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A handbook for planners, designers and developers in South East Queensland

Affordable LivingSmart Growth Form-based codes SEQ Place Model

Next Generation Planning

Next Generation Planning. A handbook for planners, designers and developers in South East Queensland

First published 2011 by the Council of Mayors (SEQ), www.seqmayors.qld.gov.au.

Copyright © Council of Mayors (SEQ) and the State of Queensland (through the Department of Local Government and Planning) 2011. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-0-9870751-0-9

The Council of Mayors (SEQ) and the Queensland Government support and encourage the dissemination and exchange of information. However, copyright protects this publication. The Council of Mayors (SEQ) and the State of Queensland have no objection to this material being reproduced, made available online or electronically but only if they are recognised as the owners of the copyright.

Copyright inquiries about this publication should be directed to the Council of Mayors (SEQ) via email info@seqmayors.qld.gov.au or in writing to PO Box 12995 GEORGE STREET QLD 4003.

Disclaimer: Whilst the Council of Mayors (SEQ) and the Queensland Government (the ‘Owners’) believe this information will be of assistance to you, it is provided on the basis that you are responsible for making your own assessment of the topics discussed. The Owners expressly disclaim all liability for errors or omissions of any kind whatsoever or for any loss (direct or indirect), damage or other consequence arising from your reliance on the material.

The material is provided on the understanding that the Owners are not, through the issuance of this information, engaging in rendering to you any legal or other professional service. Recipients are encouraged to seek independent advice if they have any concerns about the material.

ForewordsCouncil of Mayors (SEQ)

South East Queensland is a region renowned for liveability, our tin and timber houses, leafy streets and subtropical neighbourhoods.

We are blessed with pristine natural landscapes, world class beaches and rural settings.

Vibrant urban areas are part of our surroundings as our region grows, changes, diversifies and prospers.

Good planning is needed to preserve what is best about living in SEQ while building the communities of the future.

The Next Generation Planning handbook provides a planning toolkit to address these challenges. It is about improving affordability while ensuring liveability.

It is about bringing more choice and better housing designs to SEQ. These guidelines are not statutory but provide ideas for people to choose what may apply to their own situation.

Next Generation Planning will help planners to strengthen the regions identity in future development, especially new residential communities and renewal areas.

Good planning today is essential to create the liveable communities of tomorrow.

Councillor Campbell NewmanThe Right Honourable, the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, and the Council of Mayors (SEQ) Chairman

State Government

Population and economic growth over recent years has brought many benefits as well as new challenges for South East Queensland.

Managing growth while maintaining our regional character and enviable lifestyles is the reason that the Queensland Government, working with local governments, prepared the South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009-2031. It is also the reason why the Queensland Growth Management Summit was held in March 2010, and why a new dedicated agency - Growth Management Queensland - was established to provide leadership in growth management.

I am pleased that Next Generation Planning continues this collaboration between local and State governments. By studying some of SEQ’s best housing, streets and neighbourhoods, the designs, strategies and references in Next Generation Planning will provide invaluable guidance when developing new planning schemes.

The Next Generation Planning handbook forms another key step in the delivery of a comprehensive suite of planning tools for Queensland, delivered as part of Qplan; Queensland’s planning, development and building system.

Qplan incorporates all aspects of planning, from state planning policies and regional planning, right through to the local government planning schemes and building codes that influence the streetscapes in our neighbourhoods. Qplan includes a series of statutory tools to underpin Queensland’s planning framework, as well as non statutory guidelines such as the Next Generation Planning handbook.

Next Generation Planning builds upon the SEQ Regional Plan and provides the detailed guidance necessary to ensure that our growth is smart growth, and to make certain that our lifestyles and housing remain affordable for the next generation of South East Queenslanders.

The Honourable Paul Lucas MPDeputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Local Government and Special Minister of State

Federal Government

Access to affordable and liveable housing is a key to building sustainable communities and a sustainable Australia. The National Housing Supply Council estimates the shortfall of housing supply nationally to rise to 308,000 dwellings by 2014. This pressure is particularly acute in places like South East Queensland that have experienced significant population growth.

Improvements in land use and planning can make a considerable contribution to housing supply and affordability. I am pleased to be able to work with my colleagues in the state and local governments on this important project that will assist in accelerating housing and planning reform in South East Queensland.

If fully adopted across the region, the measures in the Next Generation Planning Handbook can streamline the assessment process for residential development by reducing assessment complexity - thereby reducing delays and costs.

One of the great challenges for local governments across Australia is how to deliver developments that are supported by the community and efficient for industry. The handbook illustrates how planning can be done in a way that integrates the social, economic and environmental needs of the community. Funding for this project was provided through the Australian’s Government’s $450 million Housing Affordability Fund.

The fund provides grants to local governments and state and territory agencies to reduce housing related infrastructure and planning costs, and to pass these savings on to home purchasers. It is an important component in the Australian Government’s $20 billion commitment to understanding and addressing issues affecting housing affordability.

I am pleased to support this handbook through the Australian Government’s Housing Affordability Fund and applaud the work of the Council of Mayors (South East Queensland) and the Queensland Government who have worked in partnership to produce it.

The Hon Tony Burke MPMinister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 

Table of contents

About this handbook 1The need for a consistent approach 2Affordable Living 3Smart Growth in SEQ 3Form-based codes 4SEQ Place Model 4Creating this handbook 5How to use this handbook 5

PART A The guidelines 71.0 Sub-regional and district scale 8

1.1 The SEQ Place Model 91.2 Natural Places (P1) 111.3 Rural Places (P2) 121.4 Rural Townships (P3) 131.5 Next Generation Suburban Neighbourhoods (P4) 141.6 Urban Neighbourhoods (P5) 151.7 Centres of Activity (P6) 161.8 CBDs (P7) 171.9 Specific Use Places (P8) 18

2.0 Neighbourhood (local) scale 202.1 Walkability 212.2 Neighbourhood structure 222.3 Block size and structure 232.4 Street Network 242.5 Subtropical design 252.6 Housing choice 26

3.0 Street Scale 303.1 Complete streets 313.2 Neighbourhood streets 323.3 Connector streets 333.4 Rear lanes 343.5 Intersections 353.6 Pedestrian crossings 363.7 Kerbs 373.8 Shelter and shade 383.9 On-street parking 393.10 Water Sensitive Urban Design 40

4.0 Lot and building scale 424.1 Detached houses on wide lots 434.2 Detached houses on narrow lots 444.3 The ‘plexes’ – duplexes/triplexes/quadplexes/quinplexes 454.4 Row houses 464.5 Secondary dwellings 47

4.6 Live/work buildings 484.7 Low rise apartments 494.8 Medium and high rise apartments 504.9 Consistent lot types and dimensions 514.10 Off-street parking 534.11 Addressing the street 544.12 Build to the slope 554.13 Height 564.14 Space around the house 574.15 Carports and garages 58

PART B Planning scheme modules 595.0 Sub-regional and district scale 60

5.1 SEQ Place Model in a strategic framework 615.2 SEQ Place Model in a strategic plan mapping 73

6.0 Neighbourhood (local) scale 766.1 Neighbourhood scale module 77

7.0 Street scale 847.1 Street scale module 85

8.0 Lot and building scale 908.1 Performance outcomes for lot and building scale 918.2 Detached houses on wide lots 938.3 Detached houses on narrow lots 958.4 Duplex 978.5 The ‘plexes’ (triplex, quadplex, quinplex) 998.6 Row house or terrace house 1018.7 Live/work (dual street frontage) 1038.8 Low rise apartments 1058.9 Medium and high rise apartments 1078.10 Secondary dwellings (granny and Fonzie flats) 1098.11 Consistent lot types 110

PART C The study behind this handbook 1119.1 The Next Generation Planning Project and Model Code for Smart Growth 1139.2 Choosing a methodology 1149.3 The study and its results 1179.4 Illustrated case studies 1219.5 Selected results 155

References and further reading 183Glossary 189Acknowledgements 191

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About this handbook

Next Generation Planning is about new ways of planning for the suburbs, towns and cities of South East Queensland (SEQ). This handbook identifies four Next Generation Planning concepts:

- Affordable Living

- Smart Growth

- Form-based Codes

- SEQ Place Model.

At their core, these concepts are about making places great for people, and ensuring they can afford to live there.

