Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 1 from the Editor

11th - 13th May 2016, Brisbane This issue

From the editor 2 People News Q and A - Robin King-Cullen LFPIA 18 Queensland Committee gets down to Place business 2 It’s the vibe, Brisbane! 19 Planning passion recognised 3 So how good is the Kelvin Grove Urban 2015 PIA Awards for Planning Village? (Chapter 3) 23 Excellence in Queensland 4 From Plan to Place - Gasworks@ State Conference - Animated, Newstead Riverpark 27 enthusiastic, excited, happy and Brisbane Open House 31 motivated 6 Transforming car spaces into people Core skills in planning: Understanding the fundamentals of property places - Brisbane PARK(ing) Day 2015 32 development 8 Th e Queensland Young Planners - Member milestones 9 Brisbane PARK(ing) Day 33 Planning in a changing climate - PIA Postcard from France - I’m Position Statement 10 listening to you, you bastides 34 Cover design: Zara Ali Plan www.zaraali.com.au Adapting South-East Queensland Editor: Dan Molloy to accept more growth and the new Committee: Rachel Jones geography of jobs 11 Linda Tait MPIA CPP John Van As MPIA Spotlight on student accommodation 13 Eve Vickerson MPIA Moreton Bay Region - establishing ourselves as the region of choice! 15

Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 1 From the editor

We retrace its development through We look at Brisbane Open House and the the eyes of Greg Vann LFPIA CPP, like student accommodation scene as well as me a lifelong Brisbanite. Greg’s ‘folksy make connections to neighbouring areas rendition’ traces the city’s development and SEQ more generally. from the oft cited ‘big country town’, its legacies, defi ning moments through to its Looking to 2016 aspirations as Australia’s New World City. Th e fi rst edition in 2016 will look at We take a look at two award winning “Th e future for planning … and the examples of place making - this year’s profession”. Contributions welcome – see PIA From Plan to Place Excellence Award page 36 for details on how to submit an winner and Overall Winner – Gasworks@ article. Newstead Riverpark and the 2007 My thanks to the Queensland Planner Overall winning project - Aff ordable editorial committee, Linda Tait, John Van Housing in the Kelvin Grove Urban As, Eve Vickerson and Rachel Jones for Village. their insights, ideas and commitment to Dan Molloy the publication.

Brisbane in focus Dan Molloy Editor Th is edition looks at our state capital Brisbane as it prepares to host the 2016 Planning Congress from 11 – 13 May 2016.

Queensland Committee gets down to business Dan Molloy

Th e 2015/2016 Queensland Committee • Responding to the Infrastructure, Education - Mark Limb MPIA held its fi rst meeting on Monday 16 Planning and Natural Resources Environmental Planning - Laura Gannon November. Todd Rohl MPIA was elected Committee's consultation process for MPIA unopposed as State President for the next the Planning Bills and Private Member's twelve months. Leo Jensen FPIA CPP Bills introduced earlier this year Membership - Shane Spargo MPIA Policy & Advocacy - Todd Rohl MPIA and Nicole Willis MPIA were elected as • Draft State Infrastructure Plan – vice-presidents. submissions due 4 December Professional Development - Rosanne Meurling PIA (Hon Fellow) Todd was elected to the Committee as • SPP Draft Amendment – submissions Policy and Advocacy Convenor and has a due 4 December Qld Young Planners - Catherine Andrews packed agenda with consultation underway MPIA • Regional Planning and/or submissions being prepared across a Social Planning - Leo Jensen FPIA CPP range of critical issues including: • Qld Climate Adaptation Strategy Transport Planning - Shannon Batch MPIA • Planning Bills (tabled 12 November) • Contribution to PIA's draft Housing Urban Design - Linda Bradby MPIA and supporting instruments Position Statement (development assessment rules, plan Branch Convenors 2015/2016 Qld Committee making rules, planning regulation, Central Queensland - Julie Brook MPIA infrastructure designation guidelines) – Awards - Medina Hasan MPIA Darling Downs/Lockyer Valley - Josh consultation from 23 November 2015 Economic Development - Craig Mathisen Leddy MPIA to 5 February 2016 Gold Coast - Nicole Willis MPIA North Queensland - Vacant Season’s Greetings Sunshine Coast - Vacant Tropical North Queensland - Sharon The PIA Queensland office will close on Friday 18 December 2015 and Harwood MPIA CPP re-open on Monday 11 January 2016. Wide Bay Burnett - Michael Ellery MPIA Best wishes to all members, sponsors, advertisers and supporters for a safe Immediate Past President - Kate Isles MPIA and happy festive season and for a prosperous and rewarding 2016. Qld elected National Director - Darren Crombie MPIA CPP 2 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 News Planning passion recognised Dan Molloy

Th e two signature events on the PIA calendar in Queensland each year are the State Conference (with its Conference Dinner on the fi nal night) and Awards for Planning Excellence Dinner. It was fi tting that this year, these events saw a number of deserving individuals recognised for their contribution in Jeff Humphreys LFPIA leading eff ective planning for people and places. At the State Conference in September, Jeff Humphreys and John Gaskell were elevated to Life Fellow and Fellow respectively. Th e ranks of esteemed members were further enhanced when Darryl Low Choy and Cr Paul Tully were awarded Fellow and Hon Fellow status respectively at the Awards dinner on 6 November. Paul was fortunate to have his wife Liza by his side as the award was announced. After much behind the scenes subterfuge, Darryl was stunned to look out from the lectern as he accepted his award to see his wife and daughters in the room. Congratulations to all – wear your pins with pride. John Gaskell FPIA CPP

Darryl Low Choy FPIA Paul Tully PIA (Hon Fellow)

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Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 3 News 2015 PIA Awards for Planning Excellence in Queensland Brisbane 6 November 2015

Th e 29th PIA Awards in Planning Award for Excellence - Excellence were celebrated at a gala Outstanding Student Project dinner at the Brisbane Hilton on Friday Award - Tertiary November 6. Who really pays for urban infrastructure? Here we present a list of the winners and Th e impact of developer infrastructure sponsors. Congratulations to the winners charges on housing aff ordability in and commendation recipients and a Brisbane, Australia (Doctoral Th esis) by thank you to our generous sponsors. A Lyndall Bryant, Queensland University of full list of winners and commendations Technology. can be found in the Commemorative Book on the PIA website. Sponsor: Queensland Government Award for Excellence - Award for Excellence - Best Outstanding Student Project Planning Ideas Award - Small or Award - Secondary Local Project Redevelopment of 280-300 Old Building our City – Light Rail Corridor Cleveland Rd, Coorparoo by Jacinta by City of Gold Coast, Griffi th Keulemans (All Hallows’ School) University

Sponsor: Queensland Government Sponsor: CBP Lawyers

Jacob Anson Young Planner of the Year with Kate Isles The 2015 PIA Awards for Planning Excellence trophies and certificates 4 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 News

Overall Winner Gasworks@Newstead Riverpark Shannon McGuire - Planner of the Year Award for Excellence - Best Award for Excellence - Promotion Award for Excellence - The Robert Planning Ideas Award - Large, of Planning Swider Memorial Award for Regional or Urban Project Outstanding Achievement by a Queensland Government Planning Young Planner Sunshine Coast Shaping our Future by Scheme Code Interpretation - Animated HASSELL, Sunshine Coast Council Video by Place Design Group; Jacob Anson MPIA Department of Infrastructure, Local Sponsor: Buckley Vann Town Planning Government and Planning Award for Excellence - Planner of Consultants the Year Sponsor: BBS Communications Award for Excellence - From Plan Shannon McGuire MPIA to Place Award for Excellence - Great Place Sponsor: City of Ipswich Gasworks@Newstead Riverpark by Cardno HRP, Brisbane City Council, Gladstone Coal Exporters Maritime Award for Excellence - Overall Aveo, Cox Rayner Architects Precinct, East Shores by Urbis Winner

Sponsor: Moreton Bay Regional Council Sponsor: Sunshine Coast Council Gasworks@Newstead Riverpark by Cardno HRP, Brisbane City Council, Award for Excellence - The Hard Wendy Chadwick Encouragement Aveo, Cox Rayner Architects Won Victory Award Yeerongpilly TOD Plan of Development CrossLife Highland Reserve Lakeside by Deicke Richards Community Node by CrossLife - a baptist church Sponsor: City of Gold Coast Sponsor: Brisbane City Council Award for Excellence - Improving Planning Processes and Practices Logan City Council’s Online Environmental Off set Estimator by Logan City Council, Parsons Brinckerhoff , Ozius Spatial

Sponsor: Allens Linklaters Public Engagement and Community Planning Commendations only - no award in 2015

Sponsor: Powerlink Queensland

A toast to the profession Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 5 News Animated, enthusiastic, excited, happy and motivated. Townsville 9 -11 September 2015 Chelsey Smith PIA (Affiliate)

Th e 2015 State Conference was held in insightful and interesting facts along the Townsville from 9 to 11 September. Th e event way. Following the opening keynote and was a resounding success with the support of a quick cappuccino during morning tea, sponsors integral to ensuring the delivery of I was engaged in the PLAN: Northern a quality program of plenary and concurrent Australia session which provided a snapshot sessions, study tours and social off erings. into the innovative design strategies Th anks to all for your support. currently envisioned for the future Delegates, thanks for attending #PIATSV15 development and economic opportunities in Townsville!! Remember your pledge to across the Townsville region. In this session Shifting Gears. I was also presented with the real life eff ects of Cyclone Marcia and the opportunities Th is year’s review is via the refl ections of our and challenges that planning legislation Young Planner Scholarship winner, Chelsea and frameworks can have in response to Smith. natural disasters. Kate Isles MPIA - 2015 Conference Th e afternoon of Day One showcased Convenor PLACE: Th e climate factor session was If a moment can be described in words, an inspiring, engaging and enthusiastic I can say that the fi ve words above snapshot of the challenges, complexities encapsulated my feelings when I was told and opportunities that climate change and that I was awarded the 2015 Young Planner natural hazards have for our communities, Scholarship to attend the PIA Queensland suburbs and cities. Th anks must go to State Conference in Townsville. Coupled the amazing panel and convenor for this with my excitement, I was also enthusiastic fantastic session! I then enjoyed a study to make the most of all that was on off er tour of the inner city heritage of the to me as this was my fi rst opportunity to Townsville CBD, Castle Hill precinct attend a full state conference. and Jezzine Barracks. Despite the warm Day One kicked off with a bang during weather, Townsville did not disappoint and the opening keynote from Dr Keith Suter I enjoyed the stroll through the CBD and who emphasised the signifi cance of shifting the amazing view that Castle Hill has to gears in terms of our perspectives, world off er. view and future outlook amongst many

Keith Suter Prosperous Queensland panel 6 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 News

From this ...... to this Day Two continued the commitment to Partnered with two fantastic days of Shifting Gears in the morning plenary conference sessions and three outstanding session which provided an engaging and social events including the Gala Conference insightful panel session around perceptions Dinner, there was never an opportunity of planners and the planning framework. that was missed by myself to engage and Th e mid-morning and afternoon plenary improve my knowledge and understanding sessions provided countless opportunities of planning challenges, frameworks and the to be inspired, encouraged and committed profession. to creating healthy, happy and vibrant communities through planning. I would like to thank PIA for giving me the Th e perfect culmination to PIATSV15 opportunity to attend PIATSV15 and to was the closing keynote by Robyn Moore. broaden my knowledge and understanding Robyn showcased the power of eff ective of the fantastic industry that I work within communication and through her witty, and I would encourage any Young Planner honest and often heartbreaking anecdotes; with a passion for the profession to get Robyn facilitated the platform to determine involved and seize the opportunity what was most important in life. to apply for the next Conference. Robyn Moore

Taking the pledge Who ARE these people?

