2005 Brisbane
MISAPPROPRIATED DENSITY Anna Goldberg
Threat: misappropriated density. The increase in building bulk in Brisbane’s central business district is mistaken for an increase in residential density. The last remaining empty site on Brisbane’s north bank will be developed as a high-rise luxury tower if close attention is not paid to the neighborhood’s changing demographics and infrastructure needs. Central to the “threat” of misdevelopment is the presence of the South East Queensland Expressway. Tower residential development threatens to isolate the Brisbane waterfront from new and existing public space, as well as a growing publictransportation network. To add to this problem, most recently constructed housing in the CBD does not immediately address the needs of the inner city’s inhabitants. Management Strategy: Reuse highway infrastructure as public space to compensate for new urban growth while relinking the city’s CBD to the waterfront. A “green street” cut between the city’s botanic garden and the north bank will relink Brisbane’s CBD to the waterfront. Two existing highway ramps will be closed to traffic to allow for a new pedestrian circulation system, including an elevated bike path and mixed-use development underneath the expressway. The proposed programs include a parliamentary extension. All of this takes place on the city’s last undeveloped waterfront site.
1 Generic program zone 2 Expressway 3 Expressway ramp re-use 4 New Circulation axes RESTAURANTS + CIRCULATION MANGROVES + RESERVE AREA MIXED USE AREA UNDER EXPRESSWAY PARLIAMENTARY ANNEX EXPANSION PUBLIC SPACE CULTURAL PROGRAMS BOTANICAL CORRIDOR + CLOSED RAMP NEW CIRCULATION AXES SEQ EXPRESSWAY + STREET MEDIUM DENSITY HOUSING
4 New Circulation axes 5 Local site context and existing infrastructure 6 User groups, proposed programs, impact, proposed density 1
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