The key products in this handbook are strategic and statutory planning tools, in the form of the SEQ Place Model and supporting neighbourhood, street and lot and building scale planning techniques; including planning scheme modules designed to promote easy delivery of a range of housing. The inspiration for this handbook came from the great places of SEQ, studied in detail in its preparation. It deliberately focuses on the key variables which really make a difference. Where other good work has already been undertaken on urban development standards in Queensland, it cross references to them.

The Next Generation Planning handbook is a joint project of the Council of Mayors (SEQ) Next Generation Planning initiative under the Australian Government’s Housing Affordability Fund (HAF) and the Queensland Government’s Growth Management Queensland, based on the Smart Growth directions in the South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009 – 2031 (SEQ Regional Plan).

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The need for a consistent approachInconsistencies in planning scheme requirements can cause delays and contribute to the costs for housing. Sometimes, housing products common in one area are not permitted in another. Even apparently innocuous matters can have major implications for house builders - floor plans can require redesign for small variations in widths and setbacks.

South East Queensland varies from coastal to rural hinterland to capital city, but local variation does not need to be at the expense of common sense. The size of a door, width of a room, or the size of a garage do not vary across the region.

Focussing on residential development, this handbook promotes a consistentapproach to planning and gives detailed examples and appropriate criteria to allow Councils to explore such an approach for themselves.

Consistency in criteria such as lot frontages, street widths and building setbacks does not mean standard local character. Features such as the topography of a place, building materials, tree species and architectural style can be more effective in creating local character.

For common development like housing, lengthy application processes add cost, but often have little effect on outcomes. This handbook advocates the use of Form-based codes which strictly regulate key outcomes of new development, while at the same time providing a greater certainty for all involved about the appearance of buildings allowing quicker, more cost effective development assessment.

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Affordable Living

Affordability of housing is a challenge in most high growth regions and SEQ is no exception. In 2009, the Council of Mayors (SEQ) secured HAF funding for its Next Generation Planning project, designed to address housing affordability.

Affordable living is about more than just the cost of housing. It brings to account a range of factors, including the size, type and cost of housing we choose, how we move around and the resources we use.

Many factors can influence housing affordability – the type of housing; the climate; construction costs; land and infrastructure costs; approval processes; the cost of borrowing money; and the overall supply and demand for housing.

But there are many other important influences on the affordability of living in SEQ, such as access to transportation options, access to employment, services and education, and the consumption of energy and other natural resources.

Many households in SEQ need two cars and travel long distances to work and services. Their house may be ‘affordable’, but the time and money involved in this travel can cause financial stress. Many local areas also don’t offer variety in housing choices to meet household needs as their housing requriements and lifestyle change over time.

This handbook focuses on Affordable Living. It puts forward consistent Next Generation Planning tools designed to contribute to Affordable Living through better strategic and local planning. It also promotes consistent planning scheme provisions to reduce cost through more certainty and more efficient development assessment processes.

Smart Growth in SEQ

In the second half of the 20th century, much of the western world catered for growth of its cities by expanding outwards along major roads. In SEQ, the result of this approach was large, dispersed tracts of detached housing, or ‘urban sprawl’. As a result, many parts of the region are now heavily car dependent and characterised by long commutes and significant lag times in providing important community infrastructure.

For many people, the Australian dream of owning a home is achievable only at the fringe of cities. The reality of the dream often means significant travel time and cost for residents to access their daily needs. The sustainability of this approach has come into sharp focus more recently, particularly with the challenges of climate change, energy dependence, demographic change, public health and infrastructure funding.

New ways of planning have emerged to address these challenges, including the smart growth movement in North America. In Queensland, the SEQ Regional Plan embraces smart growth principles such as:

- a more compact urban form

- the need to create quality housing for people of all income levels

- a focus on designing walkable neighbourhoods

- creating distinctive, attractive communities based on a mixture of land uses

- providing for a variety of transportation choices and reduced car dependency

- protecting the region’s natural landscapes

- targeting new development to accessible infill locations

- prioritising use of existing infrastrcture.

This handbook is also an outcome of the SEQ Regional Plan program intent to prepare a Model Code for Smart Growth to help achieve these goals.

4

SEQ Place ModelForm-based codes

A code is a set of ‘rules’ used in planningschemes and other regulating documents to govern development. They are an important component of the Queensland planning framework, and deal with aspects like building height, setbacks, car parking rates, street widths and open space provisions.

Form-based codes are a new type of code. They place an increased emphasis on the physical form of buildings and infrastructure, and use graphics to clearly illustrate the required form of new development, such as new buildings, streets or parks.

This emphasis on form provides more certainty to planners and communities about what new development will look like and how it will function. In turn, this certainty can allow assessment regimes to be streamlined, as the impacts of development are known from the start. For this arrangement to work, form- based codes tend to be more prescriptive in nature.

The planning scheme modules in this handbook promote a more Form-based approach to codes; designed to create consistency and certainty, to simplify and deregulate housing approval processes, and to promote affordable living and great places.

The research underpinning this handbooksuggests that settlements in SEQ can be understood as a series of place types, each with common characteristics, similar land use mixes and intensities of development.

The SEQ Place Model identifies eight place types in SEQ from the study of well known locations around the region. Each place type is recognisable by its function, special qualities, intensity, character and housing forms. These include natural areas, rural areas, rural towns, next generation suburban and urban neighbourhoods, mixed use activity centres and CBDs. While the SEQ Place Model is a useful framework, it is not suggested that all place types will be found in all local governments in SEQ.

The SEQ Place Model is designed to promote a more compact urban form, including increased availability and diversity of housing for people of all income levels, walkable neighbourhoods, attractive mixed use communities, access to transportation choices, reduced car dependency, and protecting our natural landscapes.

The SEQ Place Model is designed as a way of planning strategically about a local government area and is a useful communication tool in describing the elements that make up each place. It provides a practical and useful tool to plan strategically for a range of connected communities based on Smart Growth and Affordable Living principles.

The SEQ Place Model is described in more detail in Part A of this handbook. The role of the SEQ Place Model in the strategic planning frameworks of SEQ planning schemes is described further in Part B.

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Creating this handbook

This handbook is based on research of best practice and emerging approaches used nationally and internationally; and uses an empirical approach to the analysis of a wide range of places and housing in the SEQ region. The places in SEQ examined during the preparation of this handbook were selected based on the quality of the urban environment; the community’s aspirations to live, work and visit these locations; and affordable living characteristics – the ‘best of the best’ urban environments that SEQ has to offer.

Land suitability was not a key factor in selecting these places as it was considered that land constraints such as bushfire, flood, landslide and cultural heritage had previously been taken into account. This handbook respects the wide range of useful work already done and avoids duplication. Instead, it focuses on SEQ as a distinct region and uses empirical evidence based on SEQ’s natural and built environment to inform the range of Next Generation Planning themes.

This work establishes a sound basis for the themes of the guidance including:

- diversity of housing types and lot dimensions

- walkable neighbourhoods as the appropriate urban structure tool for quality neighbourhoods

- use of grid street pattern and rear lanes - modest average dwelling sizes, allowing

increased vegetation in back yards - consistent street designs - simplicity and clarity is important – it is

more useful to focus on the key variables rather than to regulate everything

- a level of prescription assists in achieving desired outcomes

- a modular approach, involving a package of issue based code modules

- reduced levels of assessment for development due to increased certainty and efficiency of the development process (which can affect affordability).

How to use this handbook

This handbook identifies new planning tools reflecting four key Next Generation Planning themes of Affordable Living, Smart Growth, Form-based codes and the SEQ Place Model.It provides a practical resource for planners, designers and developers to implement these tools in planning schemes and when designing or assessing development. It is also designed to equip those people involved in creating new communities in SEQ, with a more consistent approach which in turn saves time and money for all involved. The handbook is intended to be used as a guide. It is expected that the SEQ Place Model and neighbourhood scale planning guidelines and modules will require adaption depending on local circumstances. Although not exhaustive, the street and housing typologies in Part B summarise good innovations to allow for their ready integration into SEQ Council planning schemes. There will be other innovations in housing, and this handbook does not mean to exclude these.

The handbook has a particular focus on theNext Generation Suburban Neighbourhoods (P4) and Urban Neighbourhoods (P5) in the SEQ Place Model, as these are most relevant to promoting Affordable Living outcomes (and there is already a lot of great work being done for other place types, including local area plans for Centres of Activity (P6) and CBDs (P7).Part A of this handbook provides detailed guidelines on aspects of the four Next Generation Planning themes. Part B provides modular planning scheme provisions designed to allow implemention of these concepts into SEQ Council planning schemes. Further adaption of these modules will be needed to satisfy planning scheme requirements. Finally, this handbook is structured by scale, which is illustrated in the diagram on page 6. The diagram indicates the relationship between scale, the Next Generation Planning concepts and their application to different chapters of a planning scheme.

