What do others ‘take for granted’?

Perspectives on sustainability vary by geography, so what can Brisbane learn by turning to Europe? & how do we give it our own ‘pine/lime’ tropical twist?

The European perspective on circularity can be seen in the way people live in the Netherlands, typified by the community being recreated in Buiksloterham. Once a thriving industrial port area, the area is being resettled, reimagined and enlivened with circularity and net zero based design. The mantra of the team orchestrating the post-industrial reimagining has been "You do not design a circular city. You allow it to rise."

Key features that stand out include integration of mode shifts across the area - with bicycle paths, high volume passenger ferries every couple of minutes, on street EV charging, as well as integrated domestic waste collection. When I visited in April of 2024 the safety value of establishing and opening the primary school early in the development horizon was also striking.

For Brisbane, we have the vision of being the first carbon positive and the most circular Olympics in 2032. Now our opportunity is to take the best of the best from everywhere else, and make it uniquely our own as we work together to deliver our future city.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out the Nick Maughan Foundation and Vuturistic’s thoughts.