction of the ICB, one of Brisbane’s most

used road corridors, and extensive streetscape improvements, local streets

have once again become places for people, with James Street22 the pick.

The Valley’s status as one of the nation’s most important breeding grounds

for original music has also been cemented. In 2007, US Billboard23 magazine

named Brisbane as one of ve international music hotspots, a direct reection

of the Valley’s growing inuence on the global music scene.

Brisbane has become the place to be for young professionals with imagination

and ambition, thanks to the high-quality living and working environments URB

created—a magnet for knowledge workers. The Valley and surrounding suburbs

now host high-energy business clusters at the forefront of their respective elds,

be they fashion, design, advertising, digital media or software development.

URB redened Brisbane’s inner north-east without destroying the urbanfabric of existing neighbourhoods. Quaint timber and tin cottages sit happily

alongside award-winning, medium-rise apartments, and once idle factories,

warehouses and wharves now stand tall in the landscape, reconnected with

a new age and a new generation.

Summary of quantitative results

– 120 hectares of industrial or obsolete land redeveloped.

– More than 20 heritage redevelopments.

– 8,400 additional employment opportunities.

LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Private partnerships

URB always considered commercial realities, balancing aspiration with

economics. This is the secret to much of its success. Sceptical developers,

previously distrustful of government planners, were won over by URB’s

understanding of the marketplace; URB’s master plans were always informed

by extensive research into market demand and key private sector developers,

architects and urban planners were employed to inform and guide local projects.

URB actively stimulated developer interest by funding and delivering catalytic

projects, creating new development opportunities and streamlining the government

approval process. Early government investment in key infrastructure also worked

to build developer condence. URB utilised innovative planning controls to provide

for orderly development and economically attractive built forms.



23 (Carne, 2007)


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/brisbane-a-new-world-city 38/7838 INDUSTRIAL CITY

Measurability

URB’s success is measured by key performance indicators (KPIs). Regular

reporting against KPIs assists URB to monitor key strategies and enables

Council to evaluate URB against corporate objectives. URB’s rst ten-year

indicator report24 is particularly noteworthy as it quantiably measures a

decade of signicant transformation, reporting against KPIs such as increased

residential development and decreased heavy industry presence.

POTENTIAL APPLICATION AND REPLICABILITYFOR OTHER CITIES

A model project

URB’s inner-north east renewal strategy presents simple initiatives for other

cities to follow:

1. Set clear development directions with master plans for mixed-use

urban communities.

2. Engage the community and stakeholders in genuine, meaningful

consultation, making them partners in the renewal process.

3. Relocate incompatible industrial uses to remove conicts with

redevelopment.

4. Concentrate and direct government efforts into targeted, meaningful

infrastructure to provide a springboard for private sector investment.

5. Invest in public realm improvements to sustain long-term vitality

and liveability.

6. Facilitate high prole demonstration projects to generate developer

and consumer interest.

7. Streamline the bureaucratic approval process for major development.

8. Promote high-quality design and ensure the retention of heritage.

D | STATUS OF PROJECT

The successful regeneration of the former industrial suburbs of Newstead,

Teneriffe and Fortitude Valley over the last 20 years is evident for all to see.

However, as the city grows and changes URB must face new challenges

and opportunities. Accordingly, URB has recently revised and updated the

neighbourhood plans for these suburbs and continues to actively drive the

implementation of these plans by facilitating new developments and initiating

renewal projects on a day-to-day basis.





E | DEVELOPMENT TEAM

The URB team has evolved and changed a great deal over the last 20 years.

The original Urban Renewal Taskforce was chaired by Trevor Reddacliff, who

continued to lead Urban Renewal Brisbane until his untimely death in 2005.

The core of the URB team has generally consisted of around 5-10 urbanplanners and designers.

F | PROJECT IMAGES

Please refer to Figures 7-22 throughout Demonstration Project 1 –

Post-industrial city: Transforming obsolescence into opportunity.



http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/brisbane-a-new-world-city 40/7840 INDUSTRIAL CITY

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2011). Census Data 1991-2006. ACT:

Commonwealth of Australia.

Brisbane City Council. (1990). Inner Suburbs Action - The Report. Brisbane:

Brisbane City Council.

Carne, L. (2007, January 27). Sweet sound of success. Retrieved from The

Courier Mail: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/sunday-mail/sweet-sound-of-

success/story-e6frep2o-1111112899350

Staerk, G. (2010, January 02). Jim Soorley stopped urban sprawl. Retrieved

from www.goldcoast.com.

H | SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

1. Inner Suburbs Action - The Report, Brisbane City Council, 1990

(electronic)

2. Soorley’s Grand Plan, By J McCarthy, Courier Mail, 1991 (electronic)

3. Urban Renewal Report: Inner North-Eastern Suburbs Brisbane,

Urban Renewal Task Force, 1991 (Paper copy provided)

4. Urban Renewal Report: Supplementary Paper 1992-93, Urban

Renewal Task Force, 1993 (electronic)

5. Newstead Teneriffe Strategic Plan, Urban Renewal Taskforce, 1993

(paper copy provided)

6. New Farm Teneriffe and Newstead Riverside Promenade Master

Plan: Executive Study, Urban Renewal Task Force 1996 (electronic)

7. Church Street Project: Award for Excellence 1994, Royal Australian

Planning Institute Inc. Queensland Division (electronic)

8. Valley Gateway Master Plan: Planning and Design Report, Urban

Renewal Task Force, 2001 (electronic)