Young planners out in force Welcome to TSV by Mayor Cr Jenny Hill Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 7 News

2015 Core Skills Seminar Series

Understanding the fundamentals of property development Peter Gill MPIA

On Wednesday 4 November seminar time, specifi cally over the last 25 years. attendees in Brisbane and online Th is has been driven by an increasing witnessed a fi ne presentation in the fi nal complexity and robustness of legislative CORE SKILLS IN PLANNING seminar frameworks, and a much higher level for 2015. Malcolm Aikman, Director of of public scrutiny of the development Economic and Market Research at Urbis, process overall. Mal noted the “shift” in provided his insights built over many the practice of development management, years and various roles in the property perhaps responding to the risks inherent sector, on the topic of Understanding the in this advanced complexity, from very fundamentals of property development. much an “in-house” model in the 1980s, Mal provided an excellent summary of to the “core business and outsource the the key drivers and risks behind property technical expertise” model we see today. development, and the role and infl uence that good planning can have through the Th e town planning profession various key stages of the development particularly has seen a much higher process. level of involvement under the current development framework, whether seeking At the outset Mal noted the multiplicity to guide development outcomes through of skill sets required to be a developer; increasingly voluminous strategic and part entrepreneur, part project manager, statutory frameworks or delivering part salesperson, part commercial analyst, outcomes for developers through those part town planner…a developer will same channels. It has become ever more have a depth of understanding in many critical that as planners we understand Malcolm Aikman areas of the overall process but may the metrics, drivers and pitfalls of the not necessarily be an expert in any. Th e development process therefore in order Site identiﬁ cation (Policy, Infrastructure, anomaly of property development is to eff ectively balance good community Constraints): Th ere are numerous risks that the majority of participants in the outcomes with successful development that Property Developers need to consider process are regulated by government and/ opportunity, galvanising and delivering in this stage. Th ese particularly relate to or industry organisations and standards; the outcomes we seek. the land use zoning and the provision of however the actual property developer necessary infrastructure, and in particular is not. When the property cycle is on Mal looked at fi ve key stages of the forward knowledge regarding the the upswing all manner of people can be development process to defi ne the respective implications of legislative change. For new drawn to property development. levels of development risk, and the role that development areas a Property Developer the town planner (as a consultant and/or may speculate that the current zoning can As Mal pointed out, the property advisor) plays in each stage. be changed to a higher and better use. Th is development ‘game’ however is high can rely on local community support for risk, high return, and (potentially) high Notably the level of risk in the property such a change as well as Local Government, penalty. Donald Trump stands out development process increases through State Government, and sometimes as a well-advertised wealthy property the stages of the process. In contrast, the Federal Government support. Changes to developer. Estimated to be worth over role of town planning is most important government regulation are a signifi cant risk US$2.75 billion and earning around in the earlier stages of the process and for a Property Developer. Th is particularly US$250 million a year, Trump has becomes less signifi cant as a project moves becomes the case when regulation is declared corporate bankruptcy in 1991, through the Funding and Delivery stages. introduced aff ecting a site after a Developer 1992, 2004, and 2009 generally as a In detailing the relativity between the has purchased a site with a particular result of over leveraging hotel and casino two fi elds, and in particular focussing on intention in mind. Th is can be time property developments, for example in the role of planning Mal identifi ed the consuming and in an industry where time Atlantic City and New Jersey. following core inputs/responsibilities that is money, this can be the diff erence between Th e complexity of the property a planner brings to any project, through a profi t and a loss – and a successful development process has increased over the stages identifi ed above: community outcome or not. 8 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 News

Site Acquisition (Due Diligence): Queensland, has been the time taken is again relatively limited and generally Th e town planning role in this stage is for raw greenfi eld land to transition to restricted to an advisory and consulting notably critical. Th e two most signifi cant residential land. Noting time frames role. However again, the prospect of elements relate to the existing and for such transition of up to 14.5 years, time damaged approvals, and advice on potential land use zoning, and the Mal pointed out the impacts on project amendments that may be required as part constraints to development on the feasibility as one of the major risks for of the construction of the project in the site. Th e town planner’s role based development delivery. Th e planner’s face of new statutory frameworks is an on experience and understanding of role has emerged as critical in guiding important part of the planner’s role. the prevalent policy position, often at development propositions through the Th e topic of development fundamentals multiple levels of government, will be to complexity of the statutory system, to and the relationship to the planning advise on the highest and best use for the achieve approvals in timely fashion. world obviously resonated with the site, and the implications of any given audience, with a lively Q & A session development approach. Th is advice can Project Funding: Th is is a very high following Mal’s presentation. Th e fundamentally determine the profi tability risk stage for the Property Developer presentation provided an excellent insight of the project but also represents a as it needs to balance the securing of into the reality of the developer’s many signifi cant area of risk for the Developer, funding with the timing of the market conundrums, and the perspective that is particularly through cost implications opportunity. While the planner’s role is critical in the role of planning advisory linked to various development parameters less critical, the importance of ongoing services. While as stated, Mal focused (construction, delays, engineering etc). attention to statutory approval currency specifi cally on the role of the planner and advisory regarding legislative change Planning Approval: Th e Approval as consultant; through discussion it re-emerges as a key role. phase is one of the highest risk stages was evident that from the regulatory for the Property Developer. Th is risk is Project Delivery: Th e fi nal stage perspective a good understanding of the more about time than uncertainty of includes the construction of the project key risks and drivers of development outcome. As Mal noted, major challenges and handover to the end client. Th e is highly benefi cial in building in Queensland, particularly South East role of the Town Planner in this stage eff ective policy frameworks.

Congratulations to the following Members who have achieved milestones in their PIA journey since September 2015.*

Steven Adams MPIA - Elevation to Full Member Isabel Lockwood MPIA – New Member

Grant Barringer MPIA – New Member Susan Lodge MPIA – Re-joined

Greg Betts MPIA - New Member Joanne McAuley MPIA - New Member

Jessica Bright MPIA – Re-joined Leanne Morgan MPIA - Elevation to Full Member

Belinda Cox MPIA – New Member Mark Nicol MPIA – Re-joined

David Cunningham MPIA – Re-joined Morgan Randle MPIA - Elevation to Full Member

Gail Downie MPIA – Re-joined Kloe Robinson MPIA - Elevation to Full Member

Hayley Eske MPIA - Elevation to Full Member Douglas Schneider MPIA – Re-joined

Jessica Garratt MPIA – Re-joined Ellen Th ompson MPIA - Elevation to Full Member

Matt Ingram MPIA - New Member Christopher Tickner MPIA – New Member

Josh Leddy MPIA - Elevation to Full Member *Refl ects membership records as at 6 November 2015

Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 9 News Planning in a changing climate PIA Position Statement

Th e risks of climate change cannot be shape the future environments in which climate change planning into PIA ignored. Extreme heat, longer bushfi re we will live. Th ey encourage planners to: accredited planning courses. seasons, more regular drought, sea • Promote strategies that seek to level rise, and more intense storms and Promoting meaningful, inclusive reduce the overall demand for engagement with communities and cyclones are likely to impact on our non-renewable sources of energy, biodiversity, food security, and wellbeing. stakeholders to raise their awareness reduce greenhouse gas emissions and about climate change, and enabling their Already, the eff ects of climate change are support the shift to renewable energy. being felt in Australia, and they continue participation in policy development is to present signifi cant challenges to our • Adopt multi-disciplinary and another key responsibility of planners. Th rough collaboration with other ecosystems, communities and economy. collaborative practices, working alongside other professions and professions, planners can develop Good planning is essential to mitigate governments, to build consensus responses that are integrated and and adapt to climate change. PIA’s within communities, develop whole eff ective, and enhance their professional Planning in a changing climate position of government responses, and connections and understandings. statement provides a starting point for all identify consistent and coordinated As the national body representing the planners to help address this signifi cant actions for mitigation and planning profession, PIA also has an global challenge. adaptation. important role to play in supporting While various levels of government in • Work with aff ected communities members to build their level of Australia have adopted policies that and other stakeholders to assess risks understanding about climate change. acknowledge the need to plan for climate and vulnerabilities to climate change By off ering professional development change, PIA’s position statement has and develop appropriately resilient opportunities, sharing tools and been developed in response to a lack responses. approaches for mitigation and adaptation, of long term strategic leadership. It • Focus on the whole of existing providing access to mentoring, and calls for stronger leadership, continued communities, not just new contributing to policy development, research and innovation and collaborative development. PIA can support capacity development engagement to address the reality of a amongst both planners and decision Th rough the position statement, PIA changing climate. makers in government and industry. acknowledges the complexities of To eff ectively reduce and manage the planning in a changing climate challenges PIA encourages all members to read the risks presented by climate change, the traditional approaches to planning, Planning in a changing climate position position statement encourages greater requiring innovation, collaboration and statement, and to adopt the principles alignment, coordination and integration fl exible responses. A preferred approach and approach outlined in the statement of the planning policies and mitigation to addressing climate change outlined in in their practice going forward. To access and adaption strategies being employed the position statement provides planners a copy of the position statement, visit the by all levels of government. with practical ways to adapt their PIA website, www.planning.org.au, or practice, policy making and performance contact [email protected]. It also acknowledges that the planning across a range of areas. profession needs to strengthen its understanding of climate-related issues, Central to this approach is leadership. and that planning systems are under- Th rough the advice provided to clients, prepared to deal with the long-term government and the community, challenges of climate change. and by advocating the acceptance of responsibility and need for urgency, By outlining a set of planning principles, planners have an opportunity to be the position statement provides a leaders of action on climate change. framework for PIA and its members to play their part in reducing greenhouse gas Working with research institutions to emissions and developing climate change better identify the research needs of the mitigation and adaptation strategies. planning profession and to develop ways to better communicate climate science Th e principles recognise that the is another way planners can help tackle decisions planners make now in guiding climate change. Planners can also help urban and regional development will educators and academics to integrate 10 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 Plan Adapting South-East Queensland to accept more growth and the new geography of jobs Jeff Humphreys LFPIA

South-East Queensland Regional Population growth “the magical economics of knowledge Planning spillover” (for example, meeting in coff ee Th ere is a tendency in national planning shops in the public domain to have a chat South-East Queensland (SEQ) now has a reporting, including in the State of with your peers who do not work in the long-standing and respectable history of Australian Cities reports, to focus same fi rm). Similar phenomena arguably regional planning, including: on “cities” rather than “metropolitan are playing out in Australia too, with the regions”, which results in a blurring of concentrations of jobs in the knowledge- • 1976 Moreton Region Growth Strategy certain facts about Australia’s population based economy consolidating in the (in my fi rst job as a newly appointed growth, notably, that between 1991 and centres of four (maybe fi ve) capital city planning offi cer at Pine Rivers Shire 2011, SEQ (which has four “cities”) regions, including SEQ. In the Grattan Council, my fi rst task was to prepare absorbed 24% of Australia’s population Institute’s recent book, “City Limits: the Council’s response to the MRGS); growth, even though it only had 11% Why Australia’s cities are broken and how • 1992 Regional Framework for Growth of Australia’s population in 1991. If that to fi x them” this phenomenon of jobs Management; long term trend continues, then by the growth is illustrated (reproduced here in time that Australia’s population reaches Figure 1), showing that across fi ve capital • 2005 South East Queensland Regional 35 million, SEQ will have grown from city regions (which together account for Plan 2005-2026 (Overall National 3.1 million in 2011 to 6.1 million. Th e 72% of Australia’s population), 57% Winner, PIA Awards for Planning 2031 horizon of the 2009 regional plan of growth in jobs between 2006 and Excellence) allowed for growth to 4.4 million – by 2011 occurred in the inner 10km of those regions, even though the majority • 2009 South East Queensland Regional 2041 say, the population could be 5.4 of population growth (55%) occurred Plan 2009-2031 (“SEQRP”) million, another million people to be housed, beyond that planned for in the beyond 20km from the centres. We are now getting ready for the review current SEQRP. of the latest plan and it will no doubt build upon and adapt the last one, as it The New Geography of Jobs should. An interesting book by Enrico Moretti, SEQ is well set up to pursue eff ective “Th e New Geography of Jobs” regional planning, not the least examines what is happening in the because it has large local governments modern economy of USA, charting (including fi ve of Australia’s six largest the decline of manufacturing jobs from 20.5 million jobs in 1985 to by population) which are capable of 11.5 million jobs in 2009. Th is has behaving more constructively and been accompanied by a contemporary collaboratively than is generally the case growth of approximately 7.5 million in Sydney and Melbourne where smaller jobs related to the internet, scientifi c Figure 1 – Location of Changes in Employment and and more parochial local governments R&D, software and pharmaceuticals, Population between 2006 and 2011 in Sydney, have more fractious relations with the but these have been in diff erent locations Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide Source: City Limits (p.54)(Kelly, 2015) State and regional planning issues become from the manufacturing jobs that were more highly politicised and diffi cult to lost. Th e signifi cance of the economies Recent trends in Brisbane urban resolve. However there are challenges of agglomeration are identifi ed as the area jobs and housing in the next iteration of SEQ regional drivers for these new jobs location, three planning that may require some fi rm elements being access to a large pool of Th e concentration of jobs in the central “co-ordination”, which is the subject of skilled knowledge workers, proximity to part of the Brisbane Urban Area is already this paper. support services including capital and evident in data about the distribution of jobs and housing (refer to Figure 2). Table 1: Brisbane Urban Area - Growth in Jobs and Residential Population 2006-2011 However the trends identifi ed above are Workers Residents also refl ected in the growth of jobs and residential population in the Brisbane Inner 5km 36950 45% 21371 11% Urban Area between 2006 and 2011, Mid-ring suburbs 6772 8% 22735 11% tabulated in Table 1 and charted in Figure Balance Brisbane 11801 14% 41600 21% 3. Most signifi cantly, these data show: Contiguous LGAs 26787 33% 116089 58% • disproportionate growth of jobs in the Total 82310 100% 201795 100% inner 5km of the Brisbane region; Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 11 Plan