6

Thinking about planning at different scales helps put planning scheme provisions in context, and ensures the right issues are addressed at the right time. The planning concepts in this handbook have relevance to different scales of planning, and to different parts of a Queensland Planning Provisions planning scheme. The diagram above illustrates these relationships.

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The guidelines

PART A

This part of the handbook provides guidelines for governments and industry about planning and delivering affordable and sustainable communities. They are arranged in a simple format – one issue at a time. The guidelines are informed by the research undertaken in the preparation of this handbook and include relevant examples.

The guidelines are ordered by scale as follows:

1.0 Sub-regional and district scale2.0 Neighbourhood (local) scale3.0 Street scale4.0 Lot and building scale.

The key sub-regional and district scale concept is the SEQ Place Model – a strategic planning tool that can also be a powerful communication tool to understand planning for an area.

Sub-regional and district scale

1.0

This part of the guidelines covers:

1.1 The SEQ Place Model1.2 Natural Places (P1)1.3 Rural Places (P2)1.4 Rural Townships (P3)1.5 Next Generation Suburban Neighbourhoods (P4)1.6 Urban Neighbourhoods (P5)1.7 Centres of Activity (P6)1.8 CBDs (P7)1.9 Specific Use Places (P8)

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The SEQ Place Model

The research underpinning this handbook suggests strongly that settlements in SEQ can be understood as a series of places, which have common characteristics, similar land use mixes and intensities of development. These range from natural areas, rural areas, rural towns, areas with predominantly suburban housing and more urban areas of significantly differing densities, through to mixed use activity centres and CBDs.

This handbook illustrates these place types together in the SEQ Place Model. It identifies a progression of much loved natural and human habitats in SEQ, recognisable by their function, special qualities, intensity, character and housing forms associated with each place type.

This SEQ Place Model is a handy way of thinking about, and planning for, a local government area, or a large scale planning project such as a major new greenfield community.

The model has potential application to urban growth areas and existing suburbs at the discretion of local governments. The model can help organise different parts of a local government area towards achieving similar strategic planning outcomes, and inform the distribution, balance and role of each place.

The SEQ Place Model drawing (above) provides a snapshot of the main characteristics. Each place type is further described in sections 1.2 to 1.9.

Natural Places (P1)

Rural Places (P2) Next Generation Suburba

Rural Townships (P3)

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Part B of the handbook explains how the SEQ Place Model can be used in a planning scheme to:

- describe a menu of quality place types found across a local government area

- explain the recipe for creating each place type, such as the housing mix, scale and urban form that is characteristic of each place type

- provide the ingredients in the form of code provisions, zones and levels of assessment

Note: The SEQ Place Model shows a series of common, useful place types. Intensity of development is indicated, as is residential and non-residential uses and public transport. The form and intensity of place types are expected to overlap. The SEQ Place Model is an illustrative concept and does not show the non-linear corridors and special use places of cities, nor does it indicate a quantum for any place type. Further, depending on the strategic context of each local government area not all place types may be applicable.

an Neighbourhoods (P4) Centres Of Activity (P6)

Urban Neighbourhoods (P5) CBDs (P7)

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Areas essentially untouched by human habitationNatural Places (P1)

Natural Places are areas dominated by the natural environment. They perform essential functions as green space, ecological and regional landscape areas which are vital to protecting our ecological assets and biodiversity, provide access to natural experiences and a landscape setting for their surroundings, including many towns and cities.

Typical examples include national parks and similar publicly owned, relatively undisturbed areas. Some privately owned land will have the same attributes.

In the SEQ Regional Plan, Natural Places are usually found in the Regional Landscape and Rural Production Area, although natural features like rivers, beaches and bushland in urban areas can also be Natural Places.

Lookout at O’Reilly’s

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The broad rural parts of the regionRural Places (P2)

Rural Places are mostly used for rural production, from less intense activities like cattle grazing, to more intensive cropping and animal husbandry. Some are used for forestry and carbon sequestration. Non-production functions such as small scale tourism and rural industries are also present.

These places are important for their rural production and contribute to the landscape setting of the region. Housing is mostly single dwellings on farm properties for those who live and usually work on the land. Some of these places are used for rural living, where people live on large lots but don’t use them for any substantial rural production.

While rural living is an element of rural places, this is secondary to rural production in smarter communities. Rural Places are predominantly in the Regional Landscape and Rural Production Area of the SEQ Regional Plan, but are also found in the Urban Footprint (e.g. rural in nature but identified for urban development in the future) and Rural Living Area.

Sunshine Coast Hinterland – one of the rural places of the region

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Small settlements surrounded by rural placesRural Townships (P3)

Rural Townships centre on a mixed use, low scale main street, usually with traditional awnings over the footpath. The mix of uses is often eclectic, with shops, halls, churches, schools, industry, a park and housing jumbled together, bound together by the character of the street and the buildings.

Rural Townships are characterised by a range of housing, predominantly detached on lots larger than found in suburban and urban neighbourhoods. Other types of housing in Rural Townships, such as duplexes and aged care facilities, cater for people in these areas as their housing needs change. Rural Townships have a range of local community facilities and services but rely on larger centres for higher order uses such as employment, hospitals, education and cultural facilities, universities and theatres, as well as major shopping centres.

They are, and should continue to be, based on a traditional grid street pattern, which give them a robust structure which is easy to navigate. Rural Townships with public transport, like railway towns, can have potential for further urban development. Urban expansion of these places would extend existing grid pattern to reflect the traditional character of the place.

Rosewood exemplifies rural townships

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Characterised by walkability between a range of housing and a central focusNext Generation Suburban Neighbourhoods (P4)

Next Generation Suburban Neighbourhoods (P4) offer housing choice, from detached houses and duplexes to row houses, shop-top housing and even live/work buildings. While detached houses are most common, many detached houses are on smaller lots.

Attached housing in these neighbourhoods are often on lots with particular attributes, like corners, lots with rear lane access and locations close to open space, centres or public transport. Non-residential uses in P4 neighbourhoods meet the day-to-day needs of residents. Housing in these places is within easy walking and cycling distance to a wider range of facilities including shops, schools, parks and public transport. Next Generation Suburban Neighbourhoods (P4) are generally low in scale and comprise well landscaped environments. These neighbourhoods provide 15–30 dwellings per hectare, as envisaged by the SEQ Regional Plan for significant greenfield areas.

P4 streets are characterised by street trees providing shade and character, and shared use by cars, bikes and pedestrians. They are usually grid-based, making it easy to find your way around.

P4 neighbourhoods are mostly located close to Urban Neighbourhoods (P5) and Centres of Activity (P6) where residents can readily access higher order services and facilities. They are always in the Urban Footprint in the SEQ Regional Plan. P4 neighbourhoods are different from many existing suburban areas common throughout SEQ and can be distinguished by their walkability, housing choice and access to public transport, jobs and services. Greenfield and existing areas identified by local governments for urban renewal are most likely to exhibit characteristics that make them suitable for P4 neighbourhoods. It is not expected or intended that all existing suburban areas will transition into P4 neighbourhoods.

North Ipswich exemplifies the next generation suburban neighbourhood

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Higher density, walkable, mixed use neighbourhoodsUrban Neighbourhoods (P5)

Urban Neighbourhoods may be older suburbs closer to centres or parts of new communities that are planned to achieve this outcome from day one. They have good public transport access and have been developed or redeveloped over time at higher densities and with a greater mix of housing and uses than Next Generation Suburban Neighbourhoods (P4).

Detached houses are found in these areas, but usually in small pockets and with a more urban setting. These neighbourhoods take different forms, from areas where medium density or low to medium scale buildings are dominant to higher density places with high rise buildings. Urban Neighbourhoods provide greater than 30 dwellings per hectare, and sometimes as many as 100 dwellings per hectare. They are often transit oriented. Higher density Urban Neighbourhoods usually have a number of Next Generation Suburban Neighbourhoods (P4) nearby.

Urban Neighbourhoods are characterised by mixed use, providing ready access to a range of shopping, community and other local services and places of employment such as small to medium scale offices. Housing not in a mixed use setting is within easy walking and cycling distance to these other uses and public transport.

