Currently experiencing a revitalisation, south-east Queensland is the subject of intense urban development. With a number of Australians relocating to the sunshine state, it is imperative the unique characteristics of the region remain intact.

Hatch RobertsDay’s Queensland Urban Solutions Principal, Lurian Iacob, believes south-east Queensland’s unique sense of place is under threat due to population growth and urban development. Iacob believes both the 2032 Olympics and steady population increases will threaten the existing urban fabric of south-east QLD if developers and architects aren’t mindful.

“Bustling with ambition, creative innovation and aspiration, South-East Queensland is expected to become the model of a global new-world city and the most liveable place, now and into the future,” he says.

“The sheer scale of growth over the next decade and beyond will require a well-articulated vision to preserve South-East Queensland’s sense of place and steer its evolution into a collection of endearing places that are bespoke, physically appealing and reflective of its intrinsic qualities and lifestyle.”

“A vision for the region will need to be supported by a new integrated place-based planning and design instrument. Conveying a compelling future visually and facilitating customised approaches to development patterns and urban forms is a challenge for conventional land use planning and development controls.”

More than one million jobs are expected to be created in the area by 2041. According to the Brisbane 2032 Masterplan, the Olympics will generate $8.1 billion in direct benefits to Queensland’s economy. The SEQ City Deal will provide additional funding to create liveable and thriving communities.

Queensland’s State Planning Policy (SPP) prioritises infrastructure, safety, liveable communities, economic growth and environment. Despite the Policy, a number of developments have been ill-received. Iacob says thorough and due process is vital.

“With the escalating pace of development in South-East Queensland, the State and local governments don’t have time to do planning well. Once a development is done, it’s done. The issue is that governments need fit-for-purpose planning instruments that can respond to the growing complexities and challenges of urban development to deliver sustainable and liveable places.”

Iacon cites Form-Based Codes as the answer to Queensland’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. 

The adoption of Form-Based Codes is growing due to its emphasis on building typologies, the quality of the public realm and the preservation of natural areas. Hatch RobertsDay has utilised Form-Based Codes in a number of contexts.

“Form-Based Codes throw all the rules out, including entrenched ways of thinking about zoning and development, and facilitates the emergence of unique places,” Iacob says.

“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 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.

“If Queensland does not adopt this regulatory alternative, then we risk seeing developments that promote overcrowding, as well as generic ‘cookie-cutter’-type developments that are not appropriate or sympathetic to local communities and neighbouring developments. These risk the overall enjoyment of a place by residents and visitors.”

Supported by growing evidence of more than 700 national and international best practice case studies, Form-Based Codes have demonstrated the ability to garner broad community consensus, rediscover planning and architectural traditions that have shaped the most liveable and memorable places, and ensure that new development promotes and protects the health and wellbeing of communities.