Projects: Open Space Planning

Redland Shire Open Space Plan 2010
Clients: Redland City Council

Contemporary approaches to open space planning and management must respond to today’s changes in the urban environment. This requires new and more flexible models that address population growth, new demographic patterns, shifting recreation and leisure demands, economic transformation, and changes in the earth’s climate whilst still meeting the expectations of the community and providing a range of recreational experiences to continue to benefit quality of life.

Traditional park planning was based on utilitarian values that emphasised the physical products, such as parks, facilities, and programs, rather than whether they met the needs and experience requirements of its users. Inputs to the system became ends in themselves, instead of the means to an end. Over the past 50 years, the previous era of applying a formula for open space provision based on the size of a development (e.g. 10% of the land area, or X amount of monetary contribution from developers) is now being replaced by a more holistic, needs based approach, customising the open space solution by responding to the needs of the community overall and the role an open space can play in achieving the overall network objectives.
However, this is easier to achieve in greenfield development, less so in situations of infill or more constrained developments types, and requires broad strategic planning resulting in detailed localised requirements that once implemented will result in an overall strategic response to open space planning.

Plan C, in collaboration with Mary Maher and Associates (MMA) developed the open space planning process and provided facilitation services for five workshops to meet key stages of development of the Open Space Plan for the Redland City Council. In conducting these workshops, Plan C applied contemporary approaches to open space planning and utilised an Appreciate Inquiry approach to workshop design and delivery.
This approach allowed participants to skill up through the process and encouraged discourse on key questions and decisions. Plan C initiated these meetings with a results focused workshop approach and developed subsequent workshops based on feedback from the previous workshops and advice from project manager on key decisions. This format encouraged the progressive and productive discussion of the development of the Open Space Plan and capacity building for key informants through the process.