Sunshine Coast: Where do we go from here?

Conference looks at the importance of ensuring a distinctive sense of place, sense of identity for cities and communities

Picture: Erle Levey

WHAT makes a great city or community? That was the question Kate Meyrick put to the recent Urban Evolution of the Sunshine Coast conference.

Kate, who is CEO of the independent non-profit urban consultancy The Hornery Institute, put it to those at the Innovation Centre at Sippy Downs that great communities were not about the structure and scale but the essence and intent.

"The word city means a large conglomeration of people who live in the same space.

"Why care if a city or community is great? It could be global, hot, cool, in motion, youthful, aging, friendly and even sexy.

"Does it matter if we are great? Absolutely it does.

"Cities that compete in the future will be the ones to succeed.''

As humans, we are collective, we thrive best that way. Networks also work best when close together.

In a dawning age of ideas, cities are more important than ever. They just come in all shapes and sizes.

People come together to express and exchange ideas.

A great community needs a definite idea of itself. What makes it great.

To create a place brand needs a really inspiring narrative and the communication of its benefits to the outside world.

You have to let people know what you are great at. Sydney says it all, just mention the name and people know what that city connotes.

There needs to be a public realm that turns heads. An awesome realm that says something about the values we have.

And there needs to a depth of opportunity - a sense of excitement, of expectation, a buzz that something is just around the corner and it always is.

It needs to be a tasty experience - food and wine, a range of price points but always tasty. So it's never disappointing no matter whether a simple meal or something from a great restaurant.

Exploration, that is one of Kate's favourite qualities in a community.

When you arrive either as a resident, or a visitor for the first time, and you just can't wait to explore. A place of exploration has a sense of identity.

It needs sociability - making life on the streets; share time, food and experiences and welcome visitors.

And it needs balance, a place where younger millennium travellers and young people can mix.

Notice when people are stressed. Do people have time to enjoy themselves?

If you work hard it's important to take a lunch break and the rest of the time belongs to you and your family.

Lessons Kate has learned in her life and as chief executive optimist are that currency is not always measured in dollars and cents. Adapt to contemporary times, be relevant to the people living in the community, have principles and values, understand what people believe in.

Positively invest in your currency with innovation and ideas ... be open to the world.

Have connectivity - people have to be connected to each other and the world.

When it comes to density, compression and clusters are needed as there is a limit to the amount of land available.

If we can't create compression, we will struggle. Not just because of raising land prices but people need to be near people, ideas need to be near people.

Culture is thick and strong. Make sure all our cultural nodes don't compete with each other

Create a vibe, something everyone can be part of but do in their own way. Don't be like the Gold Coast or anywhere else.

Have a distinctive sense of place, colour, vitality. Think about how do we create set of neighbourhoods, each with a sense of identity.

Think about a cosmopolitan society with a free-flow of people and ideas.

There is one simple question. What kind of great community do we want to be?

It's essential that we work really hard together to decide.

Originally published as Sunshine Coast: Where do we go from here?