9. Valley Music Harmony Plan, Brisbane City Council. 2004 (electronic)

10. Urban Renewal Brisbane Community Engagement Framework, Urban

Renewal Brisbane. 2009 (electronic) 11. Certicate of Merit, Neighbourhood Planning in Urban Renewal

Areas: A Community Engagement Framework, Planning Institute

Australia: Queensland Division (electronic)

12. Newsline No.1 ,Urban Renewal Newsletter, October 1992 (electronic)

13. Newsline No. 22, Urban Renewal Newsletter. June 1997 (electronic)

14. Newsline No. 25. Urban Renewal Newsletter. March 1998 (electronic)

15. Newsline No. 27, Urban Renewal Newsletter. July 1998 (electronic)

16. Urban Renewal an Investment, by Sue Williams in The Australian,

2007 (electronic)

17. Key Performance Indicator Report 1991-2001, Urban Renewal Task

Force, 2001 (electronic)




RIVERCITY

Reconnecting Brisbanewith its River




RIVERCITY



1 Iuhouvn ofmvlml fmv

RIVER CITY 43

“The rejuvenation of these vacant sites and buildings along the

Brisbane River reflects a fundamental urban renewal process which is

to replace bygone industry with people”

URBAN RENEWAL 1996 Report

"People didn't care. Brisbanehad pretty much turned itsback on the river."

EDMUND BOURKE,

The Courier Mail, 2007

FIG 23 | The winding Brisbane river – Flotilla – the relaunch of the CityCatsafter the 2011 Brisbane floods

FIG 24 | River City contextual map–

Shows the way Brisbane's

river dominates the city

geographically and URB

focus ares


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/brisbane-a-new-world-city 44/7844 RIVER CITY

A | PROJECT NAME

River City: Reconnecting Brisbane with i ts r iver

B | PROJECT LOCATION/SIZE

See gure 24 for river city location context. URB's strategies to connect

Brisbane with its river have focused on riverside suburbs within 5km of the

city centre.



A neglected river

Brisbane’s dening natural characteristic has always been its winding river. It

dominates the city geographically and has shaped settlement patterns since

the 1820s. Then, it was the gateway into the city, the conduit for trade, and,

further upstream, a place for swimming and picnicking.

As Brisbane grew, the river became a handy open sewer and waste dump. Its

banks were stripped for timber and the riverbed dredged, irrevocably changing

the river's ecology. 160 years after settlement, the river presented a poor sight.

Deserted industrial sites lined much of the river and the city averted its gaze

from its muddy waters.

Movement alongside and across the river was difcult, with few bridges and

limited riverfront access, dampening redevelopment interest in the inner city.

The river was Brisbane’s ‘great divide’, splitting the city in two and limiting the

CBD’s expansion.

But the tide was about to turn for the Brisbane River. In the late 80s,

development in the CBD began to open up river sections hidden behindbuildings, car parks and wooden wharves. This was rapturously received,

sparking further development interest in riverfront sites. URB drew upon this

enthusiasm with an ambitious strategy to reconnect Brisbane with its river.


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/brisbane-a-new-world-city 45/78 RIVER CITY 45

“The Brisbane River will always be one of our greatest assets. My

agenda, from day one, has been underscored by the need to focus on

the Brisbane River—its health and its beauty. Our goal for the future is

to see the whole community enjoy the benefits of the river.”

JIM SOORLEY, Brisbane Lord Mayor 1991-2003, quoted in Urban Renewal Report 1999

FIG 25 | Before and after pictures of Catalina Wharves – one of Brisbane'shistorical shipping wharves, redeveloped into luxury residentialapartments and houses




Visioning the future

URB’s initial focus was to enable the community to enjoy the benets of the river

in Brisbane’s inner north-east; but it soon spread to take in southern riverside

suburbs Bulimba, Kangaroo Point and South Brisbane, as well as the CBD. URBis presently planning the northern riverside suburbs of the CBD, Auchenower,

Toowong and St Lucia.

URB drove change along the inner-reaches of the Brisbane River through a

series of plans and strategies that embedded river-focused strategies into locality-

specic outcomes. Early directions were set by URB’s Riverside Study25(1992)

which explored ways to upgrade riverside open spaces and networks and

presented practical design concepts, landscape treatments and costing estimates.

Core strategies

Four overarching strategies guided URB’s river revival efforts:

1 Recreate the waterfront

Vacant, dilapidated sites lined the river, the legacy of changing markets and

new technologies that enabled industries to relocate from the city heart closer

to road-transport routes. URB encouraged remaining heavy industries to move

out of the riverside suburbs of Newstead, Teneriffe and Bulimba, facilitating the

creation of high-quality residential, retail, entertainment and cultural precincts.

Reclaiming public access to the river was paramount. URB negotiated with

developers of approved projects to orient their developments towards the

river, restrict building heights to preserve river views and ensure public access

to the absolute riverfront. New local plans then set height limits on riverside

developments and designated public access areas around the waterfront. URB

tailored its approach to each riverside locality, ensuring each reach of the river

developed its own unique character.

The resulting riverside developments have received many accolades, with

Teneriffe’s refurbished woolstores the standout performer. Australia’s largest

collection of portside woolstores, these heritage buildings were sensitively

redeveloped into apartments, businesses, restaurants and cafes, supported

by a public plaza, park and riverfront promenade. URB not only oversaw their

redevelopment, but kept surrounding development low-rise to preserve views

of the historic buildings from the river itself.

