Telephone: (07) 3839 1400
Facsimile: (07) 3839 1411
Address: Level 10
87 Wickham Tce
Spring Hill QLD 4000
Australia
What Brisbane Does Best - May 2010
This month Mark brings us back home to Brisbane for a spot of R&R and shows us that this is what Brisbane does best.
For my first Urban Excursions entry I thought I would touch on a subject a little closer to home. Previous issues have brought you the delights of destinations abroad and it wasn’t until an article in the Sydney Morning Herald could we compare overseas locals to home. The SMH has recently published the Mercer Consulting Group’s Quality of Living Survey ranking world cities in order the most idyllic place to live and needless to say the results caused much debate in the office. Cities were ranked on a number of criteria that included education, safety, hygiene, healthcare, culture, environment, recreation, political/economic stability and public transportation. Australia represented itself well in the top 50 with Sydney 10th, Melbourne 18th, Perth 21st, Canberra 26th, Adelaide 32nd and Brisbane 36th. Invariably discussion in the office quickly centred itself on the question, is Brisbane the world’s smallest city or the world’s biggest country town?
Since moving to Brisbane 7 years ago I’ve consistently come across the belief that Brisbane isn’t really a city but rather a place with a brown river, brown concrete buildings and once held an event called expo. I’m happy to say, and I’m sure you would all agree with me, that Brisbane has come a long way since then. Redevelopment of South Bank Parklands, The Powerhouse, King George Square and The Emporium complex have helped transform Brisbane from a sleepy city to a vibrant modern community, so can it still be said that Brisbane is a country town?
A quick poll in the office has confirmed that compared to other Australian cities Brisbane still has the feel or should I say charm of a country town. As an urban enthusiast I would have to say that Brisbane has yet to define itself with a point of distinction to other Australian Cities. Melbourne is Australia’s iconic home for fashion and culture, Sydney is seen as the capital for business and internationally recognised as Australia’s capital and even Hobart viewed as the old provincial capital of the south. I put it forward that built environment professionals in Brisbane need to develop and consolidate this envied and relaxed lifestyle to make it into Brisbane’s key defining feature which will see Brisbane as the Chillaxed Capital of Australia, so to speak.
While the South East Queensland Regional Plan outlines many mother statements to this effect who among us can say exactly what this translates to in practice. I’m of the opinion that more definitive plans and strategies need to be put in place and unified under a clear and articulate vision of Brisbane’s future development. Too often do I see the words like TOD and sustainable in policy and development literature which translates into little more than branding.
While the South East Queensland Regional Plan outlines many mother statements to this effect who among us can say exactly what this translates to in practice. I’m of the opinion that more definitive plans and strategies need to be put in place and unified under a clear and articulate vision of Brisbane’s future development. Too often do I see the words like TOD and sustainable in policy and development literature which translates into little more than branding.
As Brisbane and SEQ look to rapidly expand over the coming years a clear idea of the holistic view of how we want to live, work and play is needed. The formation of the board of Urban Places and the appointment of a State Architect are steps in the right direction. I believe a fundamental to transforming Brisbane into the envied international place for lifestyle is focusing of place making strategies. These strategies focus on creating iconic, distinctive places and communities across Brisbane for social interaction. Examples of these include Rosalie, Milton, South Bank, Bulimba, West End and Tenerrife. Each has their own character and charm and helps create a mosaic of communities across greater Brisbane.
Cities now compete internationally as the desired place to do business and attract skilled migrant workers. Our relaxed lifestyle and envied climate are the city’s greatest assets and should be reinforced by each and every urban development. It is imperative for Brisbane to position itself as the lifestyle capital for Australia in order to attract business and skilled workers to secure the city’s future economic prosperity. I’m hoping that next year’s Mercer Consulting Group’s Quality of Living survey will see Brisbane move up a couple of notches and have Brisbane recognised as the great place it is.
~ Mark Case
~ Mark Case
