A blueprint for the River City October 2009

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Heart of the city
Brisbane’s inner city has become a dynamic and exciting place. More than two
decades of steady growth has transformed the centre of Brisbane from a business
district to a thriving commercial and retail area surrounded by urban living and
entertainment precincts with world-class attractions, pioneering research and
education institutions, and specialist employment hubs.

Brisbane has developed into a new

world city, one with its own strong and
individual energy, capable of drawing
entrepreneurs, innovators, investors,
tourists and students from across the
globe. But this burgeoning sophistication
has not come at the expense of lifestyle.
Brisbane’s inner city remains one of the
world’s great easy-living places.

But what will the inner city be like in

20 or 50 years?

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Growing up
Brisbane is part of Australia’s fastest growing metropolitan region. As the economic
heart of South East Queensland, Brisbane will share in this growth. Over the next 20
years Brisbane needs to accommodate 156,000 new dwellings and employment in
the inner city is expected to jump by more than 200,000 jobs.

Brisbane City’s residential population increased by 17,368 during the 2008/09

financial year. (Australian Bureau of Statistics)

In fact, most new jobs in Brisbane will
be found in either the inner city or the
Australia TradeCoast (the area around
the Brisbane International Airport and
Port of Brisbane) in industries as diverse
as biotechnology, retail, exporting and
health services.
According to long-term plans for
South East Queensland and Brisbane,
written with the help of specialists
and community members from across
the region, the inner city will also
accommodate much of the new housing
that our growing population will need.

How can we ensure this new development

The inner five kilometres is 78 square
kilometres or six per cent of the area of
Brisbane, yet it is home to one quarter
of Brisbane’s one million residents and
contains half of Brisbane’s 700,000 jobs.
contributes to the future prosperity
and vitality of the inner city? How do
we continue to progress into a smart,
sustainable city that is capable of standing
out on a world stage?

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A glimpse of the future
Brisbane City Council, in partnership with the Queensland Government,
has started developing an overarching plan to guide the development of the
inner city – the River City Blueprint.

The River City Blueprint will draw
together all existing plans, studies
and strategies for suburbs within a five
kilometre radius of the CBD to generate
a single, consolidated vision for the area.
It will also create a cohesive framework
to manage future growth and
infrastructure delivery.
The River City Blueprint will be jointly
funded by Council and the Queensland
Government’s Department of
Infrastructure and Planning. Council
will coordinate and lead the project.
While the River City Blueprint will
primarily focus on a 20-year timeframe
to 2031, all project work will also consider
the 50-year horizon to 2061.
The River City Blueprint will address a
range of issues. The plan will look at
where new housing and commercial
development should be encouraged,
how to design the inner city so it
supports a sustainable subtropical
lifestyle together with possible
improvements to public spaces.
It will also consider new public transport
systems and river crossings the city might
need and ways to encourage knowledge-
based industries to establish near
existing research and cultural institutions.
Social infrastructure and housing to meet
the existing and future needs of
all residents, workers and visitors will
be addressed.
Cutting-edge national and international
innovations will be explored through
detailed technical studies, along with
fresh ideas provided by industry experts
and local people for old problems and
tomorrow’s challenges.
We need to think big and imagine the
possibilities for tomorrow.
In the five years to 2006, the population
of inner-Brisbane grew by over 37,000
people from migration (with around
90,000 people arriving and 53,000
departing). More than half the net gain
was in the 15-29 year age category.
In 2006 in inner-Brisbane, one in every
ten people was aged under 20, and one
in ten aged over 60.

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The River City Blueprint study a

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area

The River City

Blueprint will
create a cohesive
framework to
manage growth
in Brisbane’s inner
city. The inner
city’s relationship
with other growth
areas such as
the Australia
TradeCoast will
also be considered.

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Quintessentially Brisbane
Brisbane people are optimistic that the city’s growth will strengthen and diversify
our economy, bringing new jobs and new opportunities. The inner city’s Fortitude
Valley now boasts Australia’s first dedicated entertainment precinct, while the
world’s first cervical cancer vaccine was developed at the emerging biosciences
and medical research precinct in Woolloongabba.