• more than half (58%) of population planned outer suburban multi-purpose be still a need to house about 400,000 growth occurring in the four local centre on transport), it is nevertheless more people in greenfi eld development government areas contiguous with relevant to consider whether it is a in SEQ up to 2041, say, which represents Brisbane City, even though they good idea in dealing with the next one both a challenge, and also an opportunity account for only 33% of the growth in million population, to allocate even to develop a more effi cient, productive jobs (OR 78% of population growth greater proportions to a corridor which and prosperous region in the future, occurred more than 10km from the historically has not assumed such a through good planning of land use GPO, while only 47% of jobs growth prominent role as the coastal parts of and transport – 400,000 is about ten occurred in that part of the urban SEQ. Yarrabilbas. area). Implications for planning SEQ Directions Th e growing disconnect between where Here are some suggestions for priorities people live in the Brisbane urban area, and a suite of related questions. and where they work, invites four logical responses, namely: • Try to fi nd new greenfi eld development areas in the coastal 1. further high density residential corridors north and south of redevelopment of brownfi eld sites Brisbane. close to the middle, where the jobs • Focus new greenfi eld residential growth is occurring; development where it is intended Figure 2: Spatial Distribution of Jobs and Housing in Brisbane Urban Area, 2011 Census 2. further residential infi ll development to focus investment in improving in existing residential areas, especially public transport services to the centre in the inner Brisbane suburbs, close of Brisbane – the obvious answer is to public transport routes; to focus on the rail corridors south 3. further employment growth in the and north, to pick up the large outer suburbs; and populations already resident in Gold Coast / Logan and Moreton Bay 4. improved public transport from the / Sunshine Coast, so as to benefi t outer suburbs to the centre of the those, as well as new residents. region. • Th erefore invest heavily in improving Each of these has a role to play. However the heavy rail services from Gold Figure 3: Brisbane Urban Area Growth in Jobs and (1) is expensive, high density forms do Residential Population 2006-2011 Coast to central Brisbane to not suit all household types and potential Sunshine Coast, providing better sites have to compete with other uses, Geographical population access to jobs in central Brisbane, including employment; the process to distribution in SEQ better economic outcomes for Gold achieve (2) is tortuous, site amalgamation Coast and Sunshine Coast centres, Another relevant factor that should be is diffi cult, and host communities do not and deeper skilled labour pools for logged in any discussion of the way always welcome change in their “back central Brisbane enterprises (as well forward in planning SEQ is the pattern of yards”; (3) deserves attention and must be as those in outer centres on that metropolitan regional population growth, optimised, but it is also important not to network); this proposal is illustrated in particular the observed distribution of over-emphasise what will be achieved, in diagrammatically in Figure 4, population between the coastal corridors an era where new economy jobs tend to reproduced from Connecting SEQ north and south of Brisbane, compared want to go to the centre (see above). 2031, the 2011 plan for regional with growth to the west. In general, Because of the limitations of the fi rst transport in SEQ. about 50% of the population of SEQ is three, the fourth alternative, to improve • Review / prohibit the pejorative use located in the four large local government public transport to the central part of of the “200km city” term, as it in fact areas south and north of Brisbane (Gold Brisbane, is expensive but needs to be provides the best answer: Th e SEQ Coast, Logan, Moreton Bay and Sunshine the focus of a lot more attention and Linear City. Coast, and these corridors accounted for eff ort. Connecting SEQ 2031 published about 90% of corridor population growth by the State in 2011 represented a None of this suggests compromising on between 1991 and 2011, compared with comprehensive overview of the issues environmental impacts, the quantum less than 10% in the western Ipswich and opportunities and a good beginning; and quality of greenspace, nor local corridor. Th e current SEQRP targets however the importance of likely trends community development; however this allocate 26% of new SEQ corridor in jobs distribution outlined above scenario does promote greater equality growth to the Ipswich corridor. Without provides additional impetus to examine of opportunity, with residents of outer suggesting that any existing commitments this harder. suburbs obtaining better access to better to Springfi eld / Ripley should be paid jobs in the middle – and more, changed downward (and Springfi eld Even if relatively optimistic infi ll better paid workers may be attracted to town centre is a great exemplar of a new residential targets are adopted, there will live in the outer suburbs. 12 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 Plan

Th e big question is whether the metropolitan region, like Sydney and economies of Gold Coast and Melbourne? Or call it SEQ if afraid of Sunshine Coast will benefi t from better Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast losing connections with Brisbane. By the time their separate identities – but is there a that SEQ accommodates 6 million risk that SEQ loses leverage in discussions people, around about 2050, Gold about the national infrastructure spend, Coast, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast for example, when the parts continue will inevitably be joined up. Is it not a to be seen separately? What will be the good idea to begin thinking about how competitive economic advantage of this to optimise the opportunity, how to particular urban region (in addition make it work best? If it becomes more to its particular lifestyle advantages)? attractive for residents of Gold Coast Is a prosperous, connected SEQ more and Sunshine Coast to work in Brisbane valuable to Australia’s national economy, central area, doesn’t that benefi t the and therefore more worth investing in its economies of each of those sub-regions infrastructure? by broadening the range of economic opportunities for the residents of each? Jeff Humphreys BRTP(Hons), BA, LFPIA And likewise for residents of Brisbane is Senior Principal and Asia Pacifi c in reverse? And the opportunities for Planning Discipline Chair, Cardno residents of all stops in between? Is it time and Adjunct Professor in Planning, Figure 4 – Rail Passenger Public Transport Plan for SEQ to start talking more about the Brisbane University of Queensland Source: (DTMR, 2011) Connecting SEQ 2031

Spotlight on student accommodation Stephen Warner MPIA

As the nation’s 4th largest export industry, Such operators aid in fi nding the right Using detailed statistics Will painted education is big business for Australia. location; designing the right product; a picture of what the higher education Providing specialised accommodation is asset performance; marketing (both market looks like in Australia, again with vital in attracting and retaining students domestic and overseas); maintaining a focus on Brisbane. Th e key fi ndings to the region. Th is was the focus of a relationships with education providers; were that Australia is the third most September seminar chaired by Kerry Doss customer service; and ongoing popular destination for international FPIA. operations. Th e discussion around the students, while also the most expensive importance of the student life experience country for international students. Will Th e session kicked off with Fabby was particularly interesting. Student then discussed student accommodation Ernesta, Chief Operating Offi cer of Th e accommodation providers have a duty options, comparing purpose built student Pad Student Living, who is responsible of care to provide a safe and secure accommodation (PBSA), home stay; for the operational functions and environment for all students. A secure private rental and shared housing. PBSA performance across a portfolio of 2,000 student accommodation is providing comprised residential halls and colleges beds. Fabby introduced his presentation students with the freedom from the risk (traditionally on campus providing with a discussion about the demand for of harassment, intimidation, robbery and individual rooms with shared amenities, student accommodation in Australia, assault and increased feelings of safety. often with full catering) and student with a particular focus on the Brisbane Residential life programs are designed to apartments (both on and off campus with international student market. Brisbane not only showcase available recreational self-catered facilities). Will concluded by currently hosts 75,000 international & social activities, but also includes addressing the critical requirements for students, with the average student arranged activities to foster friendships & off campus PBSA developments. spending in excess of $125,000 over a support (including mental well being). three year period. On the supply side International students may be especially Peta Harwood MPIA, Operations there is a signifi cant shortage of aff ordable vulnerable by being away from their own Manager, City Planning and Economic accommodation. home support networks in a new country Development, Brisbane City Council (BCC). BCC had chosen to proactively Th e central message of Fabby’s and can face higher safety and security hazards than their domestic student peers. support this industry sector with land use presentation was the importance planning and other responses to aid in of having a specialist student Th e second presenter was Will Pearce, an having a reliable supply of good quality accommodation operator onboard. Associate Director of Planning at Urbis. student accommodation options.

Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 13 Plan

With the commencement of Brisbane of student accommodation in desirable accommodation developments that City Plan 2014 (City Plan), through locations commensurate with the impact meet criteria aimed at achieving specifi c the new QPP rooming accommodation of the development and intensity. In this economic development and urban defi nition, Brisbane could acknowledge way the assessment framework establishes regeneration objectives student accommodation as a separate low impact self-assessable options and use from a multiple dwelling. Th is manageable impact code assessable While Brisbane is taking these proactive enabled a land use planning framework options to encourage the development of steps to encourage more purpose which acknowledged its unique forms quality, safe and well integrated student built and fi t for purpose student from students in a suburban house accommodation across the residential accommodation, a signifi cant number through to purpose built high density and centres zones. Th e emphasis in the of both Australian and international suites with shared facilities. Rooming assessment triggers and code provisions is students reside in the suburbs in share house or separate lease arrangements accommodation is a use of premises about the number of occupants relative in the same dwelling. BCC considers for the accommodation of one or more to the development density in the zone, the safety of occupants seriously and households where each resident has their access to the educational institutions and/ applies a zero tolerance approach when own tenancy agreement; has a right to or high frequency public transport and dealing with non-compliance with any occupy one or more rooms; does not adequate safety and amenity measures. have a right to occupy the whole of the development requirements especially fi re safety requirements. Brisbane also premises in which the rooms are situated; Another important response partnered has a Health, Safety and Amenity Local may be provided with separate facilities with Queensland Urban Utilities to aid Law 2009, which allows offi cers to take for private use; and may share communal the PBSA is the relatively recent Student action to ensure student accommodation facilities or communal space with one or Accommodation Infrastructure Charges does not unreasonably interfere with, more of the other residents. Reduction Procedure. Th is procedure or adversely impact the amenity of the reduces infrastructure charges by at Th e land use defi nition set up the ability surrounding area. to encourage diff erent forms and intensity least 50% for purpose-built student In July 2014, BCC established a register of student rooming accommodation properties (not including on-campus accommodation). Th e register is allowing BCC to better manage community concerns about safety, housing quality, and other development compliance matters including making sure owners secure appropriate building approval. Th e purpose of the free and voluntary register is to recognise good practice and encourage responsible property owners to continue to provide students with good- quality, private, rented accommodation. Council wants to establish an active partnership with these student rooming accommodation providers to seek their input in decision-making processes that aff ect the industry.

Brisbane considers a healthy student population as central to the vision of a New World City and the long term economic prosperity of Brisbane, regularly hosting Friendship Ceremonies to thank international students for choosing Brisbane. Th e City Welcome Festival is Australia’s largest city orientation event for international students. Attracting more than 5,000 attendees annually, the festival is an opportunity for locals to get involved and welcome Brisbane’s new and existing international students.

14 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 Plan Moreton Bay Region - establishing ourselves as the region of choice! Stewart Pentland MPIA and Kate Isles MPIA

Th e growth of the South East Queensland (SEQ) region has been impressive over the last 30 years, maturing into a progressive and widely recognised region of choice. Th e rapid growth of the SEQ region has historically been infl uenced by a number of factors including the extraction, processing and transportation of natural resources, or agricultural pursuits, (amongst others), which may infl uence the growth of the region in very diff erent ways into the future. In fact we already anticipate that the drivers of growth and the type of growth that we have experienced over time will change, and this will require us to approach the task of growth diff erently into the future. density. Others will be thrust upon us like registrations annually, and our new lot Historically this task of accommodating structural changes in our economy as we registrations, new lot sales and new growth has largely been left to Brisbane, transition to a ‘knowledge’ service based dwelling approvals being the highest as the region has evolved concentrically economy, or the ageing of our population in the state. Moreton Bay has as a around the capital and major as more get older and live longer. consequence experienced strong growth employment hub of SEQ. Th is pattern in median price points for vacant land, Over the last 15 years, Moreton Bay house and land, and medium density of development however has come has increasingly been assisting with with its ‘growing pains’ and it impacts product, although maintaining a relative the ‘heavy lifting’ of growth for our aff ordability comparative to the region. can be readily seen on the roads of our region. Although, our best years are still region during peak hour commuting. ahead of us with the region projected to Th e challenge now is to leverage the Decentralising growth, redirecting grow by a further 232,225 persons by success of the past and to create a vibrant employment opportunities, better public 2036, increasing the population to over and sustainable growth strategy that transport, and density, have addressed 610,000. Our economy is now recognised harnesses the opportunity Moreton Bay some of these ‘growing pains’, however as the fastest growing in SEQ, adding has to play a more meaningful role in the as our region continues to grow to an 12,300 new jobs over the course of the broader development of the SEQ region, estimated population of 5 million people last 12 months. Th is is due to a number and in doing so create a more vibrant by 2036 (an extra 1.7 million people), of factors including availability of land, region whilst putting down ward pressure these eff orts will need to continue to comparative aff ordability (despite strong on the regional infrastructure spend evolve to ensure that the opportunity growth in the median price point in through decentralised smart growth. of growth is not squandered, whilst the last 7 years), sustainable pro-growth ensuring all of the attributes that make business and regulatory environment, Moreton Bay in context the SEQ region so unique and coveted and an enviable natural environment are protected. that includes coastal foreshore through to Th e Moreton Bay Region has grown Whilst the decentralisation of growth has rainforest hinterland. rapidly over the last 60 years; in fact this time period is responsible for 94% started to occur over our recent past, if Our community is on average young, of the region’s growth. Th e graph below the region is to continue to grow and our with a median age of 37, and as a demonstrates the growth of Brisbane lifestyle and regional attributes protected, consequence the demographic more City with the parallel growth of Moreton every local government area in the SEQ generally includes a higher proportion of Bay Regional Council since the 1950s. region must share in this ‘heavy lifting’. young families. Although we will see this Post World War II Brisbane had reached Some factors will naturally drive us to evolve in the midterm as our population a population of 450,000 by 1951. At this conclusion, for example the ongoing also starts to age. availability of developable land within this time the Moreton Bay Region the Brisbane local government area, Our property economy fundamentals population was 22,000 of which Redcliff e the productivity impacts of traditional are also strong with the number of lot City accounted for half the population growth, or the community’s appetite for approvals meeting the number of lot (11,000 people).

Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 15 Plan

• as a result of recent fl oods and coastal events, awareness of natural hazards and their impacts is increasing within the community, which requires a risk- based approach to land use decision- making in areas of risk that balances the need for growth against the risks to people, property and infrastructure. Th ese changes are driving a new approach to planning in Moreton Bay. Th ey present a unique opportunity to bring forward a new vision across the entire Local government area that appreciates the unique qualities of our region whilst ensuring that we are accommodating growth and maximising the investment that has already been. Our vision A thriving region of opportunity where our communities enjoy a vibrant lifestyle. Moreton Bay Region Community Plan MBRC Place Based Model 2011 - 2021

Residential growth began to spill out Th ese changes require a new approach to Our vision is for: from Brisbane City into adjacent areas planning for and managing growth. Th e beginning in the Pine Rivers district now key changes that are occurring are: • A region of opportunity for all. part of the Moreton Bay Regional Council • the population in 2015 is almost • A region with safe, strong and inclusive area in the mid 1950s and has remained 425,000 people and continuing to communities. part of the greater Brisbane housing grow rapidly; • A region that celebrates our vibrant market since that time. In the 1950s lifestyle. Redcliff e was the major urban centre and • rising energy costs are likely to aff ect the districts of Pine Rivers and Caboolture people's lifestyles and livelihoods; Th e new Planning Scheme will be a key were predominately rural areas. • all the less constrained land has been contributor to this vision. Th e key drivers for the new scheme include:- Th e spread of population associated with developed resulting in increased costs the growth of the Brisbane metropolitan to develop the remaining land; • 70% self-containment – creating area has resulted in a Region of 425,000 • the remaining greenfi eld land is opportunities for our community to people (2015) and major retail centres more distant from major centres of live and work within the Region emerging at Caboolture, Redcliff e, employment and services; • diversity of places – establishing a Strathpine and North Lakes. In 2009 • infrastructure costs have soared and network of diff erent places to live, the State Government designated infrastructure networks and facilities work and play approximately 20% of the region as are stretched to capacity; urban footprint which is intended to accommodate existing and future urban • housing costs have soared, the growth of the region to 2031 (forecast population is ageing and households 538,000 people) and to limit development and housing needs are changing; within the rural areas of the region. • creation of local jobs has not kept pace Our challenges with population growth necessitating long daily commuter trips out of the Th e last 60 years have been unique with Region on congested transport systems respect to the era of cheap oil, availability by over 75,000 residents of the Region; of greenfi eld land, healthy ecosystems • ecosystems have been signifi cantly and waterways, aff ordable housing and a modifi ed, habitats and ecosystem growing regional economy. Changes are services are threatened by the impacts now occurring in the region which are of development and land use and water aff ecting the unique circumstances and quality and water supply security are conditions that prevailed over the last 60 major issues; and years during a period of rapid growth.

16 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 Plan

• integrated transport – creating a Region, Council has sought to expand connected community that links land the concept of place types to encompass use and transport the wide variety of places that make up • focus on active and public transport the Region and incorporate the strategic – encouraging increased patronage outcomes Council is seeking to achieve by having land use that responds to across the Region. Th is expanded model and co-locates with active and public is known as the Moreton Bay Regional transport Council (MBRC) Place Model. • walkable and safe neighbourhoods - Th e use of the MBRC Place Model, focusing on built forms that enhance does not mean high rise development the safety and walkability of the region or an end to greenfi eld development. It does mean over time increasing the • networks of healthy natural areas – number of people and jobs per hectare protecting and promoting our unique in central locations, a greater mix of and diverse environment from the hills activities in these locations and improving to the sea the connectivity within and between addition to this a full suite of training • aff ordable infrastructure – responding the many places and giving existing is being developed jointly across the to the growing needs of the market to and future residents a greater range Division to ensure that the entire team is deliver a realistic priority infrastructure of convenient travel choices in more ready for when we go live. plan walkable communities. It also means As the new recruits to Council we would A priority driver for MBRC is achieving development of new areas whether greenfi eld or rural residential transition like to extend our congratulations to the a greater level of self containment of entire MBRC team past and present who business and employment opportunities. areas as walkable, mixed use, more self contained communities linked to and have done the “heavy lifting”. Preparing Th is is why game-changing projects such a new planning scheme, especially one as the University Precinct on the former served by transit to older established areas and centres nearby. for Australia’s third largest Council, with Paper Mill site are vital to securing this the challenges that have been faced is no containment. Implementing the new scheme mean task. Our Council has demonstrated in the At the time of writing, the Moreton Bay Not just the scheme past its leadership to key catalytic projects Regional Council Planning Scheme is such as Moreton Bay Rail Link. Now under fi nal review by the Minister. Once Just like state planning legislation can’t near completion this signifi cant piece this consideration is made the Council drive all planning outcomes, a Local of infrastructure shared across all levels will look to adopt and nominate a government’s planning scheme can not of government, provides opportunity to commencement date for fi rst quarter of be the only answer. At Moreton Bay see social, environmental and economic 2016. Th is is an exciting time for our Regional Council whilst there is focus return. region, our current and future residents. on getting the new scheme underway we are shifting our attention to a range of Place-based approach Th is is our opportunity to contributor to the broader SEQ region whilst been other initiatives and programs that will drive our collective vision. Programs Th rough the planning scheme, a place- respectful to the region’s characteristic. such as Th ird Party Certifi cation, business based approach under the SEQ Place process improvement / reform, and Model has been developed creating a Our “Implementing Great Places” scheme incentivising the right development in complete shift in the way in which we readiness program is in full swing setting the right location. Collectively these plan our region going forward. up the systems and processes needed to support the new scheme’s rollout. In tools support the creation of a regulatory Th is tool is based on the idea that and business environment that actively the settlements of the Region can be attracts investment into our region. understood as a series of place types. Each With the PIA National Congress place type is recognisable by its function, coming to Brisbane in 2016, Moreton including related and compatible land Bay Regional Council looks forward to uses, intensity, special qualities and welcoming delegates into our region. A character. day in the bay may just surprise you! Th e SEQ Place Model is useful for Stewart Pentland MPIA is Director promoting a more compact urban Strategic Planning and Development at form, more diverse housing, walkable Moreton Bay Regional Council. neighbourhoods, mixed use communities, access to transportation choices, and Kate Isles MPIA is Manager, protection of the natural environment. Strategic Planning at Moreton Bay In applying the SEQ Place Model to the Regional Council. Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 17 People

Q and A - Robin King-Cullen LFPIA Dan Molloy

What drew you to planning as a a dream with no guarantee of success career? or fi nancial reward. I believed I could achieve this dream1, despite having little In the 1970s I was working for a knowledge of the training industry I was city council as a consultant architect moving into. Th e 10 years that followed developing a register of historic buildings. were the most enjoyable and satisfying of I saw how the city’s town plan gave my career. legitimacy and weight to this work and this sparked my interest in town planning What are the most significant as a career. After following the sun to changes you have seen in the Queensland for a development planner past 40 years? position, I began to study town planning, Robin King-Cullen LFPIA fi rst through distance education and later Th ere are the obvious ones such as as a part-time student at QIT, as it was advances in technology, increased Looking back on your four then. community interest and involvement decades in the profession, what in planning, greater environmental are you most proud of? Who have been your role models awareness and changes to planning throughout your career? legislation. But I think the underlying Peer recognition of my contribution to challenges and issues facing planners the planning profession through being Th ere have been many, but perhaps the are much the same today as when I awarded Life Fellow status and state and most signifi cant were: was a young graduate. How we apply national awards and commendations for • my mother, who instilled in me a in practice the theory and breadth of excellence in planning were highlights for strong sense of right and wrong and thinking learned at university is where me. I am also proud of having brought the importance of education we either master the art of planning the award-winning Diploma of Local or fl ounder. Managing the interface Government (Planning) course from a • the artist Lloyd Rees, who opened my between politics, policy and process and dream to reality despite bureaucratic, eyes to the beauty in all things and dealing with the way individuals and logistic and other hurdles. inspired creativity through his gentle groups interact with the planning system encouragement What’s next for you? continue to be the hardest lessons to • my fi rst planning boss Jack Lacey, a learn early on in a planner’s career. Th ese Now that I am in semi-retirement, trailblazer in strategic planning. are the challenges addressed in my book my goals include giving back to this You’ve had some interesting twists Mastering the Art of Planning—100 Stories profession that has given me so much and turns in your career. Did you from Urban Planning Practice. and serving the community. I have a plan for it to be that way? continuing interest in collecting stories What is the book about and why from practising planners and publishing I’d like to be able to say that I carefully did you write it? them online. I now also have the time to contribute in various ways to charities planned all my major location and career Th e main motivation for writing the that support the homeless. I will be changes—from an architect to public book was to outline the practical donating 10% of all book sales profi ts to sector planner then owner of a training challenges faced by planners in the this cause. business and fi nally to author—but it workplace, to share knowledge and simply wouldn’t be true. With a young experience from planning practice And of course the fascination of viewing daughter at school my early career and to give guidance to students and the world through a planner’s eyes never decisions were mostly driven by things recent graduates on mastering the art of ends! like availability of work and locational planning. Th e book is a treasure trove of and fi nancial stability. When these were wisdom and early career experiences from For more information about Robin’s newly published book Mastering the no longer so pressing, I was able to make many of Australia’s most experienced and Art of Planning - 100 Stories from more adventurous choices. well-respected planners. Urban Planning Practice, visit www. In my mid 50s I did a crazy thing, 1 Robin initiated and developed the Diploma planningsecrets.com.au. leaving a secure, well-paying and mostly of Local Government (Planning) training course in enjoyable public sector position to follow Queensland in response to the then critical shortage of qualified planners.

18 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 Place It’s the vibe, Brisbane! Greg Vann LFPIA CPP

I have lived in Brisbane my whole life, apart from about fi ve years in Beaudesert. I love this place. I travel a lot and have spent plenty of time in lots of cities overseas but I always like coming back home to Brisbane.

So this is my personal take on the history of Brisbane, as a planner and long time resident. It’s not meant to be an academic treatise, it’s more a folksy rendition infused with (hopefully) some planning nous… (shameless plug: follow me on Twitter @ gregvann or read my blog at reviewanew. com for more thoughts about cities). It's about Brisbane’s vibe, what I like about it, how it has changed over the course of Queen Street around the time I was born my life including 30+ years in planning; its inner areas for the shiny new suburbs. 1980s. Here's my graphic representation of key moments in its journey from being a brief history of planning for the region. a big sleepy country town to a modern Th at era left its legacies – the Southeast subtropical city; and some challenges for its Freeway and Riverside Expressway built Th e Brisbane city population essentially aspiration to be Australia’s New World City. in the 1970s continues to dominate the stalled around 750,000 for decades as city reach of the river and cut the CBD suburban growth leapt its green belt into The early days off from one of the cities greatest assets. surrounding local government areas. But Places like Fortitude Valley and Spring Hill by around 1990, that changed and so did I grew up in Brisbane in the 1960s and became notorious, unsafe and unsavoury. Brisbane. 70s, when it was really a big country town. Our Buckley Vann offi ce has been in the Th e pace of life was easy, getting around Valley since 1992, in buildings that had Some defining moments was easy and days blended into days been brothels or were close to ones that had I reckon it’s possible to pinpoint a few through long hot summers accompanied been. West End was home for waves of post by the smell of rotting mangoes; windy key events and decisions that changed the war immigrant populations – originally course of Brisbane forever and made it the cool mornings playing games (marbles!) in Greek and Italian, and later Vietnamese. city it is today. the school playground in winter, thunder boxes in the backyard and a carpet snake And so it went till the late 1970s at least, Th e 1982 Commonwealth Games followed in its roof to keep the vermin in line. Th e Brisbane continued as the big sleepy by the 1988 World Expo changed Brisbane. CBD was a pretty low key aff air. People country town. It all started to change in the As a city, it started to believe in itself, often joked that you could fi re a gun down Queen Street on a weekend and not risk hitting anyone. It was only partly a joke. If you want to know more about that time, have a read of Johnno by David Malouf.

