Droughty Point land set for major development under the guidance of American urban planning firm DOZ Co-Design

A masterplan is being developed for a 350ha site near Hobart, currently being used as farmland. Read details on the plans for the area, which is five times the size of Battery Point.

DPZ Co-Design partner Marina Khoury and co-land owner Greg Carr with the Droughty Point site in the background. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

A SITE in Clarence five times the size of Battery Point could be the future home of a sustainable community under the direction of a leading American urban planning company.

Co-land owner Greg Carr, whose father bought the 350ha site in 1971, has engaged Florida-based urban planning company DPZ Co-Design to oversee the masterplanning of the land which is located at Droughty Point, near Tranmere.

“We are very interesting in making the best out of that property, not just for our family, but for the council, the community and everyone,” Mr Carr said.

“It has such potential, it would be a tragedy to waste it.”

DPZ Co-Design partner Marina Khoury is in Hobart this week to meet with stakeholders to discuss plans for the “awe-inspiring” site, which has the working title of Skylands.

“Not only do you see it from everywhere you go in Hobart, once you’re on the site, the scale of it is tremendous and it’s a beautiful property with water on all three sides,” Ms Khoury said.

“For this project to be successful we want to design it in the presence of the community. We want people to come tell us the type of growth they want to see.”

Ms Khoury said there would be a week-long intensive planning workshop for community consultation which will be held on a yet to be decided date this winter.

The long term project will be planned and delivered over a 20 year time frame.

The large area of land near Tranmere that will be redeveloped under a bold new plan. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Ms Khoury said Skylands, which is currently used as farmland, would be planned on the principles of new urbanism.

“That means connectedness, streets that feel like outdoor rooms, buildings that present a pedestrian friendly facade to the streets, finding ways to hide garages so they don’t overwhelm the facade, streets for people to linger in,” she said.

“We want the commercial nodes to be convivial places with cafes that spill out onto sidewalks – the places people naturally want to be.”

There are Aboriginal heritage sites on the land, which were intended to be incorporated into the design.

“Any heritage asset will enhance the site,” Ms Khoury said.

“There are many opportunities for wildlife corridors throughout the site – when you have a site this size, you can do it all – there’s no reason to narrow the choices.”

Clarence City Council is in the process of creating a structure plan for the area which aims to manage residential growth and guide future development of the Tranmere, Droughty Point and Rokeby peninsula.

Mayor Doug Chipman said the council was working closely with the land owners and all other interested stakeholders in the development of the plan.

“This collaborative process continues with the major land owners and their internationally recognised urban design consultants. At the end of the day, council wishes to see the best possible outcomes for this most significant of places in the state,” he said.