Urban Neighbourhoods have a sense of enclosure at the street level provided by small building setbacks, with the built form character usually dominant. Their streets are characterised by street trees, which provide shade and character, footpaths for walking and roadways shared by cars and bikes. They are usually grid based and connected in a way that make it easy to find your way around.Urban Neighbourhoods are always in the Urban Footprint in the SEQ Regional Plan and usually near Centres of Activity (P6), CBDs (P7) and Next Generation Suburban Neighbourhoods (P4).

Urban renewal areas of Bulimba exemplifies Urban Neighbourhoods

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Concentrations of non-residential activities at the focus of transport networksCentres of Activity (P6)

These centres have concentrations of non-residential activities like shopping but are also centres for employment, higher education and entertainment. They come in various scales, from local to district and regional, and are more varied in character than suburban and urban neighbourhoods. They are a focus of transport networks, and a hub for public transport and local pedestrian and cycling systems.

Centres of Activity also contain housing, usually apartments. They provide residents in and around the centres with ready access to the range of uses and employment they offer.

They have a strong sense of enclosure at the street level, with little or no building setback to the street. The man made part of its character is dominant, but punctuated by squares and urban parks.

Vibrancy flows from their mix of uses, particularly at the street level. They are important meeting places and focal points for their communities. Their streets are lined with mature trees, which provide shade and character, footpaths for walking trips and roadways shared by cars and bikes. They are usually grid-based and connected in a way that make it easy to find your way around. Regionally significant Centres of Activity are identified in the SEQ Regional Plan. Many more local, district and neighbourhood centres exist across the region.

South Bank exemplifies this place type

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CBDs (P7)The centre and heart of a city

CBDs are the centres of cities. They are the biggest centres, with the widest range and greatest intensity of activity in the city. They are also the heart of a city, and usually the place that most people think of when it is mentioned. They are laid out in a grid, and at the centre of transport networks, for public transport, cycling and pedestrians.

They are urban environments. Buildings dominate the streets, although the streets are important elements of their character. Their large scale and intensity provides a vibrancy unlike any other part of the city. They are the key focal point for their communities, as places to work, do business, for entertainment or just to enjoy. They are meeting places, with squares and urban parks. CBDs are important to the economy of the city, both as centres of production and consumption.

Their streets are lined with street trees, have hard footpaths for walking trips, and roadways shared use by cars and bikes.

Toowoomba CBD

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Limited use, often large places that do not fit into other place typesSpecific Use Places (P8)

These places are restricted to a small number of locations where a large single use or focus does not fit into other place types, and takes a quite different form to those other place types. In these places, housing usually has a very minor role, if at all.

Particular examples include places such as industry areas, ports, prisons and large sport and recreation facilities including stadiums. They are recognised as a different place, because their scale and nature mean they have a quite different form that does not integrate with the other place types in the SEQ Place Model.

The purpose of this place type is to recognise these particular places, rather than to encourage the continued use of single purpose zonings for places such as large shopping centres, which have the ability to be integrated into other place types.

The Port of Brisbane is a typical Specific Use Place

Neighbourhood (local) scale

2.0

The creation of walkable mixed use neighbourhoods, in contrast to sprawling, single use residential development, is fundamental to the more sustainable urban form which Next Generation Planning aims to achieve. This means each neighbourhood contains a mix of uses and housing types, organised with a street network, block size, and structure which is appropriate to its place type and maximises its walkability to its key focal points including public transport.

This part of the Guidelines covers:

2.1 Walkability2.2 Neighbourhood structure2.3 Block size 2.4 Street network2.5 Subtropical design2.6 Housing choice

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A key attribute of Next Generation PlanningWalkability

The climate of SEQ is ideal for walking most times of the year. Walkability is a fundamentally important part of neighbourhood design.

Walking is encouraged and enhanced when there is something to walk to (destinations such as shops, jobs, public transport stops, community facilities, parks, open spaces or just neighbours), something to walk on (a footpath) and an easily understood direct route to get there.

Streets need to have appropriate shelter from the sun with street trees or awnings, and be overlooked by development with casual surveillance to improve safety. High fencing adjoining streets, parks and public spaces should be avoided as these create unattractive environments with little opportunity for passive surveillance.

Appropriate street network design makes walking easy with direct routes and memorable vistas, which might include distinctive buildings, parks, open spaces and distinct landmarks.

The design of Varsity Lakes town centre promotes walkability

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Neighbourhood design is fundamental to sustainable, walkable urban formNeighbourhood structure

Next Generation Suburban Neighbourhoods (P4) and Urban Neighbourhoods (P5) are designed for walkability using a five minute walking catchment (400 m) around a focal point or centre. This central focus is also a key part of neighbourhoods and can involve a mix of local shops and offices, and/or some community uses, such as library or primary school, and local parks. The mix of non-residential uses depends on the context. For many suburban locations, a small park and bus stop might be all that is expected, while many Urban Neighbourhoods (P5) demonstrate a wider range of amenities. Most parts of the neighbourhood are within a five minute walk of this central focus.

Note that in transit orientated development precincts, walking catchments of five, 10 or 15 minutes may be an appropriate structuring tool (Queensland Government, 2010e).

All housing is part of a neighbourhood and all neighbourhoods provide a variety of housing types, with the range and balance of this housing reflecting their place type in the SEQ Place Model (see 2.6).

The centre of the neighbourhood is located close to or adjacent to an existing (or planned) public transport routes, on the local through street network in accessible and visible locations. This street network connects to nearby centres and larger neighbourhood and town centres. These routes are also efficient public transport routes for buses, light or heavy rail.

Neighbourhood design respects natural landform and systems, including drainage. This means minimising cut and fill when designing streets and lots and integrating with the existing landscape.

Five minute walking catchments promote a more sustainable urban form

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A basic tool of place buildingBlock size and structure

Block sizes are scaled to create a mix of lots that can accommodate development and housing of varying scales and intensities. Block sizes encourage walkability, but are not so small as to create more streets than needed as this impacts on affordability. Typical blocks are 2-3 times longer than their width; with lengths (in P3, P4, P5 places) between 160-200m and widths around 50-80m. This allows flexibility for a range of lot sizes to provide for a variety of housing which will vary according to place type. Centres of Activity (P6) and CBDs (P7) require a wider range of block dimensions to suit centre design. Streets surrounding blocks can be of differing functions, scales and traffic volumes, which allows each street to have different forms of development. Blocks closer to centres have higher intensity development with land use and built form transitions across rear boundaries.

Rear lanes are a feature of block size and structure. Blocks that front onto busier through streets that cannot have direct driveway access can have higher density development using rear lanes for vehicle access, with the housing still addressing the primary street frontage. These lanes can be used in appropriate locations, for example, opposite parks or centres, to create high quality streetscapes and to provide pedestrian safety and amenity through a consistent street rhythm not disturbed by driveways and car parking. Lanes also provide opportunities for different housing forms that aid affordability, such as row housing and ‘Fonzie flats’.

The ends and corners of blocks allow for more diverse and denser housing types as these sites have more street frontage and more opportunities for pedestrian and vehicle access. Streets along end blocks can be the busier ones that lead to centres. This also assists walkability and legibility.

The block sizes of North Ipswich provide for a range of lot sizes and housing diversity

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Build modified grids fit for purpose, use laneways for walkability and amenityStreet Network

This study indicates street networks work best when they are interconnected, usually grid based, and respond to the existing regional street pattern and geometry, topography of the site, waterway corridors, significant vegetation and desired open spaces. Streets orientated close to north/south or east/west enable appropriate climate orientation of lots and buildings.

Streets are different, each with a function and scale to suit movement requirements and to accommodate different scales and forms of development. Busier streets can accommodate a greater variety and density of development.

The street network should provide direct and easily understood choices of routes to walk, cycle and drive to centres, public transport and other community destinations in the locality.

Fine grained street networks encourage active forms of transport, walking and cycling. Streets closer to centres are generally closer together to create a finer grain of smaller block sizes.

A detailed method for designing a street network is outlined in Complete Streets: Guidelines for urban street design (Institute for Public Works Engineering Australia, 2010).

An interconnected grid system provides direct routes for pedestrian, cyclists, public transport and cars

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A defining characteristic of SEQSubtropical design

Subtropical Design in South East Queensland

A Handbook for Planners, Developers and Decision Makers

Sympathetic design for climate creates a more sustainable built form and lifestyles that require less energy use, and provides for more affordable living.

