Principle 8: Create welcoming places, enjoyed by everyone
Good design on the Sunshine Coast creates welcoming places that are accessible to all, delivering public and private places that contribute to an active street life and community enjoyment.
The Sunshine Coast is known as a generous and friendly place. It is a place where the natural and built environment is enjoyed by our community. Many places on the Sunshine Coast connect our community through a shared desire to experience the best of the natural environment and the lifestyle associated with it.
As the population of the region grows, our community will continue to diversify. It is essential that the Sunshine Coast responds to these changes. It must ensure people continue to enjoy the benefits of living in the region and also that the natural and built environments remain accessible and affordable for all ages and abilities.
Good design on the Sunshine Coast creates welcoming places that are accessible to all, delivering public and private places that contribute to an active street life and community enjoyment. Good design promotes the creation of a built environment that is accessible, affordable and capable of accommodating the needs of all ages and abilities. Communities thrive when people feel welcome and included. A built environment that accommodates the needs of the whole community is essential to ensure the Sunshine Coast remains vital and vibrant.
Why this is important
Design that restricts access to certain members of our community does not contribute to the public life of the region. Our best looking and most loved features may not be shared and enjoyed as effectively by the wider populace, and our buildings and spaces can send a message that they only belong to a few. The sense of shared community pride can be lost.
Ideas for working with this principle,
Whatever scale you're working at–city, neighbourhood, street, park or building, here are some ideas for working with this principle.
1. Design building entries and openings, balconies, decks and awnings to contribute to the creation of an active street life
2. Create places that promote physical access to natural assets, such as environmental reserves, waterways and the coastline, to encourage greater community enjoyment of our natural environment
3. Provide adaptable and flexible public space at street level to encourage broader community interaction and greater permeability of a site
4. Consider how accessible the entire space is–from parking a bicycle or car, to how easy it is to find the front door, to how easy it is to find public amenities, and how safe it is to leave when it gets dark. Create places that are easy to get around and priorities the safety of visitors and passers-by. Consider these questions using Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) Strategie
5. Create buildings that work well within their community and work well with their neighbours, so development adds to the life of the Sunshine Coast
6. Create places that support and prioritise community access to emerging technology, so people can connect, study and do business anywhere
7. Design for places and spaces that consider the needs of all ages and abilities and promote equitable access and uses.