City building

Identified back in 1991 as an area ripe for renewal, Newstead has become one of Brisbane City Council's Urban Renewal Brisbane programme success stories.

Formerly a brownfield area comprising industrial sites such as Newstead wharves, Boral gasworks and the James Hardie fibrolite plant, Newstead has undergone what can only be described as a renaissance.

More than 20 hectares of land has been, or will be, transformed into mixed-use developments, designed to capitalise on the riverside location.

One such project within the identified area is the Newstead Riverpark. The 17-hectare Boral gasworks site will be a suburb within a suburb once completed, says Brisbane City Council neighbourhood planning and development assessment chair, councillor Amanda Cooper.

"The residential/business/retail development will feature a plaza around the heritage-listed gasometer frame, five hectares of parkland, a one-hectare lake, boardwalks and pedestrian links."

To ensure the area's ongoing amenity, council has focused on quality, sustainable design. The development will incorporate views and riverfront access.

For more details on Urban Renewal Brisbane, contact Brisbane City Council on (07) 3403 8888, or visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au.

The inner-city areas of any major metropolis are always going to be in a state of flux. Populations come and go as successive groups move into or out of the immediate CBD area.

By keeping track of these movements and using this data to predict future trends, authorities can determine the scope of ongoing urban renewal such areas require.

Fortitude Valley in Brisbane is a characteristic example of this type of future planning. Located just one kilometre northeast of the CBD, the area is rich in cultural history and identity, and has a close association with both the CBD and surrounding residential areas.

Taking these factors into account, Urban Renewal Brisbane has identified the area as being capable of supporting future growth, says Cooper.

"Council has established the Fortitude Valley Urban Vision to provide a strategic direction for future development while reinforcing a creative, sustainable and affordable urban community."

For more details on Urban Renewal Brisbane, contact Brisbane City Council on (07) 3403 8888, or visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au.

For details on the Emporium precinct project, contact the Anthony John Group on (07) 3839 0011, or visit www.anthonyjohngroup.com.au.

Urban renewal is not simply the process of using existing sites or buildings in more effective ways. Rather, it is an indication of what we as a society consider important to our continued wellbeing.

Environmentally sustainable design (ESD) principles are embodied in Brisbane City Council's planning work to ensure consistency and delivery. These principles are exemplified at the Green Square development, the first development in Queensland to earn a 5-Star Green Star rating.

Green Square is the largest mixed-use corporate office park to be built in Brisbane for the past 15 years and counts amongst its tenants the city council.

"Council places vital importance on the greening of the city's construction and is leading by example in being an environmentally responsible organisation," says Lord Mayor Campbell Newman.

Green Star ratings are based on a building's ability to save energy, reduce greenhouse emissions, conserve water and recycle material on site.

For more details on Urban Renewal Brisbane, contact Brisbane City Council on (07) 3403 8888, or visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au.

For more information on Green Square, contact Leighton Properties on (07) 3229 8938, or visit www.leightonproperties.com.au.

In the past, waterways such as Brisbane River were conduits for industry. As their commercial value waned, vast tracts of waterside land ended up lying dormant.

Astute developers and civic authorities have come to realise that the true value of this land lies not in its ability to sustain industry, but rather in its proximity to the new centres of commerce.

The post-World War II exodus that saw populations around the globe leave city centres in favour of outlying suburbs has come full circle, and increasing numbers of people are choosing to move back into the cities to enjoy the urban lifestyle.

Modern apartment buildings, such as Flow in Brisbane's West End, are examples of how through Urban Renewal Brisbane the council is working in conjunction with developers and the community to provide a strategic direction to future development in these riverside locations.

"Further consultation with the community will determine the ways this area will thrive," says Cooper.

For more details on Urban Renewal Brisbane, contact Brisbane City Council on (07) 3403 8888, or visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au.

For more information on Flow contact Pradella on (07) 3115 0300, or visit www.pradella.com.au.

One of a modern-day city's responsibilities is to decide how best can it use the natural resources available for the betterment of all residents. For Brisbane City Council through Urban Renewal Brisbane (URB) that means taking account of its constituents' emotional wellbeing too.

One of the ongoing projects initiated by URB has been the development of the Teneriffe area. Encompassing more than a kilometre of river frontage on the northeast fringe of the CBD, Teneriffe is the site of the first URB riverfront residential development.

"Over the years and ensuing developments, the desire to provide easy access to and along the river, as well as a number of open green spaces, has shaped the look of the Teneriffe waterfront," says Cooper.

"A number of residential and mixed-use developments have transformed Teneriffe's skyline. The one constant has been the ongoing incorporation of a riverside boardwalk interspersed with pocket parks that have provided residents with all-important recreational areas."

For more details on Urban Renewal Brisbane, contact Brisbane City Council on (07) 3403 8888, or visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au.

Like many of its contemporaries around the world, Brisbane is a city rebranding in an increasingly fast-paced environment. The 20th century has seen a rise in urbanisation, as once again people choose to live in cities rather than in rural areas.

This trend has resulted in the closer scrutiny of our urban environments and how to make them more pleasant places in which to live.

For Brisbane City Council the answer was to establish Urban Renewal Brisbane (URB), an initiative designed to address the future needs of a growing city.

"Since its inception URB has been revitalising specific areas of inner-city Brisbane," says Cooper.

"Urban Renewal Brisbane aims to increase housing and employment opportunities, improve public transport, reduce traffic congestion and provide more open space through innovative planning and development, with the goal of creating vibrant living and working environments."

With these basic principles, the future of Brisbane City and URB is assured.

For more details on Urban Renewal Brisbane, contact Brisbane City Council on (07) 3403 8888, or visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au.

Story by: Trendsideas