Much of the early planning for Brisbane was really about making sure it was properly serviced. Legendary Lord Mayor Clem Jones was famous for having sewered Brisbane long before its interstate big sister and brother cities. Brisbane made some of the same big mistakes other cities around the world have done – it closed down its tram network thinking buses and cars were the future; it adopted a Wilbur Smith freeway plan and built one of them. It adopted the model of outward suburban development as its future; and people fl ed Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 19 Place

ground breaking Inner Suburbs Action Program started to think about a new focus on the inner city, and there was also realisation of the need to plan for transport needs in conjunction with land use. With the election of the Jim Soorley administration in 1991, and the introduction of the landmark Building Better Cities program by the Hawke government, things really clicked into gear. We saw some other defi ning decisions made by State and Local Government about the future of our city including the introduction of footpath dining, urban renewal of the inner north eastern suburbs, Riverwalk, CityCat ferries and lots more.

Coming of age

I reckon Brisbane really came of age in the 1990s. We started to believe that we pushing back on its traditional cultural got really exciting! Th ere was a whirlwind could do things in our own way, that cringe, and realising that it might have of activity as we started to realise that we had something special here, that our something to off er the world after all. government could simply not aff ord to city is diff erent from other places. Since continue to pursue the development then we have developed a rich history of Th e post expo South Bank development policies of the past. Indeed, regional contemporary subtropical architecture, saw the city have its fi rst genuine crack planning in South East Queensland got which is uniquely Brisbane and much at urban renewal, producing a precinct going at least partly because (then) Deputy admired around the world. My good with a world class mixture of commercial, Premier Tom Burns realised (after a report friend former Vancouver city councillor, retail, tourism, parkland, entertainment by the Applied Population Research Unit Gordon Price, always sings its praise – the and education. Th e debate about that of the University of Queensland which use of colour, the blurring of the indoor redevelopment, for me, was the fi rst time identifi ed what the region’s growth meant and outdoor, and public and private the whole Brisbane community became in terms of new roads, buses, hospital beds, space, together with buildings made more much more engaged about the future of new schools etc) that the infrastructure interesting because of external treatments the city and realised they can infl uence the required by projected growth was beyond that improve environmental performance – outcome. Th ere were heated discussions the capacity of government to aff ord and shades for temperature control and the like. about what should happen, and I'm pleased we had to do things diff erently. to say that the Planning Institute was at the Brisbane also started to realise that its forefront of those discussions at that time. Meanwhile at City Hall, Lord Mayor population need a much wider range of Sallyanne Atkinson had realised new housing, and this started to roll out, often 1989 saw the end of decades of National directions were needed for the city. Her in our own particular subtropical style. (previously Country) Party government led by a rural focussed Bjelke-Peterson Government. In a pent up rush of reform, Queensland became more outward looking, and became really interested in how city development was being done in other parts of the world. Political, planning and community leaders headed off to see how things were done in places like Portland and Vancouver. Th is was the start of a long period of change in planning thinking about Brisbane and South East Queensland. We started on a path to a more sophisticated approach than the simple “growth is good' mantra that had dominated previously.

So from about 1990, planning for Brisbane

20 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 Place

We also realised that one of our greatest assets was the Brisbane River, and Brisbane became known as the “River City”, and really started to invest in a range of things to make the most of that asset – the CityCats, Riverwalk, pedestrian and green bridges at key locations, urban renewal of the many waterfront inner city areas.

And we recognised that respect for our heritage was important, and started to protect it. Brisbane really started to become a big, grown up city. Since then, Brisbane has built some truly great places, from Southbank, to Kelvin Grove urban village, to the gasworks precinct, and many more throughout the city. Th ese are world class. Suburban centre improvement projects have brought local main streets to life again – streets like Oxford Street in Bulimba, and Railway Terrace at Nundah.

We have also built some world class public transport infrastructure – our busways in particular, some great bikeways, and invested in river crossings for public and active transport.

And in recent years, we have seen lots of great things happening around the city that have helped make it really “new age” – laneway activation, a world class coff ee the western world. Finding the balance car culture. It seems we still believe that culture, craft beers, deck chairs in CBD between accommodating new population, congestion can be “solved” or reduced parks! Hipsters are colonising the inner retaining existing character, and allowing by building more roads. We hear talk of city, baby boomers are moving back down for a vibrant and exciting community life is balanced investment in transport, but I town. People in Brisbane have access to a an ongoing challenge. see that as code for saying it's okay to keep very active community life, especially in the building more roads, as long as we build inner city where festivals and celebrations, We are seeing many communities pushing some busways and bikeways. Successful back against major change related to the charity events and a real vibe of inner cities in the new world era are those inner city high-rise residential boom, city life make the most of our outdoor that have realised that the key to being a and lower rise development in traditional subtropical lifestyle. successful urban, urbane place is to invest inner suburbs. I reckon at least part of in transport quite diff erently. It is the this is about design. Much of our latest A New World City? quality of our pedestrian environments, development is unlikely to be admired as how we allow movement by bike, and our Brisbane markets itself as Australia’s New an attribute to the city in future decades. World City. I like that tag – it’s aspirational public transport networks, that will be the about our future. Th e term is a bit Here, I agree with my fellow urbanist, backbone of Brisbane’s future growth. As ephemeral, and often interchangeable with Brent Toderian, that density done poorly is yet, the balance here is a long way from “global city” and there are many indices not acceptable. Th is is one of our greatest what makes a world city. challenges. I regard Brent’s “Density Done used to rank these cities. But the truth is Another big issue for us is how to allow that Brisbane doesn’t really rate in most of Well” catchcry as the mantra for our future. Google the phase, and read his stuff . more people to live in the inner areas of them, or gets a gig in the much lower order Brisbane – say the inner 5-10 kilometres. cities than the big names. We are also struggling with mounting road Brisbane's economic future will in large Being a real world city requires quite a few traffi c congestion, even though much more part rely on how well it responds to attributes. We do well across a number road space has been provided, including continuing to provide quality and urbanity of indices, but for me there are a few our ill-fated massive investment in tunnels. in the city, to facilitate the knowledge important gaps. And so to another challenge in our quest economy. Th e two big tides of demographic to become a New World City – transport. waves in our population – referred to as Brisbane is grappling with growth just We don't like to have it pointed out, but the baby boomers and millennials or echo the same as most fast growing regions in Brisbane is still rooted in an all pervasive boomers, or the description I prefer, the Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 21 Place hipsters and broken hipsters, are moving into the inner city in droves. Th ey want a lifestyle where you can walk to lots of facilities, and have the option to get around easily without a car.

As this pattern matures, many more people will want to live in the inner and middle rings of our city, and encouraging this will be important to our city economically, socially and environmentally. I doubt that we are providing suffi cient diversity of housing we need to achieve that. Protecting the stock of tin and timber detached houses has its place, as does high-rise housing; My local coffee “chapel” where I regularly pay homage to caffeine! but that won't get us there. We need to provide more of what is often referred to dialogue. Engaging people in shaping our So here are a few ideas for the Brisbane of as the “missing middle” – all those housing city can happen at a practical level too, the future, partly informed by that great forms between those two extremes, which where tactical urbanism activities can get response: people out rebuilding our public spaces will allow us to cater for a much wider • everyone (not just the well off ) have and their part of the city. range of households in a city, and in the genuine choices about where to live, most accessible areas of it, while respecting So Brisbane, you've come along way. where to work and how to get around; our subtropical character. Here’s a diagram Let's use our new found maturity as a • a transport system that prioritises from the US based website missingmiddle. city to take on the challenges that will people, rather than cars. Th e cross river com about their version of this concept. take us into the next decades to truly rail and extending our busway network Brisbane needs its own, subtropical version become a world city. Cities are becoming are no brainers. And let’s talk about of this palette. increasingly competitive nationally some of the sacred cows – should the And let's think again about our transport and internationally. For the foot loose Riverside Expressway go underground? systems. To me, extending our busway creative and knowledge industries and • ongoing opportunities for our systems would've made a lot more sense workers, it will be the investment in our citizenry to understand and engage in than investing tens of billions of dollars future liveability, urbanity, fairness and the complexities of the issues we are in underground tunnels for cars, which sustainable transport systems that will set grappling with, and to help shape the will just become clogged again in fi ve or us up to build on our wonderful city and city; climate to secure our long term future. 10 years. And the sooner we have a fully • a buzzing, multi-modal inner city with Let’s engage our communities in working separated bikeway system, including a thriving knowledge, fi nancial and that out. converting some road space to protected creative economy; bike lanes, the more we can take advantage • a shared and engaging public realm, of the health, economic, social and A few ideas about how the future World City might look! including rebalancing the use of environmental benefi ts moving people by our road space, which people feel bike provides. I took to social media to ask people what connected to and infl uence; Another part of our journey to being a one big change they would like to see • remade suburban areas across the city world city is having an engaged citizenry. in Brisbane in the future. Th is certainly that off er good local community life, Many leading world cities have on going engaged many citizens! Th e dozens of a focus on “happening” mixed use community conversations about the responses were much appreciated, thanks centres, options for getting around, big issues in their city; featuring public all! A lot focused on transport – more and a range of housing that suits all lectures, regular mainstream media items public transport, more protected bike households, ages and income groups; and social media discussions. We seem lanes, more green river crossings, less • smarts infrastructure (free wifi etc), to focus on things when a big planning reliance on cars, congestion charging, big car share schemes, parklets, urban exercise comes along – we did this really reallocating road space away from cars agriculture, green walls and roofs, well leading up to the 2004 Regional Plan, and parking etc, better use of our existing simple cheap interventions that create with the eff orts of the Brisbane Institute road space for cars and even burying community spaces and interaction; the Riverside Expressway into a tunnel and Th e Courier Mail’s Our Region Your • everyday people doing everyday things to open up the CBD to the river again. Say series ignited community discussion in everyday clothes, on bikes about green space and transport. Over Other issues brought up were aff ordability 300 citizens turned up at a community (housing and living!), renewable energy, • and lots of street trees! event as part of that, in the rain on State infusing cultural aspects, more night life Greg Vann is a director and CEO of Origin night, to discuss the future of and community life. And not making of Buckley Vann Town Planning their region. But there is little ongoing decisions solely on the basis of economics! Consultants

22 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 Place So how good is the Kelvin Grove Urban Village? (Chapter 3) John Byrne LFPIA FRAIA