South East Queensland has a subtropical climate which has become a defining characteristic of design in the region, responding to the lifestyles of its inhabitants, while acknowledging the history and traditions of the place.

Subtropical design places importance on topographical features and natural drainage processes in determining the optimal pattern of development. In also includes design features such as good shelter and shade, indoor/outdoor living relationships, lightweight construction, prominent roof forms and overhangs, hoods on windows and design for sun and breezes with good orientation.

For more information, refer to Subtropical Design in South East Queensland – A Handbook for Planners, Developers, and Decision-makers, (Queensland University of Technology, 2010a).

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Housing choice contributes to Affordable LivingHousing choice

Households in SEQ are becoming more diverse and generally smaller. More than half comprise only one or two people, while families with children remain a major group. Average household size has decreased from five in the early 1900s to 2.6 in 2006, and predicted to be 2.4 by 2031(Queensland Government, 2010g). This creates an increasing need for varying housing types and sizes.

At the same time, our houses have been getting larger, so that Australia has amongst the largest average dwelling sizes in the world (ABS, 2005). This disparity has exacerbated the affordability challenge. Smaller housing options in the marketplace can address this issue, and industry, government and consumer changes are needed to allow this to happen. There is a direct connection between providing a choice of housing and affordable housing. Variety in housing types attract a variety of household types with different incomes, social and cultural backgrounds and household sizes.

Providing a range of housing types in more places means that affordable living can be achieved more generally, rather than concentrated in a few places. It also means people can relocate in their existing community as their housing needs change. In later sections, this handbook identifies a range of housing types for SEQ including detached houses, secondary dwellings (such as granny and fonzie flats), small multiple dwellings (3-5 dwelling units), row houses, live/work dwellings, low rise, medium and high rise apartments. The diagram on the following page indicates how housing choice can be achieved across the SEQ Place Model. Many housing types have the added advantage of using land and materials more efficiently, allowing flexibility to adapt to the changing needs of households over time, including work from home arrangements.

Broadbeach offers a range of housing options

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P2. RURAL PLACES P3.RURAL TOWNSHIPSP4. NEXT GENERATION

SUBURBAN NEIGHBOURHOODS

Ho

usi

ng

Typ

olo

gie

s

Detached houses on wide lots

Detached houses on

narrow lots

The “plexes” Duplexes/Triplexes/

Quadplexes/Quinplexes

Row House

Live/Work Building

Low Rise Apartment

Medium and High Rise

Apartment

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P5. URBAN NEIGHBOURHOODS P6. CENTRES OF ACTIVITY P7. CBDs

Detached houses on wide lots

Ho

usin

g Typ

olo

gies

Detached houses on narrow lots

The “plexes” Duplexes/Triplexes/Quadplexes/Quinplexes

Row House

Live/Work Building

Low Rise Apartment

Medium and High Rise Apartment

Street Scale

3.0

Street function and design depends on its context in the SEQ Place Model and the neighbourhood. Streets are critical for movement, but have several other important functions too. These include access to properties, parking, utilities and services, biodiversity and most of all, placemaking. Depending on the context of an individual street, the priority of these functions will vary, and street design must respond appropriately.

This part of the guidelines covers:

3.1 Complete streets3.2 Neighbourhood streets3.3 Connector streets3.4 Rear lanes3.5 Intersections3.6 Pedestrian crossings3.7 Kerbs3.8 Shelter and shade3.9 On-street parking3.10 Water Sensitive Urban Design

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Successful streets are places for people, not just movementComplete streets

Moving people and goods efficiently is essential to maintaining prosperous, sustainable communities. Our roads link people and places all across the region and form the backbone of the movement network in SEQ, connecting suburbs, towns and rural areas.

While streets are critical for movement, they have several other important functions too. These include access to properties, parking, utilities and services, biodiversity and most of all, placemaking. Depending on the context of an individual street, the priority of these functions will vary, and street design must respond appropriately.

In this study, the most successful streets blend their movement function with placemaking. The best residential streets were often simply designed and featured large street trees.

Streets in Centres of Activity and CBDs were carefully designed with footpaths, street trees, lighting, seating and other elements that collectively contribute to the public realm and streetscape.

Complete streets in SEQ integrate with an appropriate scale and form of neighbouring buildings, and also exhibit that SEQ subtropical essence, through materials, fences, shade, landscaping and other elements.

More detail of the principles of quality street design can be found in Complete Streets: Guidelines for urban street design (Institute for Public Works Engineering Australia, 2010).

Grey St, South Bank incorporates cycle ways in the road network

Scarborough St, Southport incorporates wide pedestrian footpaths and crossing points

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The best neighbourhood streets are places in their own rightNeighbourhood streets

Abbott St, New Farm – a classic neighbourhood street

In SEQ, most residents live in neighbourhood streets. They are the most abundant of streets, stitching our residential and mixed use neighbourhoods together and providing access to homes and sometimes workplaces. As the name suggests, these streets are local in nature, providing access to properties in a neighbourhood but having a relatively minor traffic function. Neighbourhood streets also have many other functions, they are used to service properties with water, electricity and other services and provide routes for walking and cycling for recreation as well as commuting. They are also used for parking and maintain important stormwater conveyance and local biodiversity functions.

The best neighbourhood streets identified in this study did not have a prominent traffic function. Even when neighbourhood streets were wide, the space was often dominated by substantial trees, not asphalt.

Other streets are narrower and lined with attractive buildings and gardens, instead of blank fences or empty unused yards. Neighbourhood streets are as important to placemaking and neighbourhood character as they are to movement and property access.

Historically, street widths have been devised for many reasons, but this study identifies a common neighbourhood street typology comprising of a 7-8 m wide carriageway in a 15 m reserve (up to 20 m in older areas). Where wider verges are found, they were generously landscaped. Wider streets enable plenty of space for walking and cycling, a good relationship between buildings on either side of a street, and adequate space for vehicles, parking and trees.

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Connect people and places, don’t just collect carsConnector streets

Streets with a more important connecting function must be designed to accommodate increased movement for all travel modes. The goal in planning these routes is connecting people with destinations, rather than collecting cars.

What’s more, connecting streets are often important people places. These streets house public transport routes, are home to shops and commerce (reflecting their accessibility to higher numbers of people), and form well known linear landmarks of our towns and cities.

A connector street typology of a 12.5 m roadway in a 20 m reserve was evident in this study. This width allows on-street parking, bus stops and cycle lanes to be accommodated into the street. A median is sometimes included with trees to form a boulevard.

More detail of street types can be found in Complete Streets: Guidelines for urban street design, (Institute for Public Works Engineering Australia, 2010).

Grande Ave, Springfield – a connector street

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Use rear lanes frequently in neighbourhoods and centresRear lanes

This study found examples of laneways in every urban place type, serving a variety of functions. A laneway in a suburban neighbourhood can provide vehicle access to rear loaded houses, increasing the amenity of the primary streetscape and reducing impacts on traffic from frequent driveways. The relationship of buildings to the street is the key to the success of this street typology. For example, Varsity Lakes demonstrates how well a residential lane can function as a service and vehicle point for rear loaded housing product as well as the primary street frontage for secondary dwellings and fonzie flats. The interface between the rear loaded dwellings and those facing the laneway needs to be carefully considered for this configuration to succeed.

The position of buildings and windows must allow overlooking of the lane to maintain personal safety. Short lane lengths and views from neighbouring dwellings also assist.

In Urban Neighbourhoods (P5) and Centres of Activity (P6), laneways are an effective way to address parking and servicing requirements for businesses and residents. Continuous street frontages of active uses can be maintained by ensuring on-street parking is available, limiting driveways and providing for a quality public realm. Rear lanes were a frequent success factor in centres visited during this study.

Laneways in Centres of Activity and CBDs can transform an empty space in between buildings into a vibrant, attractive hub for people to meet and pass through.

Varsity Lakes utilises rear lanes for vehicle access to row houses and secondary entry points for home based businesses

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Use four-way intersections in P4 and P5 NeighbourhoodsIntersections

Grid street networks have many advantages, including great connectivity, legibility and longer vistas. Grids also result in frequent cross-streets, or four-way intersections that must be managed appropriately.

For several decades, roundabouts have been used to do this job. While efficient at moving vehicles, roundabouts prioritise vehicles over walkers and cyclists. When overused, even drivers are inconvenienced. Two lane roundabouts are almost never suitable for places for pedestrians and cyclists.