25 Refer Section H: supporting document 1



FIG 28 | Historical picture of Howard Smith Wharves and the proposed concept forthe site's redevelopment

FIG 27 | Original map of the Brisbane RiverWalk whichhas significantly improved public river access

FIG 26 | New pedestrian river crossings originally identified under Urban Renewalplans - Goodwill Bridge (left) and Kurilpa Bridge (right)



2 Improve walking and cycling networks

As each new development was planned, public access to the waterfront was

reclaimed. URB’s master plans26 and supporting infrastructure plans identied

missing links in the local walking and cycling network, and URB coordinated

their delivery to ensure an integrated network along, and connecting to, the

water’s edge.

Between 1991 and 2011, 14 kilometres of ‘RiverWalk’ were constructed, linking

Newstead in the north, through the city centre to West End in the south. It

was a project that demanded signicant planning innovation and negotiation

as many parcels along the waterfront were privately-owned with little chance

of redevelopment. Eventually, a oating walkway was constructed with a

drawbridge allowing access for private vessels.

URB identied new river crossings for pedestrians and cyclists and worked

with the Queensland Government to deliver them:

• Goodwill Bridge, linking the Queensland University of Technology

to South Brisbane

• Kurilpa Bridge, connecting the Gallery of Modern Art to the CBD27.

3 Facilitate river recreation

URB saw the river as a connecting spine for large public areas and

smaller, more intimate spaces. With time, this vision was slowly realised.

URB acquired new public recreational spaces from larger developments,

assembled contributions from smaller developments to purchase new parks

and gave older parks, New Farm Park and Merthyr Park, a facelift through

exciting master plans and capital works projects. When URB planned the

refurbishment of the Brisbane Powerhouse, around 1.5ha of prime riverside

land was also set aside as parkland.

Every new development, large or small, was required to be landscaped, and

where possible, feature green spaces. Local streets were greened, footpaths

widened and seating added, opening up new opportunities for riverside recreation.

Redevelopment of Brisbane’s last remaining CBD wharf site, Howard Smith

Wharves, is now underway. Once the scene of Queensland’s premier port

facilities, the site is a short walk from the CBD and Fortitude Valley. URB’s

strategic vision28 for the wharves will guide redevelopment and see the historic

warehouses converted into cafes and cultural facilities, a new riverside

walkway, lifts connecting the riverfront to the cliff tops, and 80% of the almost

4ha site rebirthed as public open space.

26 Refer to section H: supporting document 2

27 Kurilpa Bridge was identied in the City Centre Master Plan, 2006




FIG 29 | Concept design and construction image of Newstead Riverpark – one of the largest UrbanRenewal projects in Australia, which will deliver 5ha of additional riverside parkland

FIG 30 | Brisbane CityCat's have revolutionised river transport and are perfectlysuited to Brisbane's subtropical climate



Newstead Riverpark’s new 5ha Waterfront Park will be ideal for picnicking

families, workers enjoying lunch outdoors and to double as an inner-

city ‘backyard’. Riverside boardwalks will be a feature of the development.

Construction is now underway on this massive renewal project, the largest of

its kind undertaken in Brisbane.

4 Promote river transport

In the rst decades of Brisbane’s settlement the only way across the river

was by boat, however, as bridges were constructed and car-based transport

increased, ferry services went into decline. By 1991, only a small number of

cross-river passenger services remained.

URB’s original Urban Renewal Report29 (1991) called for a return to river-based

transport. The successful renewal of the inner north-east gave impetus to the

call and Council subsequently established the super-fast CityCat ferry servicewith six, multi-hulled catamarans in 1996. CityCats made it possible to travel

the length of the river from Hamilton to St Lucia, connecting urban renewal

areas to the CBD, inner-city parklands and two universities.

URB identied sites for new terminals and upgrades to existing ferry

terminals which were funded through negotiations with developers or

infrastructure contributions.

Key innovations 1. Ensuring continuous public access to the riverfront through

unconventional developer partnerships and construction of the

oating RiverWalk.

2. Inspiring and facilitating government investment in sustainable

transport infrastructure suited to Brisbane’s subtropical climate—

pedestrian and cycling bridges and a high-speed ferry service.

3. Creation of an inner-city ‘green web’—a combination of big parks,

sports and recreational spaces, pocket parks and boulevardtreatments that all link to the river.

4. Use of creative marketing, including river-focused events and

celebrations, to generate community ownership of the river and

achieve cultural change.

29 Refer to Part A, Section H: supporting document 3



1 Iuhouvn ofmvlml fmv

RIVER CITY 51

LOVE came late to Brisbane for its

river but now there is commitment.

The city that learned to admire

its river in the past two decades

instead of turning its gaze away

is not going to look away now,

despite the terrible damage the

river inflicted ….”

ANDREW FRAZER, The Courier Mail, 2011

FIG 33 | Riverfront properties are now the city's most desirable addresses and demand apremium price tag

FIG 31 | Increased river recreation is

demonstration of Brisbane'snewfound love for its river

FIG 32 | Everyday thousands of inner cityresidents commute to the CBDvia the RiverWalk




A cu lture shi ft

Today, the Brisbane River has been transformed from a muddy industrial

conduit into a rich cultural asset. No longer ashamed of its waters, Brisbane

denes itself as ‘the River City’. Images of the snaking, glittering river pervadetourism brochures and form the backdrop of marketing campaigns.