Making better towns and cities is what 2011 (v 51 n2) put the central concepts of drives us, isn’t it? the radical project into an ideas context by outlining my own journey from the 1970s We know it’s important for the species towards this chance opportunity and because the global future is unavoidably argued that both chance and the mind-set an urban future. Th at’s both exciting and role of key stakeholders are critical. and demanding. We desperately need to do cities well and that means in all So here we are, in Chapter 3 contexts: urban expansions, new cities, Th e Urban Village, conceived in late urban renewal, in all their detail along the 1998 and with the fi rst bits open for continuum of big to little. John Byrne LFPIA FRAIA business by early 2004, is substantially in world. I care about it but can do nothing Given the nature of our society, our place, with the few remaining sites in the to guide or correct it. I nevertheless hope political system and the degree of hands of the Queensland University of it is useful for other families if I tell you managed free-market that we embrace, Technology. It has been developed by an about what I see now and looking back: exemplary projects are critically important unusual partnership of the Queensland some of the good bits and some of the in the pursuit of a sustainable future. And Government’s then Department of disappointing bits. that goes for radical inner urban renewal Housing and QUT, and delivered by initiatives such as the brownfi eld renewal public, community and private money. It Every project probably has its stories, its project of the Urban Village in Kelvin has a range of urban uses including retail, anecdotes and secrets, its understandings Grove, just 2 km from Brisbane’s City recreational, offi ce and residential ones and excuses. So I will off er you a “tasting Centre. (both aff ordable rental and marketplace, list” that mixes various professional strands some indeed upmarket). But perhaps that deal with the urban structure of the So is the Urban Village exemplary? Th is its most spectacular and important precinct, the way development has been is the third article in one of our journals feature is its largely seamless integration designed and delivered on individual about this project and its credentials. of university teaching and research sites within the subdivision, the public Th e fi rst one in “Origins, Options and facilities through the fabric of the urban realm and the processes by which all this Sustainability” in Australian Planner in late neighbourhood, connected by the public happened. 2004 (vol 41 n4), outlined the housing/ realm of streets and parks. Th e things I like about the structure of the university/urban context in which it was So it’s time for a review even though I am Kelvin Grove Urban Village include: conceived, then spelled out nine threads of course biased, having been inside the of the complex vision of the partners, and • it is in eff ect a straight forward project family since its fi rst moments. But then argued its importance in seven ways, subdivision of public streets, I haven’t had anything really to do with with some emphasis on process. development lots and public reserves it since mid-2006 and I feel rather like with a clear (albeit unusual and ground- Th e second one “Radical projects and a parent or an older sibling watching a breaking) vision of how individually chance” in Queensland Planner in mid teenager making their own way out in the created lots should be used; • its mind-set is urbanist in its precinct design and dominated by the mainstreet (Musk Avenue) which connects the old barracks entry from Kelvin Grove Road on one hill to the front door of the existing QUT campus on the next hill; • the placement of the retail centre is where it should be … in the valley between the hills and so in the walkable heart of the Village and not up on the main road frontage where major retail chains wanted it; • the Village street system reaches out to connect into the adjacent bits of urban neighbourhood, developing links to the Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 23 Place

shared planning and urban design vision among the key stakeholders and arguably in managing the potentially destructive intervention of an external institution; • the overall approvals process was in principle deliberately “normal”, with Brisbane City as the approving authority for the land division and (almost all) individual building projects … so not the special arrangements that might have been put in place but a process saying to the private development sector “you too can do this”; • the two partners, DoH and QUT, had a shared design panel process within new Village as it off ers a sense of place • the variety of architectural expressions the project that allowed evaluation and signifi cant amenity to the existing and materials (explicitly required by of proposed projects, pre formal scattered bits; the Guidelines) which has succeeded in lodgement; • in particular, that desire to link and aiding legibility, avoiding any inference • the process of developing an form neighbourhood relationships that this is a single development by a appropriate, in the end, unusual Local included voluntarily giving up single developer, and helping to blur Plan (with desired emphasis on urban developable land to make possible the edges; design and sustainable design) was a future street connection to an • the quality and in places generosity of undertaken substantially by DOH adjoining retirement village (if and the public realm, especially the central in obvious close consultation with when they redevelop) to make walkable highly walkable bits (helped in parts of Council whose statutory instrument it access into the Village possible; and the mainstreet by stretches of required would be; • with the reaching out to adjoining street awnings for protection); • there was a suffi cient performance- neighbours, a clear desire was to “blur • the attempts to provide this highly oriented thread to the Local Plan that the edges”, so that the Village would urban street-based place with a range later stages of the project were able to quickly be defi ned by its centre and of visual and physical contacts with argue for greater densities or heights, in character and energy and not by any green environment, including green line with the evolving inner Brisbane observable perimeter line. places within and vistas to green market; and In relation to the Village’s built form, the places beyond (such as the adjacent • there was substantial community strong points include: parklands); consultation and, pleasingly, no formal objections of substance received, • quite clearly, the range of uses • the engagement in various ways with the site’s heritage, in both the retention although some issues were occasionally and especially, spectacularly, the energetically discussed at gatherings. integration of university uses within a and recycling of buildings in Creative neighbourhood; Industries Stage 1, in street and place Overall, there is a lot for Queensland to be namings and in details within the proud about in the way the Kelvin Grove • equally, the mixing of uses, both streetscape; Urban Village has so far turned out. horizontally on adjoining lots and vertically within developments (such • the strong use of diff erent trees in As my second article argued, there is a as the retail/residential Village Centre diff erent streets aiding legibility, variety signifi cant element of luck in the timing and the retail/educational/offi ce/ and character; and and nature of the opportunity the Army recreational/research building facing it • the high design quality of the four provided in 1998 when it put its Gona across the mainstreet); aff ordable rental housing projects Barracks on the market. At that time, the aiding their subtle integration. serendipitous intersection of diff erent • the activation of the ground plane people and organisations and agenda of much of the mainstreet (and one When it comes to the process of planning allowed the Urban Village to be conceived, particular side street) by retail uses; and delivering the various parts, the good negotiated and pursued. In some ways, it • the passive surveillance off ered to bits include: might be easier now, but at the time there all streets by development being • the early Design Workshops, with was a substantial amount of chance and required to face that public realm and sophisticated input from Christopher luck involved. “banning” unsleeved above ground Wren and others from Hassell in But no matter how well we might think it carparking, delivering pretty reasonable association with a “design Informed has turned out, we would be foolish not to CPTED performance; client”, were powerful in building a ask what could have been diff erent and/or 24 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 Place better. As you contemplate my shortened or to connect with and activate structure, public realm and landscaping list of issues, don’t forget that I think the adjoining Kundu Park … combine strongly. Th is is an essentially the Village overall is an important and arguably it might not have been the urban outcome where any individual successful initiative, while acknowledging most appropriate site available to building is far less important than the I’m biased. government if the brief demanded an overall urban precinct. inward-looking development; In the main, there’s not a lot terribly wrong, Nevertheless, in another part of the vision, or things that absolutely needed to be • the failure of the early QUT building there is an issue with sustainable built form diff erent, but there are a variety of, shall and, in recent times, of the late- that goes to the detail. We began with we say, disappointments. Some are the arrived Energex substation to activate high hopes that, in addition to the way result of people, some of the times, some of or oversight McCaskie Park and the we put the public realm and infrastructure institutional powers. Th is is not the place important green axis pedestrian link together, along with the essential qualities for a detailed commission of enquiry. from the mainstreet to Kelvin Grove of this inner urban radical mix of uses, we Road. would be able to encourage/cajole/require We did however get one signifi cant thing buildings with signifi cant sustainability wrong-ish. In hindsight, we should have In some ways, these (and some other credentials. In my time, however, not so. created a small town square/plaza at the disappointments provided by only a few While there was “solid” passive design intersection of the mainstreet and the strong private-sector projects) seem to fl ow practice for a subtropical climate: green axis from the adjacent golf course from; parkland to Kelvin Grove Road. It would • the nature of the DoH/QUT design • there was no use of solar panels or have provided an obvious community focus panel which seemed at times more a other emerging technologies for power and social space but we were, I think, so negotiating conversation between the generation (other than the project’s preoccupied with delivering the mainstreet two partners than a source of desirably own PV roofs on its bus shelters); (it seemed the fi rst new high street in independent design advice, or • we got no roof top gardens or green contemporary Queensland?) that we missed • the ability of the Academy proponents walls or similar “green” strategies, let this need. Th e social activity is now more alone radical design responses; diff used throughout the Village in a variety apparently to use a parallel process of public spaces, all of which work but none of the absolutely design-weak • in spite of being sought, there seemed of which “feel” like the obvious heart. Community Infrastructure regulations not enough expression externally of the to escape the project design environmental credentials of buildings Suffi ce it to say we began with the hope of requirements that all others faced, or that lay persons might understand (so design excellence and tried to write design • the understandable caution of DoH that the external architecture becomes objectives to describe/encourage their a cultural change agent); delivery. And so I am disappointed in the not to push private developers “too far” quality of the design of some buildings in what had become a weak market • the ambitious evolving “best practice” (whether a failure of design or, in some with political masters looking on. performance–based environmental cases, the direction of the client brief), Of course these are individual aspirational criteria in the Local Plan seemed including: views of mine that come from wanting the a radical step too far, in the hands best. Overall I am relaxed that the Village of both the project and, I fear, the • the way the very fi rst standard-setting assessment planners of Council; and QUT buildings of Creative Industries, presents well for there are more than half including the delightful new La Boite a dozen really good buildings in the mix • in the detail, for example, most theatre, fail to relate to and properly and the overall impression of the collective private residential developers routinely reinforce the essential mainstreet, let built form plus the neighbourhood resisted, on “market grounds”, attempts alone activate it; • the failure of the mixed-use complex between McCaskie Park and the mainstreet strongly to connect the two by allowing accommodation demands to muddy its otherwise important atrium; • the technical (many might say rather ugly) back-side that QUT’s IHBI research building presents to the neighbours in School Street … hardly welcoming; • the failure of the otherwise exciting secondary school Academy to meaningfully activate or off er surveillance to its important Musk Avenue or Blamey Street frontages Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 25 Place

market and statutory acceptance of revising upwards residential densities and heights, as the Village benefi ted from changing attitudes worked through in other parts of Inner Brisbane. And so, what are we to think? I still want to argue that the Urban Village is important and successful for us. It was achieved by an unusual partnership which proceeded, on a relatively simple structure and with amazingly little disagreement along the way, to produce a fi ne initiative. It was in its time, a decade and a half ago, a powerful demonstration to industry, to explain that natural cross ventilation while making a Normanby TOD the community and to government of an surely suggests (in addition to summer linked to the Village); intelligent, urbane, mainstreet-centred, solar screening) having open windows • in a bitter-sweet way, I am ideologically mixed-use precinct integrated into its and therefore rain shading and insect proud that we didn’t use any powers surroundings, delivering a mix of social, screening; and of compulsory acquisition we might environmental and economic outcomes. • we didn’t seem to make much progress have contrived and so the site is exactly It has deserved its many state and national in helping developers get technical as we managed to buy it, bit by bit … awards. It has played its part and its approval from Council for grey water so it is a good exemplar for the private urban design and other concepts are far systems and the like, or accepting sector but it sure would have allowed a more mainstream today (although some signifi cantly even better precinct design collected rainwater from developments newer urban precincts still labour under in the northern bits; what’s there is for use on adjacent public parks, or the handicap of a campus mind-set). other apparently radical ideas. fi ne, but…; But surprisingly it looks as if In the end, the basics are OK and the real • in more recent years, the Village seems to have come close to serious damage its integration of university and sustainability comes in the essentials of the neighbourhood remains radical in walkable knowledge-intensive mixed-use with early designs for what we now call Queensland. Although this strategy precinct not too far from the city centre Legacy Way (and was saved, it seems, is absolutely relevant to the nature and with reasonable public transport access. only by cost cutting revisions unrelated to any concern for the Village); and needs of the C21 economy, as Let me round off with a mixed bag which commented upon by many, it remains • when the Village was proposed might further demonstrate some of the in 1998, there was no relevant almost a lonely courageous exemplar, still inevitable complexities of place-making, government development agency (such pointing an important way ahead for not particularly when integrated thinking is as Landcom or Vic Urban … or the only knowledge-based precincts but inner absent. For example: ULDA) and the DoH had to argue urban precincts in general. I am puzzled • the pedestrian accessibility and potential that it was an absolutely appropriate because we have so many university public transport networking for the role for government to engage in such off erings in Queensland that, by their Village was compromised by a silly market-inclusive activity, especially campus mind-set, design, defensive decision of government (against the when, in a partnership, a whole raft perimeter and/or isolated location, appear urging of others, including the project’s of desired strategic outcomes could be too much to me to be C20 constructs partners) to close part of Victoria Park delivered; challenged in their global competitiveness Road between the two schools; • signifi cant and unexpected external in the new century and lacking the • the Village continues to have a institutional campaigning in the early ability to contribute as much to their troubled relationship in pedestrian days of Village planning delayed it communities and to us as they might. movement towards the Normanby suffi ciently to make it miss supportive Th at’s why the KGUV remains important Bus Station and then the city centre market conditions that would probably for us. … the legacy of the 1980s Hale have helped attract diff erent early Street engineering project (and with development and perhaps set it on a John Byrne LFPIA FRAIA is an urban the continued failure of various diff erent trajectory; yet design and planning consultant who, as a administrations to resolve the issue • on the other hand, being delayed former public service director, was central to by adopting City West Task Force (although changing the cash fl ow for the fi rst 8 years of the Urban Village project. recommendations towards overcoming government) may well have helped He has also been a QUT Adjunct existing traffi c engineering problems Professor since the mid 1990s. 26 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 Place From Plan to Place - Gasworks@Newstead Riverpark Cardno HRP, Aveo Group Limited, Brisbane City Council, Cox Rayner Architects