Roundabouts are not common in most of the SEQ places in this study, except in the busiest centres and CBDs. In fact, un-signalised four-way intersections (often controlled by give way or stop signs) are found frequently in most place types (except in the much busier CBD locations).

Unsignalised four-ways fell out of favour because roundabouts are usually deemed to be safer for traffic, but four-ways have benefits too. They use less land, enable a grid street layout to be easily built, and are usually easier for pedestrians and cyclists to navigate. Four-way intersections are becoming accepted again.

Complete Streets: Guidelines for urban street design published in 2010 by the Institute for Public Works Engineering Australia (IPWEA, 2010) suggests uncontrolled or priority controlled four-way intersections are a valid option, when validated by appropriate traffic analysis.

Where four-way traffic movement is not desired, four-way active transport movement must still be achieved.

Un-signalised four-way intersection at Tedder Ave, Main Beach

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Prioritise pedestrians especially in centres and CBDsPedestrian crossings

To increase the number of people getting out of their cars and around their suburbs and centres on foot, appropriate pedestrian infrastructure and street crossings must be planned and built.

A one-size-fits-all approach to pedestrian crossings is not appropriate. The standard of crossings is a function of the amount of street traffic and the importance of the pedestrian route. But few pedestrians do not always mean that few crossings are required.The opposite may be the case. Pedestrians might stay away until a safe, comfortable and interesting walking route exists.

In this study of SEQ places, few formal crossings were found in suburban streets. Pedestrians were certainly present at different times of the day, but there was often little traffic and pedestrians could cross at their leisure.

Urban Neighbourhoods are denser and have more people and traffic, but again formal crossings were not common. However, pedestrian refuges on busier streets and some signalised crossings at major intersections were needed, for both suburban and urban contexts.

In service and employment centres (whether Rural Townships, centres or CBDs) crossings become very important to the successful functioning of the place. Refuges, signalised crossings and zebra crossings were commonly present in these flourishing places. In CBDs, shared zones were common. The lesson from these busy and vibrant places is that high pedestrian priority crossings, such as zebra crossings and shared zones, are a critical ingredient in making the place attractive to people and successful centres need people more than anything else.

Pedestrian crossings prioritise pedestrian movement in Southport

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Use stand-up kerbs and tight kerb radii on street cornersKerbs

The devil is often in the detail, and in street design the detail includes things like kerb types. Today, concrete kerb and channel can be shaped into almost any profile and shape but, as with many things, the old fashioned design is often the best.

Stand-up kerb was the most common kerb type across all place types in this study. In suburban streets, stand-up kerb was used more than 50 per cent of the time, while in urban places and in centres the stand-up kerb was almost universal. Flush kerb was also used in some neighbourhood streets and in CBD shared zones, where pedestrian priority is achieved by blending the vehicle and pedestrian space. Flush kerb is also appropriate to achieve water sensitive urban design, often in non-urban, suburban or park side settings.

Stand-up kerbs define the edge of a roadway better and keep vehicles away from the footpath. Roll-over kerb, popular in late 20th century suburban expansion, allows cars to park easily on the verge, but the message to pedestrians is that the whole road reserve has space for cars. Parking on footpaths is illegal and causes significant inconvenience for residents.

Many of the surveyed places in the study have corner radii much tighter than usual under recent standards, with clear benefits to walkability and safety. Relatively sharp corners (such as 3 m radii on local streets) are a highly effective speed control measure, removing the need for bumps and traffic islands and the like. A sharper corner radii makes the pedestrian crossing narrower, shortening the time for pedestrians to cross and making it safer and easier to cross.

Stand up kerb in a neightbourhood street

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Street trees provide shelter and create a sense of space and placeShelter and shade

In the SEQ subtropical climate, shade and shelter boost the walkability of a street. Shade protects pedestrians from the elements as well as reducing heat island effects.

In this study, trees were the most common means of providing shade, although in centres and CBDs building awnings and other structures are important for shade and weather protection. Some of the most attractive and inviting streets were lined with consistent and mature street trees spaced to allow their crowns to touch to form a canopy. Streets lined with consistent tree species, with different streets planted with different species, create visual interest. Selecting the right species for local conditions ensures their health and longevity in the urban environment.

Care must be taken to minimise clashes between buried infrastructure and tree roots to ensure enough space exists for both.

Street trees can also be used to narrow the carriageway width, in a physical sense and a perceived sense, helping to slow traffic. Tree lined pathways can provide useful visual links between focal points within a place type including areas of open spaces, and residential and commercial areas that might otherwise feel disconnected. A tree lined street helps to create a sense of comfort and enclosure for pedestrians.

Street trees in commercial areas can mimic human scale and lessen the dominance of taller structures.

Streettrees provide shade over the footpath in Bulimba

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On-street car parking is important to parking supply and vitalityOn-street parking

In this study, on-street parking was well provided for and provided the flexibility to accommodate residents and visitors. On-street car parking in neighbourhoods and centres delivers a range of benefits, including reduced on-site parking demands, slowing passing traffic and activating the street as people move from their vehicle to a destination.

In Next Generation Suburban (P4) and Urban Neighbourhoods (P5), rear lanes and shared driveways can increase on-street parking provision where a higher demand is expected. Rear loaded housing increases the amenity of the primary street and promotes walkability.

In mixed use areas, developments with compact housing forms and transit oriented development precincts, reduced car parking rates and opportunities for shared car parking work well.

A mix of uses within a neighbourhood or centre tend to have varying peak times and demand and allow parking spaces to serve a range of surrounding businesses and customers. In Grey Street at South Bank, a diversity of uses that function day and night including restaurants and cafes, cinemas and offices share the parking.

Sensible use of on-street parking, which is a feature of the streets this handbook promotes, can also help reduce the need for on-site parking, which can reduce housing costs. This is further discussed in 4.10, off-street parking.

On-street parking on major roads requires separate consideration against road planning objectives.

The car parking for this apartment complex is located at the rear via a shared access point which improves on-street parking opportunity and the visual appeal of the building

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Sustainable development protects and conserves the urban water cycleWater Sensitive Urban Design

Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) focuses on the efficient and effective management of the urban water cycle and ensures that natural water systems within the urban environment are protected to allow them to function more effectively. WSUD is a desirable solution to stormwater management and in this study it found that several greenfield developments had integrated the design objectives for managing urban stormwater into the landscape.

Some WSUD applications include rainwater storage tanks suitable for rural, suburban and urban areas, grass or landscaped swales, infiltration trenches and bio-retention trenches, porous pavements, greywater harvesting and treatment ponds.

In urban environments, WSUD is useful for managing stormwater quality, improving waterway stability and managing the frequency of flows. Site conditions, climate, catchment and pollutant characteristics will influence the selection of WSUD applications.

This handbook supports the use of WSUD principles and reflects the State Planning Policy for Healthy Waters 2010 (Queensland Government, 2010d), and Technical Guidelines - Implementation Guideline no. 7. (Queensland Government, 2009b).

Springfield Lakes is a residential development that demonstrates several WSUD features

Lot and building scale

4.0

The approach to development on individual lots and buildings can do much to promote the Next Generation Planning concepts of Smart Growth and Affordable Living. It also offers the best opportunities to achieve consistency in basic standards across the region to reduce housing costs and promote affordable living.

Note: The names given to dwelling types in these pages describe types of buildings. In Queensland Planning Provisions (QPP) compliant planning schemes, dwelling types are usually given definitions in the context of material change of use (MCU) development. More than one MCU definition may be relevant to particular buildings (i.e. a row house may be developed as either a dwelling house on a separate freehold lot or as a multiple dwelling on common property. In both cases the built form is the same).

This part of the guidelines covers:

4.1 Detached houses on wide lots4.2 Detached houses on narrow lots4.3 The “plexes” – duplexes/triplexes/ quadplexes/quinplexes4.4 Row houses4.5 Secondary dwellings4.6 Live/work buildings4.7 Low rise apartments4.8 Medium and high rise apartments4.9 Consistent lot types4.10 Off-street parking4.11 Addressing the street4.12 Build to the slope4.13 Height4.14 Space around the house4.15 Carports and garages

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An appropriate housing option for some householdsDetached houses on wide lots

Detached houses on traditionally sized lots are a large part of the housing stock in SEQ. They serve the needs of a wide range of household types.

