 Brisbane City Council’s announcement that Victoria Park Golf Course will be closed and the area converted to active parkland is a positive initiative worthy of our support. The proposal is as yet embryonic. Early detail can be accessed on Council’s website here: https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/things-to-see-and-do/council-venues-and-precincts/parks/brisbane%E2%80%99s-biggest-new-park-victoria-park-vision It is also gratifying to see that the COMMITTEE FOR BRISBANE has taken the initiative to survey its membership for ideas and has compiled worthwhile feedback to the Council. This feedback can be viewed here: https://bda.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/C4B_Victoria-Park-Submission-27.9.19.pdf It is worth noting that, some years ago when the Committee was then known as the BRISBANE DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, this Group facilitated a similar urban design workshop: the exercise at that time focused on ways to integrate the as yet unbuilt Inner City Bypass into the fabric of the city.  Both then and now a significant initiative was/is suggested. To quote from the latest feedback document this initiative involves: “…stitching together the city centre and one of Brisbane’s greatest assets…” . “…green space could extend across parts of the ICB to stitch together the two parts of the park…” So, in doing this we gain not only a new park but also we make it accessible to a much wider community who can access it on foot. Such an initiative is not unprecedented, having been undertaken in many parts of the world at various scales. Have a look at Boston’s “Big Dig”, Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon and Detroit’s I-696 Pedestrian Plaza. These are just a few examples of how the negative impact of traffic arteries can be overcome for the city’s benefit  In our instance the Inner City Bypass happens to run through a valley between higher grounds on either side. This makes it relatively simple to create a “land bridge” across the traffic artery: the parkland flowing down from Gregory Terrace can then link with and be part of the new Victoria Park. In this way the historic Spring Hill neighbourhood gains the benefit of direct pedestrian access into the new parkland. Similarly Herston and surrounding neighbourhoods gain enhanced accessibility without the need for vehicle trips.  Extending our thinking to a broader scale it is possible to conceive of the CBD as being enveloped by A NECKLACE OF CONNECTED PARKLANDS. This necklace can extend from the City Botanic Gardens up the sub-tropical boulevard that is Albert Street, through Roma Street Parklands and into the new Victoria Park. Further future initiatives could then facilitate a linkage through Fortitude Valley to New Farm Park.  A pedestrian journey such as this would amount to a significant lifestyle enhancement for our local population as well as creating a wonderful way for visitors to experience and explore our city
It is interesting to note that Sydney has begun studying its own “green necklace of cultural landscapes” - an initiative remarkably similar to what we are proposing in Brisbane. The Sydney proposal can be viewed at this link: https://www.foreground.com.au/cities/the-green-necklace-a-new-perspective-on-sydney-harbours-parklands/ As our city matures it is important that we find new ways of making the most of all its assets. Comments are closed.
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