Gold Coast as post-modern hell or heaven?

The Gold Coast has half a million inhabitants spread over a 400 sq km large area, along a 30 km long sand beach. The waves along the beach make the area an ideal spot for surfers and life guards, tourists, students and weekend visitors. But why half a million inhabitants chose to live in this post modern suburbia demands a more complex analysis.

Surfers Paradise with three of the worlds tallest residential towers looking north towards Main Beach and Southport. Most buildings are 'only' 20-35 stories.

The area is reach by motorway or the adjacent direct rail service from Brisbane and the Airport. It easy to see why the planners chose to locate the rail line along the motorway, but apart from a good location for Park & Ride, the rail service is something of a oddity. The train is soon to be supplemented with a tram line along the coast, the two eventually intersecting at the northern and southern end.

As in the central business district of Brisbane, there are not height restrictions on buildings along parts of the Gold Coast, with the result that three of the worlds tallest residential tower of 70-80 stories are located here, together with two dozen towers of 40-50 stories, half of which area located in central area of Surfers Paradise, and the other half either in neighboring Main Beach, Southport, Broadbeach or further south towards the border with New South Wales.

High-rise living in Brisbane adding to the housing supply of Queensland?
 

Infinity, a not yet completed residential tower, with 550 apartments on 80 stories, seen from Wickham Park looking south.

 A residential tower seen from the City Botanic Gardens looking northwest.

Another residential tower seen from Brisbane Square looking west.

Brisbane as a Mini-Manhatten of the Southern Hemisphere

The center of Brisbane is buzzing with life in the afternoon and early evening with people out shopping, eating, drinking or on their way home from work. It's a center dominated by offices and shops, but also with some dense or high rise (luxury) housing. There are no height restrictions in the business center, so two residential and one multi-function building are 70-80 stories high, and another 50 buildings have 25 stories or more.

Recent War Memorial with 8 stories 1920s building left and two modern high risers in middle (apartments) and right.

The shops are organized mainly on two levels, ground floor and lower ground floor, often interconnected under the street and throughout the entire block. In Queen Street, the pedestrian street is filled with bars and cafes in the middle, as permanent glass and steal structures.

Semi-shaded pedestrian path in the park at South Bank, adding to the attraction of inner city living.

Brisbane is however maybe lacking semi-dense inner city accommodation in close proximity to the city center. The reason for this is partly historical, with bungalows surround the city center. But planning for more semi-dense inner city accommodation would maybe add to both the attraction of Brisbane as a world city, and Brisbane's city center. The alternative for most small households is to live in the suburbs, with the inconvenience of traveling long distances for work and other activities. Suburbs are maybe more suitable for families and older residents, that do not commute to work every day.

Brisbane City Hall seen towards south east with square and (small) church tower to the north west.

I have mostly spent my time visiting the parks and outdoor artificial beach at the South Bank, walked and cycled around the center, the inner city and along the river, and spent one day at the Gold Coast. I live almost 10 km south east of the center, in a modern house with a pool, in a well off suburb, close to the intersection between motorway M1 and M3.

Dedicated bus ways and cycling facilities
In Brisbane there are underground bus stations, which are connected to dedicated bus ways in three directions from the center, one 25 km long running parallel to the motorway reaching the south eastern suburbs of the city, with 'stations' every 2-3 km, and separate junctions from the motorway. The stations have 100 meter long platforms with roof, stairs and lifts and a fence stopping people from crossing the driveway.

Church across square from City Hall with three highrise buildings surrounding it to the northwest.

There is also walking and cycling paths along the river and some running out of the city. Outwith the city center, cycling on the pavement is not too uncommon. And yes, you have to wear a cycling helmet in Queensland, also when using one of the 1000 city bikes, like the ones in Paris, spread out on 100 stands throughout the inner city. But the pricing is regressive, so using them more than 30-60 min costs you dearly.

But it is the car the rules in Brisbane, as elsewhere in Australia, with a motorway along the northern banks of the river through the city center. Brisbane is after all a very modern city, mostly built during the second half of the twentieth century.

Free 'swimming' pool with artificial sand beach in park at South Bank across from city center with river in background looking north east.