Brisbane, 2007

“Smart Cities – Rethinking the City Centre” is a strategy paper prepared by Michael Rayner in 2007 for the Queensland Premier’s Smart State Council. It was the first concept plan that considered Brisbane’s city centre as being more than the Central Business District and encompassed an approximately 5 kilometre radius around the CBD.

The study discerned a number of principles through which Brisbane could develop more legible structure. A major one is the existence of a distinct, S-shaped knowledge corridor running north-south, contrasting with the east-west urbanisation trend along the Brisbane River. While recommending reinforcement of its knowledge corridor, which has subsequently been occurring, the study also proposed ways to link educational campuses with their communities.

A correlated strategy was to develop a series of cross-river movement spines, including pedestrian bridges and linked with ferry terminals and cycleways. These concepts have also undergone implementation with the Goodwill and Kurilpa Bridges, and the new Brisbane Ferry Terminals (all designed by Cox Rayner).

Other proposals, such as for Light Rail, and for creating a new urban centre in and around Mayne Railyards north-east of the CBD are yet to evolve but are now being discussed with the area being declared a Priority Development Area (PDA).

 Download ‘Smart Cities: Rethinking the City Centre’ presentation