Cruising down the Brisbane River on one of the Council’s 19 CityCats or nine

CityFerries is now an essential experience for residents and visitors alike,

with recent gures showing over 1.54 million trips were made in the 2010

September quarter 30.

"I’d rate it one of the world’s great urban transit experiences. Venetian

gondolas, London cabs, Filipino tuk tuks – the Brisbane River ferries

rival the lot.” 31

Each day, a growing number of workers commute to the CBD along more

than 20km of riverside boardwalks, swapping their cars for a healthy bike ride

or walk. The numbers are staggering. In one section alone, the Bicentennial

Bikeway, pedestrian and cyclist numbers have more than tripled since 1991

to over 5,000 per day32. Riverside paths are now a critical component of

Brisbane’s transit network and are continually being expanded to meet growing

demand. Linking inner-city neighbourhoods with the CBD, they provide easy

access to workplaces, cultural destinations and green spaces.

Dredging ceased in 1997 and the Brisbane River has once again become a

popular recreational resource, especially for school and university rowing clubs.

The river was even used to host the Goodwill Games’ international triathlon in 2001.

The river’s visual appeal has returned, with a premium now paid for properties

that overlook the water, and it’s become a prime exercise destination.

Environmental benets have also been reaped with improvements to water

quality in the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay. Marine and bird life arereturning and even dolphins have been spotted near the CBD33.

The millions invested in riverside pathways, bridges and public transport are

also bringing economic benets by enabling the expansion of the CBD. A

new overarching plan for the inner city being developed by the Queensland

Government and Council, may consider formally extending the CBD’s

boundaries to take in South Brisbane and Milton—a progression made

possible by the area’s improved accessibility.

30 (Translink , 2010)

31 (Baker, 2007)

32 (Brisbane City Counci l, 2011)

33 (Bourke, 2007) Refer to Sec tion H: Supporting document 4



ACHIEVEMENTS> 14ha addit ional parkland

> 4.3km continuous riverfrontpromenade

> two popular, new pedestrian andcyclist bridges and a new ferry service

> 6.6m annual CityCat passenger tri ps

> Goodwill Bridge carries over 10,000pedestrians every day

FIG 34 | The annual Riverfire festival

FIG 35 | Brisbane has Australia's largest galleryof modern art (GoMA)

FIG 36 | A devastating flood struck Brisbane in January 2011 – thousands of volunteers helpedwith the clean up and became known as the 'mud army'



Once seen as a constraint, the Brisbane River now forms the backbone

of Brisbane’s urban renewal efforts. It’s an investment attractor, with the

overwhelming majority of Brisbane’s high-density housing located within

walking distance.

URB recognised that breaking public apathy towards the river would be as

important as generating developer interest. In 1996, Council staged the city’s

rst river-based festival, ‘Down by the River’, to help bring attention to the

river. Today, it has grown into the hugely popular ‘Brisbane Festival’, a week-

long annual celebration of the arts, Brisbane and its river. The Festival’s

signature events are the Riversymposium, an international conference on

river management, and Riverre, the region’s largest reworks display, which

attracts over 600,000 people.

Due largely to URB’s success in establishing the river as a place to be, Brisbane

has invested heavily in its riverside cultural precincts, with major upgrades to the

Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Queensland Art Gallery and Queensland

Library. Australia’s largest gallery of modern art, GoMA, was added to the

riverside cultural precinct in 2006. The state’s most prominent universities—the

University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology—located on

the river’s banks, have also continued to thrive and expand.

Brisbane’s new found love for its river was tested in January 2011 when

the city was hit with a devastating ood. Almost 12,000 homes and 2,500

commercial properties were damaged or destroyed and the CBD shut down

for the better part of a week. In a tribute to the resilience and spirit of inner-

city communities, over 60,000 volunteers hit the streets to clean-up private

residences, community facilities and riverside spaces.

River infrastructure was damaged by the ood including many CityCat

pontoons being washed away, but the community was united in its response:

CityCat services must be reinstated.

Measurability

URB’s success can be quantiably measured through various reporting

tools. Council’s annual report tracks relevant indicators such as CityCat

and CityFerry patronage, bikeway and pedestrian patronage, infrastructure

spending and ‘watersmart’ strategies such as focus on the river.

Council’s annual Community Attitude Survey (CAS) is an ongoing qualitative

measurement of quality of life in Brisbane and a reliable barometer of public



FIG 37 | An aerial image of inner-north Brisbane shows the way revitalisation has helped toorient properties and parkland towards the river



opinion. CAS tracks residents’ perceptions of issues such as the state of

the environment and ease of getting around and is used to guide Council’s

strategic planning.

Performance reviews34 and yearly Urban Renewal Reports35 were also

conducted to evaluate the achievements of URB.

POTENTIAL APPLICATION AND REPLICABILITY

Bringing life back to the river

URB’s river renewal strategy presents simple initiatives for other cities to follow:

1. Relocate industrial uses away from the riverfront to remove conicts

with redevelopment.

2. Facilitate demonstration projects to generate developer and

consumer interest.3. Direct public and private funds into infrastructure to enable

riverfront access.

4. Encourage greater use of the river for walking, cycling and

public transport.

5. Locate mixed-use development, open space and cultural activities

alongside the river.

6. Bridge the divide with pedestrian bridges.

7. Unite all levels of government with a common goal. 8. Tailor initiatives to retain the heritage and character of precincts.