In SEQ, these lots are typically around 20 m wide, and from 450 m2 to 2000 m2. When they occur in large tracts without other forms of housing, this housing type is highly land consumptive and contributes to unsustainable urban sprawl. Smart Growth means using land more efficiently for this form of housing and mixing it with other forms, particularly in Next Generation Suburban Neighbourhoods (P4), but also in existing urban neighbourhoods (P5). It is also easy to design this housing to incorporate secondary dwellings and still look the same.

Some of the great examples in SEQ of detached houses on larger lots challenge the traditional front setback of 6 m, demonstrating that smaller setbacks at the front and side of a property achieve a more efficient use of private land and provide great amenity or character. Houses with smaller building footprints allow space for deep planted gardens and vegetation cover, natural drainage and stormwater flow, treed back yards, cultivating crops and keeping pets.

Detached houses of modest scale with small site coverage are a robust and flexible development form, allowing for the renovation and expansion of houses over time to accommodate more modern living choices, changing household sizes and financial circumstances.

Detached houses are easily owned individually without the need for a body corporate.

A traditional Queenslander detached house on a larger lot at Rosewood

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Small lot housing is found in some of SEQ’s most loved neighbourhoodsDetached houses on narrow lots

In recent times in SEQ, as elsewhere, single and double storey detached houses are being developed on much narrower and smaller lots. This housing is also found in many older, widely admired neighbourhoods. This housing type can take a number of forms, including those referred to as cottage and villa style homes. They require some elements of the building design to be carefully managed, such as dwelling size, setbacks, private open space and car parking.

Cottages are small single storey dwellings on small lots that are relatively compact and usually have a single car parking space (or two tandem car spaces), so car parking does not dominate its streetscape. These houses can be relatively small in size in some places, similar to the size of traditional dwellings built during the first half of the 20th century. Lot frontages for cottage dwellings can be narrow (10-12.5 m).

Allowing some setbacks to the front and side for habitable rooms provides for natural light, cross ventilation and better design outcomes. Setbacks on one side of the lot can be very small, while garages, service areas and verandahs can be built to a lot boundary.

Double storey detached housing on small lots will enable a smaller site coverage, while retaining areas for private open space, deep planting areas, trees, natural drainage, vegetation and reusable gardens. Some double storey houses can have car access from rear lanes, allowing parking for two cars. Double storey buildings create improved street enclosure and definition, which works well in Urban Neighbourhoods.

Granville St, West End demonstrates a number of detached houses on 250 m2 lots

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A compact housing form compatible with high quality streetscapes The ‘plexes’ – duplexes/triplexes/quadplexes/quinplexes

Duplexes are paired dwellings sharing a single internal wall, while triplexes, quadplexes and quinplexes are similar but with three, four and five dwellings in turn. They can be single or two storeys and some, particularly duplexes, can present to the street similar to a detached house.

Plexes are often best sited on a corner, to punctuate the street end and accommodate more than one driveway. They are an effective way to increase density, in both urban and Next Generation Suburban Neighbourhoods. Sometimes two detached houses can be on the one lot. These housing forms are generally located in P4 and P5 neighbourhoods, interspersed with other housing forms.

There are many good examples of duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes and quinplexes in SEQ, particularly in newer, integrated developments such as Varsity Lakes.

A modern duplex on a corner lot in Granville Street, West End

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Row houses form great streetscapes and efficient housingRow houses

Row houses, also called terraces, are a number of attached houses of two to four storeys on individual lots. Usually more than three to four row houses are located together. Long rows of more than eight houses are uncommon in SEQ.

Row houses should have car access and servicing from a rear lane, creating high quality streetscapes not compromised with pedestrian safety and amenity by multiple driveways over footpaths.

Private open space requires fencing for privacy and is often located between the dwelling and the rear garage or car port. To maximise the area of open space and contribute to a more urban streetscape, front setbacks are small.To add privacy, main living areas or front habitable rooms are elevated. Lot and building widths can be as narrow as the width of one bedroom or as wide as two bedrooms.

Two storey row houses with semi-basement parking Bulimba

Rear lane access to row houses, Varsity Lakes

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Granny and Fonzie flats can provide low cost, flexible housing options for suburbsSecondary dwellings

The granny flat or secondary dwelling in a backyard or under the house has been a relatively common form of dwelling in SEQ for many decades. Usually these dwellings have remained in the same ownership as the principal dwelling, and are used by family members or students, sometimes for temporary periods.

Some modern developments have taken this concept further by developing loft apartments or ‘fonzie flats’, usually above garages in rear lane accessed houses. As well as providing small, studio style accommodation, these dwellings have the advantage of providing casual surveillance of the lane from occupied rooms. Sometimes these flats are used for work instead of living, and can be kept in the same ownership as the principal dwelling, or be separately titled to create a low cost purchase option for first home buyers.

Secondary dwelling and loft apartments are unlikely to create additional infrastructure demands or amenity impacts, and should be made easily developable especially in Next Generation Suburban Neighbourhoods and Urban Neighbourhoods.

Pitt St, Toowoomba provides many examples of secondary dwellings utilising a rear lane

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A flexible lifestyle option and transition between housing and commercial usesLive/work buildings

Live/work buildings include a home and a workplace. This is not a new idea - in older residential areas small shops were common, built in front of a house to the front boundary with an awning over the street. These stores often faced busier through streets and were located on corner sites, hence the name ‘corner store’.

While the traditional corner store is generally not part of new SEQ neighbourhoods, working from home is recognised as an increasing trend in recent decades. The result is that offices and workshops are being incorporated into residences, particularly in more urban places. Home workshops and offices attached to a residential use can back onto parking areas used for retail or mixed use purposes, allowing for shared parking arrangements. Higher site cover is appropriate for buildings of this type. Live/work buildings can provide an appropriate transition from a residential building to a commercial or retail space.

Houses are sometimes converted to offices and shops, and vice versa. This can only happen if the design is ‘robust’ enough to be converted to a different use. Buildings on street corners or near Centres of Activity are more likely to be suitable for this approach. Street patterns must also be robust enough to adapt to changing uses. While knocking down houses and rebuilding is not always desirable, knocking down a cul-de-sac near to a centre to allow for more intense land uses is next to impossible.

Row houses can easily incorporate live/work arrangements. In SEQ, there are good examples of three storey row houses with offices and parking at ground level and living spaces above. More commonly, the ‘shop-top housing’ model accommodates commercial or retail space on the ground floor of a detached dwelling with a second level residential use.

A fonzi flat/home office situated above a garage in Varsity Lakes

Ground floor vet with residence above at Moffat Beach

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A compact housing form appropriate for more urban placesLow rise apartments

Low rise apartments are generally two to three storeys, often above semi-basement car parking. Buildings of this scale can have open stairs and balcony access, enabling design for cross ventilation which is important for subtropical and energy efficient design. Alternatively, low rise apartments can be accessed via a lift, although this usually results in higher cost constructions and maintenance with the additional costs being passed onto the purchaser/resident.

An apartment building can be part of an integrated development by a single developer on an amalgamated site, or a separate development. Apartment buildings usually require community titling, with common property managed through a body corporate.

Low rise apartment buildings in SEQ demonstrate that small setbacks to street frontages are possible and the quality of the human experience relates to the height of the building, width of the street and front boundary treatment (e.g. fencing and landscaping). Access to spaces for leisure and recreation is an important consideration in the design of low rise apartments, which includes private, communal and public open space.

Two storey apartments with basement parking provided as part of an integrated development, Bulimba

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Accommodate higher density living in urban places Medium and high rise apartments

Medium (4-10 storeys) and high rise apartment buildings have an upper limit determined by the context of the place. They are most appropriate in Urban Neighbourhoods (P5), Centres of Activity (P6) and CBD (P7) locations.

In Centres of Activity and CBDs, the ground floor of an apartment building should accommodate retail or commercial spaces. This vertical mix of uses within medium and high rise apartments is desirable in places where there are busy streets and high levels of accessibility and pedestrian activity.

Particularly for high rise apartments, design is to be carefully managed to avoid overshadowing of the street, which can be achieved by towers above broad podiums. This design feature is particularly evident in CBDs across SEQ. Towers may have a narrow floor plan to maximise north facing apartments and cross ventilation.

