Shop top living an idea that’s been talked about for 50 years: Let’s make it happen

Inner city living is key to a vibrant and thriving central business district. Let’s make it happen.

OFTEN, in the past, I have forgotten the value of our history.

It helps us all understand context and adds significant value to our decisions today.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have sought some oral history on the Central Business District.

Undertaken some research, securing old articles to better understand the position of our forefathers and foremothers.

What was the CBD like? What caused its ebbs and flows? What made it successful?

What I discovered, was that there was a common thread and it was, inner city living.

Oral histories have told me that originally, the city heart of Toowoomba was home to commerce, family homes above small businesses, and entertainment.

A bustling centre, that was active and vibrant.

Alive, all day and all night.

And renewed calls to return to this concept started in the 1970s.

Old newspaper clippings show that in the mid 1980s local Architect Bill Durack outlined a vision for Toowoomba’s future in a paper delivered to a joint meeting of the Royal Geographical Society of Australia and the Toowoomba Historical Society.

Central to the vision was inner city living, as the injection of people would make the city’s heart beat 24/7.

This in response to the growing suburban developments that became so prominent.

The Downtown News in the mid 1990s identified that the Toowoomba CBD Taskforce urged the Toowoomba Regional Council to change its by-laws to encourage inner city residential development.

And During the early 2000s, the idea of facilitating inner city living was discussed in council chambers and, according to the oral history provided, put in the too-hard basket.

In 2020, the Toowoomba Chamber formed the CBD Revitalisation Advisory Committee in a bid to reboot and renew the heart of the city into a destination.

Like, our predecessors, the key finding after discussions with small business owners, was a key to their survival in the CBD was the need to increase foot traffic.

The CBDRAC are very clear that one way to do that, is for the TRC to facilitate inner city living.

The decision by TRC to support and create opportunity to facilitate shop top living, is in my view significant.

And yes, there will be no doubt challenges and hurdles to facilitate this outcome. And yes, there may be a need to look at ways to incentivise this important policy decision.

And yes, this is only one piece of the CBD puzzle.

But for the sake of the CBD and small business community, this is a Project Runway moment.

So, a hearty congratulations and thank you Cr O’Hara Sullivan and the team, on this important step forward, to support inner city living. This has the potential to leave a legacy for the City and region.

The Toowoomba Chamber supports this initiative and are ready and able to assist in bringing all players together to deliver this to market.