Kelvin Grove Urban Village Overview of the village Kelvin Grove Urban Village is a diverse inner city community, linking learning with enterprise, and creative industry with community. The outcome is a new part of Brisbane that offers unique living solutions. At the Kelvin Grove Urban Village, people can easily walk from home to work, have a coffee at the local deli, or walk to the university for an afternoon or evening concert or learning. It is a place where people of all ages and stages in life can live, shop, dine, go to the theatre, gym or pool and where young entrepreneurs can work next door to leading researchers. The diverse facilities and mix of tradition and innovation is creating a safe, convenient, attractive and vibrant neighbourhood. A partnership between the Queensland Government and the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), working with private developers, this award-winning project is setting a new benchmark for inner urban development. As a master-planned community, Kelvin Grove Urban Village sets out to demonstrate best practice in sustainable, mixed-use urban development balancing environmental, social and economic issues for long-term sustainability. Consistent with Smart Growth and Smart Economy thinking, the Kelvin Grove Urban Village is both radical and traditional. While contemporary urban villages vary greatly, the KGUV is clearly unique in Australia in its radical re-integration of university facilities into the heart of an urban neighbourhood, in the spirit of traditional city universities and creative thinking. At the same time, it is traditional in its main street-based neighbourhood design and close urbane street and park connections to existing surrounding communities. Urban villages are compact, pedestrian oriented, mixed use developments that seek to: promote social mix; integrate essential services, reducing the need for cars and linking with efficient public transport; provide common areas, as opposed to gardens that need extensive work; and incorporate tertiary educational facilities and encourage life-long learning (a key philosophy). (Queensland Planner, March 2006, Vol 46 No 1)
Links with history
Gona Barracks (2001)
The rich and varied history of the site, including its indigenous, military and natural history, has been preserved in the landscaping, street and park names, and the public art spread throughout the precinct. Extensive consultation was undertaken with the traditional area inhabitants, through the Turrbal Association, to understand the significance of the site and to investigate ways of working together, to celebrate the Turrbal people's traditional use of the land. A significant portion of the Kelvin Grove Urban Village occupies the former Gona Barracks site. In recognition of this unique history, some heritage areas of cultural significance, including buildings and spaces on the upper parade ground area, have been preserved. The military history of the site has also been recognised in public artworks developed in consultation with the Returned Services League (RSL) and in the street and park names. The natural heritage of the site is recognised through the stands of the old Grey Gum and Tallowood trees, which reveal the original vegetation on the site. A selection of these trees have been conserved and are part of the parklands. For more information go to www.kgurbanvillage.com.au