Queensland Sites
Ipswich River Heart Parklands
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Landscape Architect: EDAW
Location:Bremer Street, Ipswich, Queensland
Listed as A Case Study for the AILA's 2008 National Climate Change Project
Summary
BUDGET: $5.4 million
CLIENT: Ipswich City Council
Sensitivity and understanding of the Bremer River’s significance to Ipswich and its residents has enabled EDAW to transform a once neglected river edge into the heart of the city. As lead design consultants for the $5.4 million project, EDAW recognised and harnessed the social and geographic importance of the river to revitalise it from an underutilised and unsightly urban river precinct into a vibrant, multi-use public space.
With the Ipswich region facing a trebling of its population over the next 20 years, the River Heart Parkland represents the first stage of the Ipswich River Heart Parklands project – a bold vision by Ipswich City Council to re-focus the city towards its historic riverfront. The Parkland is significant for a number of reasons:
It acts as a catalyst to the transformation of the Ipswich Central Business District and supporting existing retailers in the City Centre;
- It provides high quality open space for an increasing population of inner city residents;
- Its sets a high standard for future public domain and open space developments within the city;
- The parkland interprets the site history to create a powerful place that is distinctive and has significance to the local community;
- It provides permeable and usable urban connections along the riverfront to public spaces to the east and west; and
- It helps reconnect the city to the Bremer River, the lifeblood of the area in the past.
The design evolved from early master planning work undertaken for the client, which considered the Bremer riverfront in the context of the developing city heart. Early concepts were developed and these were tested at community meetings and a public display. Feedback from the community, stakeholders and council was then used to develop a preferred master plan.
The final master plan and Stage 1 plan was developed within tight budget constraints that had to allow for a large number of unknown costs on this very challenging site. For instance, the past history of use of the site was known, but the detailed location of possible former structures and the impact of many years of uncontrolled fill placement were unknown. The budget for this first stage had to accommodate contingencies for some of these hard to predict constraints.
The true test of public domain is the public’s enjoyment of a space, and since its opening in February 2007, the Parkland has been enthusiastically embraced by all sections of the community for its richness, quality and sense of place. The resurrection of this portion of the river has reinvigorated people’s use and expectations of their public domain as a place where they can feel safe, comfortable, accessible to everyone and therefore highly valued.
introduction / overview / images / location / Qld-Projects
2008