Mixed use retail/commerical to create a more ‘human scaled’ streetscape, Labrador

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Consistent lot types and dimensions

Minimum lot sizes are used in most SEQ planning regulations as the primary tool to regulate dwelling type, but they can be a blunt instrument impacting on the capacity to accommodate diverse housing types. The width and depth of a lot are much more important to its suitability for different housing forms and have a much greater effect on streetscape outcomes.

The width and depth of a lot are important determinants of the type of housing that can be provided on it. As a general rule, a standard sized lot is desirable as it achieves a more efficient layout and is more cost effective in terms of infrastructure provision and house building (ULDA, 2010).

To achieve efficient use of land and services, the width of a lot should be as narrow as possible, while enabling appropriate design and function for the desired dwelling type.

The quality of a street is more about the width of the lots than their depth (which often cannot be perceived).

Relatively consistent lot widths create a rhythm of the street that works well in creating neighbourhood character. But lots need to vary to accommodate a range of housing types.

The depth and area of a lot needs to be sufficient to allow for areas of private open space, landscaping and, where applicable, rear access.

Consistent lot widths of Granville Street, West End create a rhythm of the street

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Consistent lot dimensions across the region are desirable for efficiency of design and construction. Every time a house plan has to be altered to suit moderate differences in planning schemes, costs and delays are incurred. This does not mean that local governments and communities lose control over which type of lots and houses are appropriate, and where they should be located. But when a ‘Villa’ or ‘Cottage’ allotment is needed we use a consistent definition of what a ‘Villa’ and ‘Cottage’ lot dimension is.

The Urban Land Development Authority (ULDA) has developed a consistent typology of residential lots for its projects. The lot dimensions are appropriate for use across SEQ, and this handbook adopts these dimensions.

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Less car parking promotes Smart Growth and Affordable LivingOff-street parking

Providing car parking can be highly land consumptive and costly, and affects dwelling yield. This has significant impacts on the cost of housing. The use of limited space for vehicle parking in more urban locations is an inefficient use of land, particularly where other transport options are available, and affects affordable living.

In locations well served by public transport, reference to the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Guide and parking rates is recommended (Queensland Government, 2010).

Many successful housing products are breaking the mould and challenging the traditional need to provide a double garage for every housing type. Innovative solutions not commonly used in Australia are recommended, such as ‘unbundling’ car parking, which allows for buying car parks as an option for the housing purchaser.

In a well designed mixed use neighbourhood, people can live without a car and this should be an available choice where there is an efficient public transport system in place. A mixed use neighbourhood will provide a variety of destinations within comfortable walking or cycling distance of one another, reducing car dependency. Families are able to walk their children to school or cycle a short distance to work. This is in distinct contrast to conventional single-use zones, which require people to travel long distances to fulfil basic daily needs.

In Centres of Activity and CBDs, parking structures are best connected directly to the street rather than other buildings as this increases pedestrian presence on the street. Some parking can be located in multi-level shared parking that is hidden from main street frontages. Short Street at Southport is an excellent example of shared car parking sleeved behind a bustling main street making this a successful and enjoyable place to be.

Residential development at Surbiton St, Carindale provides discreet access for vehicle parking

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Buildings address the street, with setbacks appropriate to the place typeAddressing the street

This study indicates that buildings addressing the street bring many benefits. It ensures the street maintains its ‘people function’, rather than being a road for the sole purpose of moving through traffic; and promotes safety through casual overlooking.

Often, the more urban a setting, the closer a building is to the street. However, in many places in this study, there is still a small front yard. These spaces still play an important function, with the examples in this study indicating that these areas can complement street trees to create a more integrated streetscape. Low or see through fencing of front boundaries also promotes the quality of the streetscape.

Building frontages can contribute to the creation of lively, active streetscapes (such as shop fronts, indoor/outdoor cafes and restaurants). They stimulate activities that are likely to foster casual, social and business interaction for extended periods and encourage night time activity which increases safety by having more people around. The level of activation should correspond with street and retail hierarchies, as not all streets can nor should be fully activated. Active frontages are desirable in at least some parts of most place types, particularly in central, focal parts of neighbourhoods and, of course, in Centres of Activities and CBDs.

Service and vehicle entries are best located off rear service lanes or secondary side streets. In some instances, service access can be achieved through a screened, narrow entry at the front that is integrated with the surrounding streetscape.

This house in Granville St, West End is built close to the road, presenting benefits such as improved CPTED, streetscape quality and space at the rear for private open space or car parking

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Design buildings to the landform, not landform to the buildingsBuild to the slope

The buildings, streets and neighbourhoods explored during this study are built on varied topographies. Many sites are flat, others sloping, and a few locations can only be described as steep. This reflects the SEQ situation, but today more and more development is taking place on sloping land.

A common response to slope is to cut and fill sites and create flat pads for houses and other buildings, and even to alter the landform to enable streets to be constructed to preferred standards. Some earthworks are to be expected, but overuse of these techniques can result in expanses of ugly retaining walls, the loss of trees and vegetation and interference with natural drainage systems. In more compact settings, individual retaining walls between buildings are harder and harder to construct efficiently and aesthetically.

Few of the buildings in this study relied on site retaining to overcome slope. Instead, elevated and split-levels building construction is used to achieve level changes in a more sensitive manner. The classic ‘Queenslander’ house is famous for being highset and built on the flattest and steepest of sites with minimal impact on natural landforms and stormwater flows. That technique is integral to SEQ’s built character.

Using row housing to step down the slope at Springfield

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Locate and design building height to maintain human scaleHeight

In most place types, maintaining a human scale is important. This means having a scale of building that is comfortable for people on the street. This has implications for the height and shape of buildings.

Human scaled components can reduce building bulk and create people friendly environments. Podiums are an effective way to achieve this, with taller building elements set back from the street. Semi-public attachments, such as front entry spaces, verandahs, balconies, bay windows and porches can facilitate this in residential neighbourhoods.

Taller buildings are best located in centres, and areas of high amenity such as near open space. Locating taller buildings on corner sites and around large public parks and plazas enables longer views down streets and better enclosure of the streetscape. Medium density development works well when constructed at similar heights to mature shade trees on the street.

On buildings over two storeys, the level of architectural detail required at the ground floor is increased to add interest and depth to the pedestrian environment.

Building height may also be influenced by the need to design for flood events.

Apartments in Duporth Avenue, Maroochydore are kept to three storeys on the street, with the tower pushed further back into the site ensuring a more ‘human scale’ on the street

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Bring back the backyardSpace around the house

Recent studies have documented the disappearance of the backyard from Australian suburban development in the 1990s and 2000s (Hall, 2010). This phenomenon appears to have accompanied the rapid increase in the size of new suburban homes, rather than decreasing lot sizes. In fact, several examples of houses on small lots but with sizable back yards were identified in this study. Modest house sizes are the key to achieving this goal.

While local public open space may compensate in some ways for smaller private gardens on an individual lot, the backyard has other roles too. It reduces impervious areas such as roofs, allows greater stormwater infiltration and preservation of natural landform, enhances privacy and amenity, and allows space for plants and animals, whether they be veggie patch, pets, or native plants and birdlife.

Smaller front setbacks may enable larger setbacks at the rear to accommodate private open space in back gardens with mature trees.

Some front of building elements, such as verandahs and front porches, can encroach on building setbacks as they promote socialisation, passive surveillance, subtropical living and improve street amenity.

Wide verandahs at the front, side and rear of houses are an iconic feature of SEQ neighbourhoods and are central to an indoor/outdoor lifestyle. Their continued use is encouraged.

This small lot house in Murphy St, Ipswich demonstrates how larger rear setbacks accommodate back gardens and mature trees

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Providing for car accommodation in a pedestrian oriented streetscapeCarports and garages

While vehicle access to each dwelling is a part of residential design, managing the locations of car parking has a positive impact on streetscape character, pedestrian access and amenity.

The best examples from this study are buildings with garages located in a way that does not dominate the streetscape and often hardly visible at all.

Carports and garages are best located towards the rear of the house, or well integrated into the surrounding streetscape and architecture. Reduced side setbacks enable informal side driveway access to the rear of the house. Narrow lots are best accessed via a rear lane or otherwise have single or tandem car spaces only.

Garages and carports can be located at the rear of the site with driveway access along the other side boundary. A side setback can be wide to allow vehicle access to the rear of the site and views past buildings to rear gardens can provide outlook from the sides of the buildings to green areas. These spaces are normally oriented to the north or east of the dwelling.

This side setback allows for driveways along one side to a garage at the rear and reduces car dominance on the street