Meeting South-East Queensland’s rapid pace of urban development
Meeting a fast-growing population and growing business scene, South-East Queensland’s pace of urban development is accelerating. But with growth comes a host of new challenges, including the risk of losing its unique ‘sense of place’. According to Lucian Iacob, a Principal at Hatch RobertsDay, a new integrated place-based planning and design instrument offers a welcome solution.
In 2021-22, Queensland had the largest population growth (1.1 per cent) than any other State – and is projected to hit 4.2 to 4.6 million people by 2031. South-East Queensland is expected to bring in one million new jobs by 2041.
As part of the Brisbane 2032 Master Plan, it is estimated the Olympic Games will deliver $8.1 billion in direct benefits to Queensland’s economy and generate 91,000 jobs.
The SEQ City Deal, a joint investment between the Australian and Queensland governments and the Council of Mayors, will work to creating liveable, thriving communities and accelerate investment and future jobs.
South-East Queensland is arguably the most exciting area of urban development and revitalisation in Australia today. However, for the region to preserve its unique sense of place, while maintaining steady growth and development over the next decade, a vision for the region will need to be supported by a new integrated place-based planning and design instrument.
This will help ensure future growth creates a collection of endearing places that are bespoke, physically appealing and reflective of its intrinsic qualities and lifestyle.
Since 2016, Queensland has been following a performance and outcome-based approach to planning, with its State Planning Policy (SPP) prioritising infrastructure, safety, hazard resilience, liveable communities and housing, economic growth, environment, and heritage to create a more liveable, sustainable, and economically viable State. However, several developments have sparked community backlash and this trend may continue.
With the escalating pace of development in South-East Queensland, the state and local governments don’t have time to do planning well. Therefore, there is a need for fit-for-purpose planning instruments that can respond to the growing complexities and challenges of urban development to deliver sustainable and liveable places.
Innovative place-based planning and design instruments, as well as customised approaches to development patterns and urban forms are fundamental to bringing this vision for the region to light.
Form-Based Codes
Form-Based Codes – a transect-based model framework of standards for the built environment – are key to solving the region’s planning problem. An alternative to conventional land use planning, Form-Based Codes prioritise the physical characteristics of a development and how they relate to the surrounding community, particularly relationships between buildings, the street, pedestrians, and public and private spaces.
Usually presented visually, often with illustrations, Form-Based Codes allow planners to easily see how a development will fit into the existing community.
Form-Based Codes emphasise building typologies, the quality of the public realm and the preservation of natural areas, helping planners shape customised and sustainable urban forms which preserve a community’s unique sense of place. At Hatch RobertsDay, we’ve worked with Form-Based codes on numerous development projects successfully.
Form Based Codes are typically developed in partnership with the community and allow local calibration at a variety of context and scales, while also having the potential to streamline development review and approval processes – thus eliminating the need for reference to numerous other policies and guidelines.
This tool can also prevent the formation of polarising, disenfranchised groups, and instead bring everyone together with a clear vision; achieving predictable physical results, with the elements controlled being those most vital to developing a high-quality built environment.
The use of Form-Based Codes in more than 700 national and international best practice case studies is testament to its capacity to garner broad stakeholder consensus. It is essential to rediscovering planning and architectural traditions that have shaped the most liveable and memorable places and ensuring that new development promotes and protects the health and wellbeing of communities.
