Future SEQ: Look to Vancouver for future vision

A CITY on the other side of the Pacific may hold many of the answers to the growth challenges facing southeast Queensland.

A CITY on the other side of the Pacific Ocean may hold many of the answers to the growth challenges facing southeast Queensland.

Vancouver, on Canada’s west coast, has developed an urban design approach which is increasingly being studied and adopted by cities globally.

Although its population of just over 600,000 is only about half of the Brisbane City Council area residents, it has been growing at 6 per cent annually – about three times as fast.

Vancouver is being looked to as a model for cities worldwide.

PwC managing director (real estate advisory) Robert Cavallucci said: “Despite that, it is achieving outstanding urban planning outcomes and is consistently ranked as one of the world’s most liveable cities.

The city has achieved high-density development by building tall, slim buildings – often 40-plus storeys – at staggered distances from each other.

“Because they are slender, it allows space between them so they are light, airy and have fantastic view corridors,” Mr Cavallucci said.

At ground level, it means more space for parks, public spaces and active, walkable streets – mitigating a sense of overcrowding.

Mr Cavallucci says ‘’Vancouverism’’ offers some valuable pointers for southeast Queensland where inner-city suburbs like South Brisbane, Southport and Maroochydore are adding tens of thousands of residents.

But while there was a desire among planners and developers to incorporate the guidelines, local attitudes could be a barrier.

“The public response is that height tends to be the focus of attention when it comes to conversations about developments, whether it’s in the city or in the middle-ring suburbs,” Mr Cavallucci said.

“Developers try their best and generally run into opposition around building heights.

“The default is to reduce height, making the development wider and filling the block.”

The result was usually more detrimental than going higher because the streetscape felt cramped at ground level.