Cribb Street Landsborough

Placemaking Urban Design

The Project

POMO was engaged to work alongside the Sunshine Coast Council in the renewal of Cribb Street - Landsborough’s main street. The project was part of a larger master planning process being run by council.

Specifically we participated in the community engagement process to help ascertain community attitudes and expectations around the revitalisation project. This involved stakeholders and community members and was led by the Brisbane based consultancy - Co-Design. Community participation was facilitated with the aim of capacity building local groups around activation projects. A select group of Sunshine Coast and Brisbane based designers, including POMO, were also invited to participate in a one day workshop aimed at generating a range of ideas as to how Cribb Street might be redesigned and revitalised. POMO was able to make a presentation at this workshop to help the designers understand the historical and cultural context of the town, a vital ingredient to creating successful place-based design.

POMO then undertook deep historical and cultural research, produced a report which captured the essential cultural themes of the town, and then was able to embark on a creative design process that sought to express those themes in various streetscape elements.

POMO then managed the building and fabrication of those elements, working with a range of artists, creatives and tradespeople and supervised all aspects of installation in the final streetscape.

The Placemaking Design Process

POMO’s first major undertaking was detailed historical and cultural research that was aimed at unlocking the hidden narratives of this town. Landsborough is widely known as the Sunshine Coast’s historic town and it has a deep and rich history. Preparing a comprehensive report that identified a number of themes allowed POMO to outline the core components of an appropriate visual language for the town. Working alongside the landscape design team, this place language was then used to inform a creative process whereby community aspirations were married up with local visual vernacular in order to design a number of bespoke elements for the streetscape upgrade. Engineering and detailed design was also completed.

A Heritage Trail with a Geo-Locative Audio Experience

A further component of the project involved working with Soundtrails and local community members in identifying a number of locations on Cribb Street with heritage value. These locations and their stories became part of a walkable heritage trail that has a customised audio component that allows people to use their phones to hear and see stories of the town’s history. A rich soundscape ensures that this is a highly engaging experience for users and brings to life the historical importance of the town and a number of its heritage sites. The audio trail is activated by QR codes contained on a wayfinding sign that POMO designed.

Sustainability Outcomes

Social Sustainability Outcomes

  • Strengthened Local History and Identity: The project is deeply rooted in expressing the town’s rich heritage. By conducting detailed historical research and creating a “visual language” for the town, the design elements are authentic and meaningful. The development of a walkable heritage trail with a geo-locative audio experience (Soundtrail) makes this history interactive and accessible to all, reinforcing community identity and pride.
  • High Level of Community Ownership: The project’s foundation was an extensive community and stakeholder engagement process. This collaborative, co-design approach ensures the final streetscape is a direct reflection of the community’s aspirations and values, leading to a profound sense of ownership and care for the new public space.
  • Increased Community Activation and Connection: The design creates a new central gathering space with features like seating, shelters, a play area, and a lawn for events. This physical infrastructure is designed to encourage community activation, providing a versatile hub for residents to come together, socialize, and hold events, thereby strengthening the social fabric of the town.
  • Improved Accessibility and Safety: The master plan emphasizes better pedestrian and cyclist connections, improved wayfinding, and creative lighting. These elements make the town centre safer, more accessible, and easier to navigate for people of all ages and abilities, encouraging more people to use the space, especially into the evening.

Environmental Sustainability Outcomes

  • Enhanced Urban Canopy and Green Space: A key feature of the revitalisation is the addition of more shade trees and a central lawn area. This increases the urban canopy, which helps to cool the streetscape, improve air quality, manage stormwater, and create a more comfortable and visually appealing environment for the community.
  • Promotion of Active Transport: By improving the pathways for pedestrians and cyclists and creating a more attractive and walkable town centre, the project encourages a shift away from short car trips. This promotes a healthier lifestyle for residents and contributes to reducing local traffic congestion and carbon emissions.
  • Locally Inspired and Resilient Design: The design’s “pods,” which provide shade and lighting, are inspired by the region’s Bunya nut trees. This use of “biomimicry” not only connects the design to the local ecology but also suggests a design that is adapted to its environment, potentially offering durable and efficient solutions for shade and lighting.

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