Gasworks@Newstead Riverpark won the Newstead River Park and indeed the precinct was fi nally formed, adapting ‘From Plan to Place’ Excellence Award at broader Newstead area has been the earlier designs to respond to regional the 2015 PIA Qld Awards for Planning subject of an extended planning and plan-inspired directions, that implied Excellence and then capped off the evening urban renewal process, involving various that well-located inner city brownfi eld by winning the Overall Winner’s Awards precincts and a sequence of plans sites needed to be developed at higher at the end of the night. Th e following is an prepared by diff erent agencies; however densities than had previously been extract from the winning submission. this paper focuses upon a particular plan contemplated. Th is higher density plan and a particular physical outcome of that was accompanied by the introduction Newstead River Park is emerging as a plan, namely: and accommodation of the West End – successful, urbane and attractive, high Teneriff e City Glider, that provided more density mixed use precinct of inner • the 2008 Preliminary Approval of Th e effi cient and frequent public transport to Brisbane, on the edge of Fortitude Valley, Gasworks at Newstead Riverpark Plan of the precinct, this being negotiated with more or less its Brisbane River address. Development; and the Council as part of the formulation of Th ere are two offi ce buildings, three • the Gasworks shopping centre the Plan of Development. residential towers, a shopping centre and offi ce complex adjacent to with upper storey offi ces and adjoining the Gasometer Plaza public space, Gasworks@Newstead Riverpark, the “Gasometer Plaza”, and a substantial developed around the restored Gasworks shopping centre and offi ce urban park all completed and three more historical 1873 gasometer frame. building and the adjoining Gasometer residential towers under construction; plaza comprise an important central Th e preliminary approval application public place, now completed, which are however the planning and development was prepared by Cardno HRP (then the key central elements of the Aveo part process that has arrived at this point goes Humphreys Reynolds Perkins) for Aveo of the Newstead Riverpark site that was back at least to 1991, 24 years ago. (then FKP) based on designs executed the subject of the preliminary approval Th ere are a number of aspects of by Cox Rayner and was approved by Plan of Development; these elements this planning process which make it Brisbane City Council after public were developed and opened in 2013. signifi cant and instructive– the most consultation and extensive collaboration Th e Plan of Development applies to important are: with the Council’s Urban Renewal more than these central elements, also Brisbane. setting the guidelines for the remainder • Its genesis in a federally-funded cities of the precinct, some of which is also initiative, the Building Better Cities Th e signifi cance of this particular plan now completed (for example, Bank programme; is that it represents an important point of Queensland building, Energex in the extended planning process of the building) while other sites are now under • Ongoing planning administration by a Newstead waterfront, where the layout construction, in accordance with specially set up planning agency, fi nally of the central Newstead Riverpark the Plan. known as Urban Renewal Brisbane; • An interaction over more than twenty years between both public- and private- sector planning initiatives, providing an exemplar for getting the most out of what each of those sectors can contribute to a planning process with complex needs and implications; • Th e evolution of the planning over time, adapting to a changing urban planning context while maintaining core planning and urban design principles identifi ed early in the planning process; and ultimately • Its substantial positive contribution to Brisbane’s inner suburban urban renewal and public realm.

Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 27 Place

From Plan to Place – describing • 2006 Mirvac Preliminary Approval Master Plan Application; the process • 2006 Brisbane City Centre Master Th e development of Gasworks@ Plan; Newstead Riverpark has resulted from a • 2007 Brisbane Local Growth sequence of acts and programmes, which Management Strategy (“LGMS”); have contributed to what has evolved today, as the overall project now reaches a • 2007 Newstead River Park Master degree of maturity, including: Plan Concept; • Th e Building Better Cities programme; • 2007 Energex Building Approval including Centre Concept Plan for • 1991 Urban Renewal Report: Inner Newstead Riverpark; North Eastern Suburbs Brisbane prepared by Urban Renewal Task • 2008 FKP Preliminary Approval of Force; Gasworks at Newstead Riverpark Plan of Development • 1993 Newstead Teneriff e Strategic Plan prepared for Urban Renewal Task • Development Permits followed by Force; construction • Newstead and Teneriff e Waterfront • 2011 Newstead and Teneriff e Development Control Plan prepared for Waterfront Neighbourhood Plan Brisbane City Council in 1994 and Revisions The Newstead River Park Site gazetted a part of the Brisbane Town • City Plan 2014 revisions Plan in 1996; Th e Newstead River Park site was a large, Overall significance of the project complicated site in the Inner North • 2001-2003 Site sold to developers and Eastern Suburbs Urban Renewal area, in remediation begins Th e Newstead River Park planning several ownerships and needing extensive • 2002 Newstead Riverpark Masterplan process, and delivery of the Gasworks@ remediation; however it also off ered prepared by private sector developer Newstead Riverpark project in particular, particular opportunities, comprising 16.4 proponents, as part of obtaining a represents a signifi cant example hectares located only 2.7 kilometres from Preliminary Approval of development; of planning in complex, dynamic the Brisbane GPO, and extending a depth circumstances; it is an exemplar for larger of 500 metres from Breakfast Creek Road • 2005 FKP Master Plan Amendment scale metropolitan infi ll development to a generous Brisbane River waterfront Application; projects anywhere in Australia and of 375 metres. Planning for its urban • 2005 South-East Queensland Regional perhaps beyond. renewal commenced in 1991 and by 2001 Plan; • First, the site was in several ownerships its amalgamation had been achieved, • 2006 DCP Amendment to include initially, and was in two large sites remediation had begun, and it was sold to Newstead Riverpark Structure Plan separately owned after that, and so Mirvac and FKP (to become Aveo)

Gasworks Plaza (Christopher Frederick Jones) 28 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 Place

there were issues of co-ordination consultation with the public planning Contribution to planning and that were resolved by Urban Renewal agency, then followed up by Council professional learnings Brisbane. statutory planning. Th e delivered project is a fi ne example of • Th e site was of enormous strategic • When the Brisbane LGMS was inner city urban renewal, resulting in a signifi cance and the focus of well- fi nalised in 2007, it was estimated substantial mixed use project providing funded, intensive planning emanating that Newstead River Park would accommodation, offi ce employment, from three levels of government yield an additional 1200 dwellings, shopping, entertainment and an attractive initially and by Brisbane City Council to contribute towards the Brisbane and popular public plaza based upon a afterwards, over twenty-fi ve years. City infi ll dwelling target; most recent restored heritage gasometer frame. • During that time, the planning context estimates are that the project will changed substantially, particularly as deliver more like 2000 dwellings, in Th e project demonstrates how excellent 2 the SEQRP identifi ed the importance addition to approximately 60,000m planning outcomes can be delivered of infi ll development and the market of city fringe offi ce space and about in a process that involves initiatives 2 took up the opportunity to develop 15,000m of retail fl oorspace. at appropriate times over a protracted period, by a diverse range of public- and high density offi ces and apartments in Th is was a well-resourced, appropriate private-sector actors, utilising statutory inner city locations. process, and an example of judicious use and non-statutory mechanisms. Notably, of resources in a complex setting. It did • Planning also resulted in the it is a good example of the productive not involve rigid, prescriptive planning introduction of good quality public use of developer-initiated planning mechanisms for the developer, yet the transport, which substantially changed mechanisms under Queensland planning public interest was maintained throughout, the rationale for development. legislation. through appropriate use of resources and • Th e physical concept that was thought powers by the planning agency. Th e preliminary approval Plan of appropriate changed markedly over Development (“PoD”) was formulated time, in response to these changing Signifi cantly, it made good use of the by the developer and its planners, circumstances. fl exible arrangements in the Queensland in consultation with the planning planning system, to allow for developer- • However the various iterations of the authority, to resolve and integrate initiated planning, under Section 3.1.6 of scheme were always inspired by an planning, commercial and urban design the Integrated Planning Act, the equivalent intent to achieve a good urban design issues; through a process of design and of Section 242 of the Sustainable Planning outcome, with common themes negotiation, the developer was able to evolving over time, for example, a Act now in force. Th e developer was able infl uence and refl ect broad-scale urban central urban park and a plaza around in its 2008 preliminary approval, through planning parameters about density and the Gasometer. reconciling commercial imperatives, design transit-oriented urban development, and and broad-scale contextual planning • Th e infl uence of Trevor Reddacliff , as deliver an excellent urban design outcome issues, to establish a suitable development for the centrepiece shopping centre and leader of URTF was immense, from outcome that was of city-wide signifi cance, 1991 till he left the URTF during Gasometer Plaza at the heart of Newstead provided a satisfactory commercial Riverpark urban renewal project. 2004; he made things happen through outcome and resulted in excellent urban his great technical and inter-personal design. Th e Newstead River Park planning Th e Plan of Development substantially skills and he promoted good urban experience provides a good example of continued themes of earlier planning design outcomes. the value of these statutory provisions, (mixed land use, urban design • Th at FKP was prepared to be pro- appropriately used. integration, open space) while responding active in planning discussions beyond its immediate site and Local Plan, meant that ultimately it was able to secure a more substantial outcome on the Gasworks site; notably FKP participated in the process of fi nalising the Brisbane City Shape and the Brisbane City Centre Master Plan and in accommodating the City Glider route to run through the site. • Planning ultimately occurred through a series of iterations involving public and private actors, initially public sector planning agencies taking the lead, and then as private sector entities became fi nancially interested in the outcomes, through initiatives funded and developed fi rst by them, in Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 29 Place to changes that had evolved more recently of the urban design which have been achieve an outcome that was consistent with respect to access (introduction of delivered include: with enduring planning principles for Skyring Terrace extension), transport the site, but which also embraced new • An attractive public plaza based on the (City Glider) and city planning opportunities that were yet to be refl ected gasometer, which is lit at night; (density). While the PoD provided only in contemporary statutory planning, entitlements that had been substantiated • Th e Gasometer Plaza abuts the with respect to height and density of in the approval process, its form semi-open shopping centre mall and development. Th e form of the PoD was nevertheless allowed appropriate latitude provides an open air focus for the mall negotiated with Urban Renewal Brisbane for future decisions about land use mix axis; and the development assessment teams; this and detailed design. • Th e mall connects at its other end to refl ected all important urban design and planned development across Skyring planning principles that were relevant to Transformation of the plan to Terrace; achieving excellent outcomes for the site. place • Pedestrian connections from adjoining Th e PoD continues to be used as the From earliest concepts for Newstead streets provide eff ective integration and framework for further development of the Riverpark, there were emphases on access with the Gasometer Plaza and precinct and its content is now in turn mixed use development, transit- Gasworks shopping centre; refl ected in amendments that have been orientation, pedestrian connectivity and • Th e vitality of the precinct is assisted made to the Council’s Neighbourhood Plan. providing public open space, including by the gymnasium and offi ces located Engagement of stakeholders incorporating the historical gasometer in in the four fl oors above the shopping the public realm. centre; Preparation of the PoD resulted from Th ese qualities were all embodied in the • Th e City Glider stops opposite the a process of intensive consultation and fi nal concepts on which the 2008 Plan centre in Skyring Terrace which collaboration with Urban Renewal Brisbane of Development was based. Maps in the provide effi cient frequent connection and the adjoining developer Mirvac, PoD addressed podium development, with Fortitude Valley, the City, involving more than ten meetings over towers location, views protection, Southbank and West End. a two year period and addressing among pedestrian connection, open space and other things pedestrian connectivity, height access. A Centre Concept Plan also Th e success of the PoD and the Gasworks and density of development, open space, was included to show how the Aveo shopping centre and Gasometer Plaza is development of the Gasometer Plaza development related to other parts of indicated both by its evident popularity, undertaken by Aveo and accommodation the site. Th is included a pedestrian including during evenings and weekends, of the City Glider in a Skyring Terrace and the ongoing development of other parts “arc” which joined the Mirvac site’s road reserve that is wide enough to of the precinct, consistent with the PoD. development through the shopping accommodate light rail ultimately. centre to the Gasometer Plaza. Th ese Implementation and application A public consultation display was also plans represented an evolution of earlier conducted for a fortnight during 2007 concepts in a number of ways, including Th e Preliminary Approval of the Plan of prior to the lodgement of the application. to enable development of a larger Development (overriding the planning supermarket-based shopping centre than scheme) provided an appropriate Sustainability earlier envisaged. Important elements mechanism to allow the developer to Th e project re-uses an extensive brownfi eld What the judges said … industrial site close to the city centre, for an appropriate array of co-located …. the project as delivered is an urban infi ll development of a complex brownfi eld purposes, namely city fringe offi ces, industrial site in a strategically important location, with heritage and fl ood impact suburban shopping centre with restaurants, constraints, originally intended to stimulate additional development and improve high density residential development, the uptake of active and public transport …. the project has evolved to respond public open space, public road and to changing notions of best practice in planning and urban design principles, public transport. Th e developer’s active including increased density, mixed-use functions, multi-modal transport and promotion of the City Glider’s alignment inclusive public open spaces over the course of the project. through the precinct, not evident in the The project builds upon multiple signifi cant planning initiatives, ….. demonstrates 2005 draft City Centre Master Plan, exceptional use of planning processes and how excellent planning outcomes but adopted in the fi nal 2006 version, can be delivered by a process that gives direction to diverse initiatives at key underpins the sustainability of this inner points over a protracted period…. urban mixed use precinct, including the Gasworks shopping centre and Gasometer The Gasworks project has surmounted a number of challenges, including a Plaza; it is an fi ne exemplar of a major changing planning context, fragmented site ownership and site constraints. It is well-designed multi-use inner urban unusual in that amenities, including public transport links, recreational spaces, renewal project, the jewel in the crown of and mixed-use retail outlets, have been established in advance of residential the Brisbane Inner North-Eastern density. It makes a signifi cant positive contribution to urban renewal in Brisbane. Suburbs urban renewal initiative of …. the judges consider the Gasworks project is the worthy overall winner. 1991, now delivered. 30 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 Place Brisbane Open House Stuart Macnaughton

On the weekend of 10 and 11 October, the doors of 90 buildings in Brisbane CBD, fringe and suburbs were thrown open to the public. Th e Brisbane Open House weekend is the culmination of a multifaceted festival of the buildings, people and places of Brisbane. Following on from the Brisbane Festival and Brisbane Writers’ Festival, Brisbane Open House gives people the opportunity to visit, explore and experience buildings and architecturally signifi cant houses not otherwise accessible – and all for free. Having just completed its sixth year, it is still in its infancy compared to its founding parent, London Open House which next year celebrates its 25th year.