We’ve witnessed new development Queenslanders, the stylish warehouse

rejuvenate tired inner-city locations
such as James Street, in Fortitude
Valley, and we’ve embraced the
accompanying new entertainment,
living and leisure opportunities.
But we don’t want to grow up and
become just like any other city.
We love the fact that our inner-city
neighbourhoods are so different, that
the verve and energy of Fortitude
Valley coexists with the quaint streets
of Paddington, lined with their iconic
apartments of Teneriffe and the
bustling offices of the CBD. We don’t
want our neighbourhoods to lose
their distinctiveness or ‘small-town’
warmth and friendliness.
We want to make sure the city’s
infrastructure can cope with new
residents, workers, students and tourists
and that the services we enjoy today are
not compromised by growth. Most of all,
we want to preserve the relaxed, outdoor
lifestyle that is quintessentially Brisbane.

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One inner city, one blueprint
Numerous plans to manage development already exist for parts of the inner city.
Albion now has its own Neighbourhood Plan, The City Centre Master Plan became
operational in 2006 and planning documents have been directing the successful
redevelopment of places such as Teneriffe, Fortitude Valley, New Farm and
Newstead for more than a decade.

Normally in Brisbane, these plans are
created by Council, together with local
communities. However, the Queensland
Government is also planning sections of
the inner city, such as Bowen Hills and
Hamilton Northshore.
The continuing development of South
Bank is also being managed by a state
government-owned entity, and the Royal
National Agricultural and Industrial
Association of Queensland is undertaking
the conversion of the Ekka showgrounds
into a year-round cultural and lifestyle hub.
In all, around 30 separate city plans have
been created or are underway. The inner
city is also being significantly shaped
by the construction of significant new
infrastructure such as:
• Clem7 – a tunnel connecting
Woolloongabba to Bowen Hills
• Kurilpa Bridge – a pedestrian and
bicycle bridge over the Brisbane River
linking the CBD with the Cultural Centre
• Airport Link – a mostly underground
toll road connecting Brisbane’s
northern suburbs and the Brisbane
Airport with the inner city
• The Go Between Bridge – a vehicular,
pedestrian and bicycle bridge linking
Milton to South Brisbane
• E astern Busway – a bus-only road that
will stretch from St Lucia to Capalaba
• Northern Busway – a busway
that will eventually link the CBD to
Bracken Ridge
• Northern Link – a tunnel connecting
the Western Freeway to the Inner
City Bypass.
The River City Blueprint will look at how
each plan for the inner city relates to the
other and how best to capitalise on current
and proposed infrastructure investments.
It will step back to take a broad, holistic
view of Brisbane’s city heart. Once
complete, the River City Blueprint will
ensure all future decisions about the fabric
of the inner city harmonise, from the very
large to the very small.
The River City Blueprint will also contribute
to achieving the Queensland Government’s
broader vision for Queensland, Toward Q2:
Tomorrow’s Queensland, and Council’s
Vision for Brisbane, Our Shared Vision:
Living in Brisbane 2026.

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Informing the Blueprint
Toward Q2: Tomorrow’s Queensland
The Queensland Government has framed its 2020
vision for Queensland around five ambitions that
address current and future challenges.

Strong

Green

Smart

Healthy

Fair

Our Shared Vision: Living in Brisbane 2026

In late 2006 after extensive community engagement,
Brisbane City Council released Our Shared Vision:
Living in Brisbane 2026 which focuses the future
of Brisbane around eight key themes.

Friendly, safe city

Clean, green city

Well-designed, subtropical city

Accessible, connected city

Smart, prosperous city

Active, healthy city

Vibrant, creative city 

Regional, world city

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Background to the
River City Blueprint
In 2007, the Queensland Government commissioned an external advisory body,
called the Smart State Council, to prepare an independent report on the inner city.
The Smart State Council was originally established by the Queensland Premier to
investigate impediments and opportunities affecting Queensland’s transition to
a Smart State.