9. Improve environmental standards to make the river attractive and safe.

10. Set clear guidelines for development near the river.

11. Celebrate the river through community events.


URB commenced its work to revitalise the Brisbane Riverfront with the release

of the Urban Renewal Report in 1991 and the Riverside Study in 1992. Overthe last 20 years, the riverfront has been progressively rehabilitated through

public investment and private developments. More than 14km of RiverWalk

and 20 CityCat terminals have been delivered since 1991, and URB continues

to work on delivering new improvements to the riverfront. In April 2011, a new

5ha waterfront park and a key RiverWalk connection was handed over to

Council as part of the Newstead Riverpark development – one of the largest

urban renewal projects in Australia.

34 Refer to Section H: supporting document 5




F | PROJECT IMAGES

Please refer to Figures 23-37 throughout Demonstration Project 2 – River City:

Reconnecting Brisbane with its river .

RIVER CITY 57



References

Baker, T. (2007, November 28). Viva Bris Vegas. Retrieved from Australian

Traveller: http://www.australiantraveller.com/component/content/article/74-

destination/3113-2268

Bourke, E. (2007, January 20). A river reborn. Retrieved from The Courier

Mail: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/sunday-mail/a-river-reborn/story-

e6frep2o-1111112862378

Brisbane City Council, (2011). Brisbane: Active Transport Research Team.

Fraser, A. (2011, January 22). Brisbane out of the wreckage. Retrieved from

The Courier Mail: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/brisbane-out-

of-the-wreckage/story-e6frg6z6-1225992013112

Translink. (2011), Translink Tracker 2010-2011, Queensland Government .

Retrieved from Translink: http://translink.com.au/resources/about-translink/

reporting-and-publications/2010-11-quarterly-report-oct-to-dec.pdf

Urban Brisbane Renewal. (1996). Urban Renewal 1996 Report. Brisbane:


Urban Brisbane Renewal. (1999). Urban Renewal 1999 Report. Brisbane:


H | SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS1. The Riverside Strategy, Urban Renewal Task Force, 1992

(Paper copy provided)

2. Brisbane’s RiverWalk Strategy 1991, Urban Renewal Task Force. 1991

(electronic)

3. Howard Smith Wharves Concept Design, Urban Renewal Brisbane. 2008

(electronic)

4. A River Reborn, By Edmund Burke, The Sunday Mail 2007 (electronic)

5. Performance Review 1991-2004. Urban Renewal Brisbane, 2004(electronic)

6. 1996 report and ve-year overview , Brisbane Urban Renewal. 1996


RIVER CITY 58



NEW WORLD

CITY

Planning forsustainable growth




NEW WORLD

CITY


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/brisbane-a-new-world-city 61/78 NEW WORLD CITY 61

FIG 39 | Brisbane in 2011 is a vibrant, dynamic metropolis

FIG 38 | New World City contextual map


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/brisbane-a-new-world-city 62/7862 NEW WORLD CITY

A | PROJECT NAME

New World City: Planning for sustainable growth

B | PROJECT LOCATION/SIZE

See gure 38 for New World City location context. URB's work to

transform Brisbane's inner city has focused on the city centre and

12 inner-city growth precincts.



A growing city

Seven years after URB began work in Brisbane’s inner city, the academic

think-tank Globalization and World Cities Study Group (GaWC) announced

that the city showed signs of ‘world city formation’.

Brisbane’s transformation into a dynamic metropolis had begun.

Yet the city stood poised on the brink of even greater evolution. By 2004, South

East Queensland had become Australia’s fastest growing region. Another million

residents were predicted by 2026, taking the total population to 4.2 million.

How would this growth be managed? A sustainable solution was needed to

stop suburban sprawl eroding the green hinterland and stretching transport

systems. Most concerning of all was the rising cost of housing. Critical housing

shortages lay ahead.

The region’s rst statutory plan36, set ambitious targets for inll residential

development, directing growth into a compact ‘urban footprint’. Brisbane City

was targeted for an additional 156,000 new dwellings over 20 years

and massive employment and transport increases.

Governments realised the inner city held the key to Brisbane’s sustainable

growth. New development would need to be concentrated into the CBD and

established inner-city communities along major transport corridors.

Following its success in Brisbane’s inner north-east, URB was charged with

planning this growth—injecting new life into the CBD and creating a supporting

frame of self-contained growth precincts.

36 (Queensland Government, 2005)



FIG 40 | The City CentreMaster Plan – a visionarydocument that hasfacilitated Brisbane'stransformation intoa New World City

FIG 41 | Examples of inner-city growth precinctrenewal strategies and plans

TABLE 4

Renewal Strategies

Newstead and Teneriffe Renewal Strategy

Fortitude Valley Renewal Strategy

New Farm and Teneriffe Hill Renewal Strategy

City Centre Master Plan

Woolloongabba Centre Renewal Strategy

South Brisbane Riverside Renewal Strategy

Milton Station Renewal Strategy

Eastern Corridor Renewal Strategy

Toowong Auchenflower Renewal Strategy

Kangaroo Point South Renewal Strategy

Toombul Nundah Renewal Strategy

Taringa St Lucia Renewal Strategy




Visioning new growth precincts

Responding to the regional plan’s ambitious growth challenge, URB developed

visionary long-term ‘renewal strategies’37 for 12 inner-city growth precincts

and a master plan for the CBD38. These plans cover more than 1,000ha andcomfortably accommodate 40% of Brisbane’s inll development target.

