by Colin Russo
Introduction
Queensland’s Gold Coast is a city of 50,000 residents with a growth rate to match the “tiger economies” of Asia. One reason why it expects to see its population double in 50 years is that the city offers unusually rich biodiversity. Its landscapes range from the oceanside, with a multi-level array of built urban form for tourism and residents, through commercial and industrial centres to vast parklands nestled before a lush green hinterland. In 2007, the Gold Coast City Council began one of Australia’s most exciting community visioning projects. Colin Russo summarizes here the factors that made it an award-winning model – and captured the hearts and minds of its citizens.(continue…)