The resulting report, titled Smart Cities:
rethinking the city centre, not only
offered an insightful analysis of current
urban planning challenges, but also
provocative ideas on the way forward.
It presented a vision of Brisbane as one
of the world’s great walking and cycling
cities and the inner city as a network of
business, cultural, living, research and
knowledge precincts, linked by a series
of pedestrian ‘spines’ and high-quality
public transport.
The report also recommended creating
a single, integrated master plan for the
inner city.
The River City Blueprint will build on
the foundation established by the Smart
Cities report. The report presented 11
objectives for a smart city, which will
be incorporated into the River City
Blueprint. Innovations recommended
by the Smart Cities report will also be
investigated in more depth, together
with alternative strategies.

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Stages of the project
The River City Blueprint will take at least 18 months to create, with a draft plan
expected by mid 2010. The project will be undertaken in series of stages as outlined
in the diagram below.

Mid 2009
Scope out the project
Broadly identify the issues that the River City Blueprint will
address, determine how the project will be managed and
produce a terms of reference to guide the project.

Analyse existing plans

Compile all existing plans, studies and strategies for the
inner- city. Look for common elements, gaps, conflicts or
areas that need more focus. Identify emerging issues that
could challenge the city of 2031.

Late 2009
Explore fresh ideas You’ll be invited to debate
Consider new ways to meet old problems and innovative and discuss concepts at
solutions to tomorrow’s challenges. Look at international workshops and seminars
examples, talk to industry experts, project stakeholders or present your ideas
and the people who know the area best – the locals. more creatively.

Conduct technical studies

Work out which ideas are feasible and which ones will
work best.

Early 2010
Draft the River City Blueprint
Generate an overarching vision for the inner city and a
cohesive framework to manage its growth.

Final decisions are made

Consult with the community
at this stage, so it’s
Give everyone who lives, works, studies or owns property in
essential you contribute
Brisbane a final chance to comment on the draft Blueprint.
your thoughts.

Late 2010
Finalise the River City Blueprint
Refine the draft plan, using consultation feedback, and create
a final document. Begin turning the vision into a reality.

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From vision to reality
The River City Blueprint will not become a statutory document. It will not add
more rules and regulations over development in the inner city. Instead, the River City
Blueprint will implement the principles of higher level documents such as the South
East Queensland Regional Plan at a local level.

South East Queensland Regional Plan

Region South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program
Queensland Government

Brisbane Brisbane City Plan 2000

Brisbane City Council

Inner City River City Blueprint

Brisbane City Council and Queensland Government

Neighbourhoods Neighbourhood Plans

Brisbane City Council

Sites Development Applications

Brisbane City Council

The Blueprint will achieve this by
informing existing tools used to manage
growth and control development in
the inner city such as the Brisbane
City Plan 2000 and Neighbourhood
Plans. The Blueprint will also inform
broader government plans such as the
South East Queensland Infrastructure
Plan and Program and the Brisbane
Long Term Infrastructure Plan. In some
cases, existing tools will be modified
to incorporate the revised overarching
vision described by the Blueprint.
Ideas recommended by the River City
Blueprint that fall outside the scope of
existing projects may require dedicated
project teams to further develop and
implement the concept. The River City
Blueprint will also recommend governance
arrangements for future inner-city projects,
ensuring they are funded and delivered in
a coordinated way.
Council’s independent advisory board,
Urban Futures Brisbane, will help guide
the development of the River City
Blueprint and provide high-level strategic
advice to the project. Consisting of
leading academics and members of
industry and government, Urban Futures
Brisbane currently provides Council with
incisive, real-world advice on planning
issues, with a particular focus on inner-
city urban renewal projects.
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Have your say
People who use, live, work or own property in the inner city will have the chance
to contribute to the River City Blueprint through a series of workshops, seminars
and conferences. Details for each event will be provided closer to the date. There
will also be an opportunity to make formal submissions about the draft River City
Blueprint once the draft is released in mid-2010.

If you want further information on the

River City Blueprint, you can:
• view the project website at
www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/
rivercityblueprint
• phone Council on (07) 3403 8888
• email the project team at
rivercityblueprint@brisbane.qld.gov.au
• write to the project team at:
River City Blueprint
Brisbane City Council LLM
Reply Paid 1434
Brisbane Qld 4001

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 Printed on recycled paper
Brisbane City Council For more information
Information visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
GPO Box 1434 or call (07) 3403 8888
Brisbane Qld 4001
N2009-02476
© Brisbane City Council 2009