Detailed studies were commissioned to inform the planning process for each

growth precinct, which was undertaken in consultation with the community

and stakeholders.

All plans were underpinned by ten objectives to ensure cohesion across

planning areas.

1. Maintain and reinforce an economically strong core, with a networkof business, cultural, research and knowledge clusters in the

supporting frame.

2. Concentrate high-density residential growth into the CBD, major

centres and transport nodes.

3. Establish a green web of public spaces, streets and paths to promote

active transport and quality of life.

4. Facilitate greater opportunities for knowledge and creative industries.

5. Accommodate the living, working and leisure needs of a

multi-cultural society.

6. Celebrate the Brisbane River as the focal point of the inner-city.

7. Establish a more integrated public transport network.

8. Prioritise safety and security to foster a sense of community.

9. Preserve cultural and built heritage and local character.

10. Promote high-quality, subtropical design.

Each plan also incorporated tailored objectives.

The City Centre Master Plan (CCMP)39

offers an outstanding example ofURB’s approach to planning inner-city growth precincts and will be the focus

of this demonstration project. Released in 2006, CCMP aimed to manage an

expected population increase of 70% and a doubling of commercial activity.

It presented a 20-year vision to transform the CBD into a place to live, learn

and play, not just work.

The CCMP is currently being revised to ensure the plan remains current and

able to respond to today's issues and challenges and keeping the city on track

to continue delivering the communities vision for the next 20 years.

37 Refer section H: Supporting document 1 and 2 for example of a visionary document and renewal strategy.

38 See Table 3 for a complete listing of inner-city plans and strategies

39 Refer to section H: Supporting document 3



“Market Street is an excellent

example of Brisbane City Council

and businesses working together.The initiative has encouraged

individuals to utilise the outdoor

space between the buildings

keeping our city clean, green

and beautiful.”

VINCE ANELLO of Market Street Café

FIG 42 | Vibrant laneways and small scale spaces have activated the inner-city's forgottenplaces. Shown here are Jacob's Ladder, Burnett Lane and Market Street (includingInhabit artworks)

FIG 43 | The revitalised King George Square has transformed Brisbane's premier civic space



Strategy to reality

The CCMP was divided into ve, highly inter-related strategies:

Public Domain and Social Strategies40

URB believed that integrating built form, public spaces and transport networks

held the key to a sustainable, liveable city centre and the resulting planemphasised place-making. The CCMP required spaces and associated

facilities to address the needs of residents, workers and visitors and promote

social inclusion, safety and legibility. Offering developers incentives to include

affordable housing units within new developments and requiring a mix of

housing sizes were highlighted as important ways to foster diversity.

Due to the high cost of land, the CCMP sought creative ways to enhance the

public domain—upgrading existing squares and malls, unlocking the potential

of forgotten spaces and requiring new development to provide urban commons,

public art and mid-block pedestrian connections. Detailed Public Space

Guidelines41 were developed to articulate the principles and measures that

new spaces, refurbishments and maintenance works should address and to

coordinate development.

URB established the Vibrant Laneways and Small Spaces program42 to

revitalise underutilised small spaces and back alleys, supported by the award-

winning ‘Inhabit’, a program of temporary art installations, performances,

events and music designed to activate the new spaces. Launched as a six-

week program in 2008, Inhabit has now been expanded into a year-round

annual program.

URB’s CCMP identied 12 signature projects43 to demonstrate the CBD

vision, showcase exemplary design and ultimately, attract high-quality private

development. Many have already been delivered by URB.

– A $28m redevelopment transformed the city’s civic centre, King

George Square, into a world-class public open space.

– Master planning of the Howard Smith Wharves has been completed,

which will see the creation of a large new piece of public domain.

– The laneways program kicked off with a major upgrade of a forgotten

byway behind the city’s main mall, Burnett Lane. An upgrade of

Spencer Lane soon followed.

– Jacob’s Ladder, a steep stairway which links the CBD to Brisbane’s

oldest suburb Spring Hill, and the adjoining King Edward Park

received a $2.6m makeover.

40 Refer to section H: supporting document 3, p53-72

41 Refer to section H: supporting document 3: Appendix A, p198


43 Refer to section H: supporting document 3: section 6 p.119



FIG 45 | The Eleanor Schonnell Bridge created a new pedestrian link between the city and oneof Brisbane's major universities

FIG 44 | Little Roma Street revitalisation has created a new public space underneath a busy flyover



– Little Roma Street, a disused space underneath a busy yover, was

resurrected as a subtropical urban oasis, featuring state-of-the-art

stormwater harvesting feature.

– New street trees, street ‘art’ furniture and a build-out have turned

Market Street, which links prominent historical sites, into a captivating

small public space.

Built Environment Strategy44

URB considered Brisbane’s subtropical character a point of difference with

other cities and requirements for sustainable, climate responsive design

were embedded into the CCMP. New development was also required to

acknowledge heritage features through respectful design.

The CCMP allowed for greater scale and exibility in the built form but set

higher design standards. Emphasis was placed on developing distinctprecincts with their own character and tailored development guidelines.

URB helped the Centre for Subtropical Design prepare guidelines to support

the adoption of subtropical design and construction practices in Brisbane.

It also established an Independent Design Advisory Panel to provide

independent advice on the aesthetics, functional planning, sustainability and

heritage aspects of proposed major developments, especially public works.

Transpor t Strategy45

In 2005, Brisbane was predicted to become Australia’s most congested city

within a decade, with trafc volumes multiplying faster than population growth.