Brisbane Open House’s fi rst year in 2009 was achieved with the support of founding members Brisbane Th ere were also guided walking tours of activities and the people was for me the Development Association, Queensland precincts and cemeteries and free concerts highlight – ever changing and never dull. National Trust, the Offi ce of the State put on by Brisbane City Council. Th e Government architect, a small number of Th e management committee and many Children’s program was also another of the volunteers are in professions and volunteers and a committed management success, with activities to engage the kids committee volunteering their time and vocations allied to the built environment. in the buildings and spaces they were We have town planners, urban planners, expertise to get the event moving.. Th at visiting. I had a number of kids tell me year, 30 buildings were opened, and architects, engineers (and a token lawyer), their parents were tiring, but they still all of whom share a common passion for there were around 10,000 visits with the had heaps more to see and do. enigmatic Masonic Lodge in Ann Street the built environment and urban places. being the clear favourite. In 2015, 88 With the support of a small number If one in fi ve of the readership was able buildings were opened and with a 15 of sponsors, close to 450 volunteers to volunteer some time and encourage percent increase in visitations from 2014, and a small but dedicated events team, others to do so, it would add signifi cantly to the community engagement and the saw 65,900 visitations over the weekend. the event and surrounding programs continuing ability to run the event. continues to grow. Th e engagement with Th is celebration of the build environment the population of Brisbane is increasing McCullough Robertson Lawyers sponsors is not just about the buildings; in a lively exponentially year on year, but there are a photography competition as part of program before the Brisbane Open House still so many who do not know about Open House, and includes a student weekend, a series of complimentary the event or ‘get it’. Brisbane is enjoying prize as well as a monthly Instagram events and functions are held as a a true renaissance of its urban spaces, competition. Th e standard of images preview to the main event. Th is year, laneways and architecture and Brisbane is universally high, and is a fantastic the popular Speaker Series saw Darren Open House is the festival that can draw catalogue of the buildings and places of Lockyer and architect Paul Owen and on this wave of enthusiasm. interest to those who participated. Sallyanne Atkinson AO and her architect Elizabeth Watson-Brown discuss the I manned the Hub at King George Maybe next year you could be the winner! client architect relationship, how that Square on both days and delighted in When you see the orange banners, signs relationship develops and the delivery of watching kids big and small building and logos for BOH on 8 and 9 October special architectural outcomes that are Lego creations. At the Hub we were able next year, get ready, and get involved. Go both functional and aesthetic. Th e Made to answer questions and direct people to to www.brisbaneopenhouse.com.au in Brisbane program commenced with a various buildings and activities, as well Stuart Macnaughton Partner McCullough stonemason’s lecture and culminated in as watch the City go about its business. Robertson lawyers, PIA Member, six creative studios throughout Brisbane To be able to observe the dynamic and BOH Organising Committee being open over the weekend for visit. interactions between the place, the Member.

Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 31 Place Transforming car spaces into people places - Brisbane PARK(ing) Day 2015 Brisbane City Council

From giant games and craft workshops, to putt-putt, free BBQs and donuts, and a few fully-functioning offi ces on the street, Brisbane’s inner-city was transformed by the community on 18 September 2015 when Brisbane City Council took part in International PARK(ing) Day.

An annual world-wide event, PARK(ing) Day encourages residents, artists, designers and placemakers to transform on-street parking spaces into temporary public PARKs for one day.

Brisbane PARK(ing) Day 2015 was a huge success, with 22 Brisbane teams transforming 32 parking spaces into innovative, community spaces across the CBD, Fortitude Valley, South Brisbane and West End celebrating our vibrant, Architectus’ star weaving workshop ‘Helping Hands’ was awarded highly commended. creative and people-friendly city. Engaging with the community to architecture, design and town planning PARK(ing) Day began in 2005 when fi rms, community and arts groups, Rebar, a San Francisco art and design Council called for participants in and even one passionate individual. studio transformed a single metered August 2015, with teams choosing their Council arranged permits and approvals, parking space into a public park to preferred sites from a list of parking developed a ‘How to PARK’ guide for provoke critical examination about urban spaces promoted online. Spaces were participants and managed safety aspects public space and the way streets are used. allocated on a fi rst-come-fi rst-served basis of the event. Safety bollards were dropped

BVN’s winning PARK, ‘An office on the street’ 32 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 Place into place in the early hours of the online votes were submitted - a high level Highly commended awards were given to: morning to reserve spaces. To encourage of engagement for a one-day Council-led • Arkhefi eld for ‘No Parking Putt Putt’, community engagement, Council event. a creative nine-hole putt-putt course conducted a competition with a Judges’ built in framed letters spelling ‘NO Award for Best PARK and People’s The winners PARKING’ Choice Award, selected by public vote. Th e Judges’ Award for Best PARK was Given the outstanding calibre of PARKs • Brisstyle for ‘Crafting Outdoors’, yarn- on the day, the judging panel announced presented to BVN for their PARK, ‘An bombed furniture including tables, three highly commended awards. offi ce on the street’, a modular-designed sun lounges, beach umbrellas and outdoor offi ce, which created a seamless lamp shades and hands-on activities Council’s integrated marketing campaign connection with the kerb at street-level including pom-pom making relied heavily on social media channels and included connected power for laptop • Architectus for ‘Helping Hands’, a to drive reach and engagement. Teams and phone charging stations, free Wi-Fi, hands-on star weaving workshop with were encouraged to use their own social desks, comfortable seating and a mini all stars created on the day donated to media channels to promote their PARKS library. Th e PARK demonstrated fl exible the 1 Million Stars to End Violence (using a defi ned hashtag) and invite their working at its best and created a unique Project by Maryann Talia Pau. followers to visit and vote. Th is unique opportunity for employees and visitors to partnering approach ensured the event engage with passers-by. Brisbane PARK(ing) Day 2015 was reached a much wider audience than a great opportunity for the Brisbane Council channels alone. Th e campaign Th e People’s Choice was awarded to the community to join cities around the generated more than 700,000 Facebook QUT Planning Students Association for world in thinking beyond the standard and Twitter impressions with 209 shares, their ‘Urban Beach’ where a tonne of sand use of urban spaces, and to profi le likes, retweets and comments, as well as was used to create a pop-up beach on the Brisbane as a vibrant, creative city 263 Instagram posts. Hundreds of people street, complete with beach umbrellas, dedicated to innovative design visited the PARKS over the day and 527 hammocks and a blow-up wading pool. and good planning.

Queensland Young Planners - Brisbane PARK(ing) Day

Th e Queensland Young Planners we up bright and early chat to our Queensland Young Planners and many took the for the fi rst Brisbane PARK(ing) Day converting our opportunity to take a photo in our QYP Parking Day Car. space on Charlotte Street into a community hub with We look forward to welcoming back the PARK(ing) Day seating, games and our very own “Pay it Forward Wall”. event in 2016 and next year Queensland Young Planners Here anyone could come and take an inspirational quote, are coming for the win! Th ank you to our supporters voucher or hand drawn picture but only if they left Mitre 10 Chermside & Urbis. something behind in return in the hopes of encouraging a community vibe. Many people stopped for a look and a Stacey Mills PIA (Graduate) Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 33 Place I’m listening to you, you bastides John Minnery FPIA

Recently I visited a number of medieval towns in beautiful but historically troubled south west France that I had wanted to see for ages. Th ey go under the generic title of bastides. Les bastides were also built in contested regions in Europe (including Germany and Wales) but there is a magnifi cent concentration of them in the area roughly between Bordeaux and Toulouse, mainly dating from the 13th and 14th centuries. Th eir creation arouse from a series of humanitarian disasters but despite this they provide powerful lessons for modern-day urban planners.

But fi rst the background to les bastides. Market square and market hall in Monpazier Th e region they are in was fl attened by a series of political and religious upheavals commercial purpose. Th ey might have Most were laid out in a simple in the middle ages. It was the last refuge been fortifi ed but they weren't fortresses. grid pattern focused on the market of the Cathars, a supposedly heretical sect Th ey had churches but they weren't square. Th e grid of main streets was that was viciously destroyed during the religious centres. Th ey were market supplemented by narrower alleys between Abigensian crusade started in 1208 in towns with their design centred on an the main streets (like central Melbourne). Pope Innocent III. Whole populations open market square. Normally the four Th e grid made them easy to lay out, easy were slaughtered and towns wiped from sides of the square had covered arcades to navigate and allowed for equality of the map. Th en there was the struggle where stalls could also be set up, and the house lot allocations. But people built by Louis VII to throw the English rulers four corner entrances to the market were their own houses. Th e physical design (who were really French anyway) out of wide enough to allow a cart through but was memorable and easy to manage but France -- the fi rst Hundred Years War narrow enough to be controlled and taxes allowed fl exibility in implementation. but actually lasting from 1159-1299. Th e collected. Some of them had a market hall Th ey were created at a human scale. Th ey south west of modern France was the in the square where the town council and are easy to walk around. Th ere is no epicentre for much of the fi ghting. It was offi cials could meet or keep records. Th e grand overwhelming architecture but the a pretty rough time for those living there. bastides that fl ourished were well located built environment works well at the scale on important trade routes. So purpose appropriate to living and working and Les bastides were part of the answer. Th e and an appropriate location were critical. trading goods. kings of England and France, as well as local nobility (particularly the Duke of Toulouse) realised that concentrating people in towns, some of which were fortifi ed and most of which were in strategically signifi cant locations, would help them retain control. And could also help them fi ll their depleted coff ers. But then the question was: How do you get people to live in such disputed areas? Answer: give them special rights and prepare good places for them to live and work in. Th ere are between 700 and 800 bastides in south west France alone, (depending on how rigidly they are defi ned) so generalisations are diffi cult, but they can still speak to us in the 21st century. First there's their purpose.

Overwhelmingly bastides served a Google earth image of Monflanquin 34 – Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 Place

A really important aspect, though, was not in the physical layout. It was in the charter that set out the rights, privileges and customs of the inhabitants. Th e charters varied according to who controlled the bastide (the French or English king, various Dukes and so on). But they off ered far more certainty and far more rights to ordinary inhabitants than were off ered outside the bastides. Sometimes the ownership of an urban house lot meant you also owned a productive lot in the surrounding countryside. Or taxes were more lenient. Th ere were real advantages to living in a bastide, over and above the greater security off ered by living in a town rather than isolated in the countryside. Many of the rights associated with the Colonnaded arcades around the market square in Monflanquin charter still exist -- for example, we visited Monpazier on market day. We knew it was market day because since its founding in 1284 by Edward I of England the town charter identifi ed Th ursday as the weekly market day. Market day in Castillonnes has been Tuesday since 1259. Some towns, like Villeneuve-sur-Lot and Montauban, have been so successful as urban centres that they have grown far beyond their original bastide foundations. Others, like Castillonnes, Monpazier, Eymet, Villereal and Monfl anquin remain pretty much their original sizes of a few thousand people. Some have disappeared. Th ere are two fi nal lessons from the French bastides. Th e fi rst is their resilience. Th e ones that exist today have survived wars, the rise and fall of kingdoms and changes in cultures and values. Th ey still Alleys behind main streets in Monpazier contain strong local communities and serve these communities well. Th en lastly there is the power of their attractiveness, something that they have also retained for hundreds of years. Th e regions in which they are located now tout their bastides as tourist attractions. Th ere is a formalised bastide route linking many of them. Tourism departments and town offi cials have recognised the pull of the bastides and publicise them widely. A simple but aff ective bastide logo has been created which you will fi nd on roads leading to the towns. Th eir originality and charm have made them positive tourist attractions. Th ere aren't too many urban planning environments that attract non- planning visitors, but the bastides do. Yes, the bastides are still worth listening to. Market square at Tournon d’Agenais on market day Queensland Planner – Summer 2015 – Vol 55 No 4 – 35 Information

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