By 2026, an extra 250,000 two-way trips into the CBD were expected daily.

The CCMP presented a bold vision to transform the city centre into a

walkable, pedestrian-friendly core, shifting reliance from road-based transport

to environmentally friendly alternatives. Initiatives ranged from building

new ‘green’ bridges and more on-road bike paths and mid-block links to

constructing Australia’s rst commuter cycle centre and reconguring CBDstreets into tree-lined boulevards.

A reformed public transport network sat at the heart of the plan, with proposals

for a new underground mass transit system and cross-river rail line. Today,

these two projects are no longer just ideas, but core components of the

Queensland Government’s regional transport plan, Connecting SEQ2031.

Economic Strategy46





FIG 46 | The City Centre Master Plan has enabled a dynamic, tall skyline with unlimited buildingheights in the CBD



The CBD is the economic engine room of Brisbane and the wider region.

It drives the city’s $85 billion economy and sustains industries of state and

national importance. The CCMP strengthens the economic focus of both

the CBD and surrounding commercial precincts, which together represent

Queensland’s most signicant employment area.

The CCMP advocated for buildings of unlimited height in the core to create

a tall, dynamic skyline and generate the intensity needed to transition the CBD

into a 24/7 destination. Introducing greater economic diversity into the city

centre and stimulating a vibrant social environment, day and night, has been

actively facilitated by URB since the CCMP was launched.

URB also recognised that businesses require a globally competitive location

and sought innovative ways to increase the amount of high-quality, well-

located ofces and business premises within the already conned CBD.

The CCMP identied CBD-based education as a key export industry for Brisbane

and articulated a detailed tourism strategy to attract national and international

visitors. It suggested practical initiatives such as a one-stop-shop for tourists and

called for better branding and marketing of the city centre, promoting it as an

investment opportunity and destination for business and leisure.

Key innovations

1. Revitalisation of laneways and small spaces.

2. Forging a new architectural language for Brisbane inspired by

sustainable, subtropical design.

3. Fostering the emergence of distinct commercial precincts and

knowledge clusters in the CBD core and frame.

4. Delivery of tangible and catalytic demonstration projects.


City in the spotlight

In 2007, the CCMP was awarded the nation’s most prestigious planning award

by the Planning Institute of Australia47. Political and private sector endorsement

of the CCMP has led to unparalleled investments in public infrastructure and

continuing commercial growth, despite the recent global nancial crisis.

Council’s demonstration projects have sparked a urry of development activity,

with high-quality commercial clusters already mushrooming in key precincts

such as Albert Street and George Street’s North Quarter 48.

46 Refer to section H: suppor ting document 3, p107-118

47 Planning Excellence Award and Planning Ministers Award Trophies



“There’s a comfortable modernism toAustralian design: it looks considered,balanced and a little quirky. It’sspacious and open; it responds toclimate; it’s colourful without beingostentatious…

The most satisfying way thatsubtropical Brisbane responds issimply by making the walls disappear.There’s a seamless-ness betweenindoor and outdoor.”

GORDON PRICE, Vancouver urbanist,quoted in Price Tags, 2010

FIG 47 | Stylish public spaces are dispersedacross the city encouraging residents

to embrace Brisbane's uniquesubtropical lifestyle

FIG 48 | Revitalisation of the city's forgottenlaneways created new dining andretail opportunities



Environmentally sensitive commercial developments are a feature of these

precincts. Santos Place, which anchors North Quarter’s legal precinct, was the

nation’s largest building to receive a 6-star Green Star rating.

Brisbane has become a recognised international leader in sustainable,

subtropical design, with local architecture professionals now leveraging off

their expertise to break into the growing markets of Asia and India.

Subtropical design elements such as sustainable orientation, cantilevered

balconies, cross-ventilation, ltered light, water harvesting and outdoor living

spaces are becoming commonplace, and stylish, open public spaces now

ll the CBD. Private spaces blend seamlessly with public, integrating new

developments into the urban fabric with unparalleled expertise.

Brisbane’s CBD has become a place of discovery, with rich, engaging and

interactive pedestrian, retail and commercial experiences. Activated laneways

and arcades have spawned niche retail and commercial enterprises such as

Brisbane’s rst small bar, The Laneway, which perches out over Spencer Lane.

The renovated King George Square and other revived public spaces now host

a coordinated year-round calendar of cultural events, a drawcard for locals and

tourists alike.

Workers no longer drift back to the suburbs at 5pm but linger in new bars,

restaurants and cafes. The residential population has climbed from 1000 in1991 to around 10,000 in 201149, with approximately 30 new residential towers

completed50. Brisbane now hosts almost 16 million international visitor nights

annually51. International student numbers are also soaring, with about three-

quarters of students coming to Queensland now heading to Brisbane.

Over the last decade, Brisbane’s growth outstripped Australia’s major capitals,

with more than 940,000m2 of new ofce oor space constructed52. Yet the

CBD remains a welcoming place for all community sectors. In 2008, Council

introduced a package of incentives including reduced planning fees andinfrastructure rebates to make affordable housing more economically viable.

Since that time, over 1000 new units have been constructed53.

Thanks to pedestrian and cycling infrastructure investments, locals

are changing the way they travel. Research54 shows Council’s new

CityCycle network and cycle centre inspired many to switch

from motorised transport to cycling and stimulated other workplace

end-of-trip facilities.


49 (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011)

50 (Jones Lang Lasalle 2010)

51 (Brisbane Marketing 2010)

52 (Jones Lang Lasalle 2010)

53 (Colliers International Research 2010)

54 (Matthew Burke, 2010)



ACHIEVEMENTS

> 10,000 new CBD residents

since 2005

> 124,000 daily pedest rians

in the main CBD mall

> CBD cont ributes $3.7

billion in export value to

Brisbane’s economy

> $2.5b wor th of CBD

commercial developments

approved 2005-2009

FIG 49 | Media articles talk aboutBrisbane's inner-citytransformation – Virgin BlueVoyager magazine 2010 andBrisbane News 2010



Council has ofcially labelled Brisbane Australia’s New World City55 and this

is not merely a catchy tag line. Quite the contrary, it is based on internationally-

established indicators: GaWC now ranks the city high in the Gamma Plus

category ahead of Denver, Vancouver, Seattle and Shenzhen.

Today, even journalists talk of Brisbane’s new found sophistication56:

“Sub-tropical Brisbane–not perfect but something close to beautiful—

has at last let in the cool.” 57

Measurability

Council’s annual performance reporting is designed around principles of the

internationally recognised Global Reporting Initiative. Brisbane’s New World

City status is supported by annual reporting against key outcomes such as

planning for a growing city, thriving arts and culture, liveability and social

inclusion. Examples of relevant data include residential populations, number

of developments approved and investment attraction.

URB’s community engagement, undertaken through its award-winning

engagement framework58, provides extensive quantitative and qualitative

feedback throughout the planning process. Also, all local plans ultimately

become part of the city’s overall development plan (Brisbane City Plan) which

is reviewed every ten years.

POTENTIAL APPLICATION AND REPLICABILITYFOR OTHER CITIES

Recommendations for other cities, based on Brisbane’s experience in

managing growth and renewal, include:

1. Establish a long-term vision and be strongly committed to that vision.

2. Seek community ownership and participation in planning.

3. Strongly support improvements to the public domain and quasi–

public space through private development, civic works and

demonstration projects.

4. Create high-quality pedestrian and cycle environments and integrate

with transit infrastructure.

5. Implement creative and innovative design, with architecture and

sculpture playing key roles.

6. Integrate contemporary development with heritage.

7. Set out tangible and catalytic implementation projects.

55 Refer to section H, supporting document 6

56 Refer to section H, supporting document 7

57 (Quinn, 2008)

58 Refer to Part A, Section H, supporting document 9



FIG 50 | Arts and entertainment thrive in Brisbane's new activated laneways




The City Centre Master Plan (CCMP) was completed in 2006 and was

converted into a statutory Neighbourhood Plan in 2008. A distinct team

of urban designers was established in 2007 within URB to drive the

implementation of the CCMP. The CCMP team has completed a number of theplan’s key demonstration projects in recent years.

Additionally, URB has completed more than a dozen new renewal strategies

and neighbourhood plans since 2006 to manage rapid growth elsewhere

within the inner city. Brisbane City Council is working with the Queensland

Government to prepare an overarching inner-city strategy. This strategy will

rely heavily on the work completed by URB over the past ve years, expanding

on many of the policy directions set by the CCMP and precinct renewal

strategies. The strategy, for example, may propose to formally extend theCBD’s boundaries to take in surrounding inner-city growth precincts, and to link

the CBD to emerging inner city ‘knowledge precincts’ in response to ongoing

economic growth.

F | PROJECT IMAGES

Please refer to Figures 38-50 throughout Demonstration Project 3 –

New World City: Planning for sustainable growth.



References

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2011). Census Data 1991-2006. ACT:

Commonwealth of Australia.

Brisbane Marketing. (2010). Brisbane Economic Annual 2010: a retrospective.

Brisbane: Brisbane City Council.

Colliers International. (2010). Research & Forecast Report: Brisbane CBD

Ofce. Brisbane: Colliers International 2010.

Jones Lang LaSalle. (2010). Brisbane City Plan Review Property Economics

Report. Brisbane: Jones Lang LaSalle Pty Ltd

Matthew Burke, N. S. (2010). Evaluation of King George Square. Brisbane:

Grifth University.

Price, G. (2010, April 11). Price Tags Issue 109. Retrieved from Gordon Price:

http://www.pricetags.ca/index.html

Queensland Government. (2005). South East Queensland Regional Plan

2005-2026. Brisbane: Queensland Department of Local Government, Planning,

Sport and Recreation.

Quinn, K. (2008, November 13). Brisbane, I hardly recognize you. Retrieved

from Sydney Morning Herald: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/brisbane-i-hardly-

recognise-you-20081113-5z9q.html

H | SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

1. Valley Heart Vision, Urban Renewal Brisbane 2005 (electronic)

2. South Brisbane Riverside Renewal Strategy: Executive Summary,

Urban Renewal Brisbane 2009 (electronic)

3. Brisbane City Centre Master Plan, Urban Renewal Brisbane 2006


4. Laneways Paved with Potential, By Craig Johnstone,

Courier Mail 2008 (electronic)

5. Light at the end of George Street, By Ellen Lutton,

Brisbane Times 2010(electronic)

6. Brisbane – Australia’s new world city, Brisbane Marketing 2010

(electronic video)

7. The Birth of Cool, By Lucy Brook, Virgin Blue Voyager 2010

(electronic)

NEW WORLD CITY 77



Documents

Brisbane - A New World City