Vertical mixed use communities in
Australia: a compact city model?
Iderlina B. Mateo-Babiano
School of Geography, Planning & Environmental Management, The
University of Queensland
Simon Huston
UQ Business School, The University of Queensland
Vertical mixed use development
Purpose
Scoping study vertical mixed-use buildings in
Brisbane, Australia.
Findings
• Conflicted definitions of VMUs
• Limited uptake in Brisbane
– single function 86% of 418 CBD buildings
– 11.9% two uses
– 1.7% (VMU 3 or more uses)
Evaluation framework
Brisbane study area
Vertical structures in Brisbane
Mixed Use Developments in Brisbane’s
CBD
Location of evaluated VMU buildings
Horizontal mixed-use development
Brisbane Transit Centre displaying 3 towers (Colliers International)
VMU Riparian Plaza
o Eagle Street
o Bloomberg Incorporated Limited
and the
o Architect is Harry Seilder
o Constructed in 2005
o National Award for Innovation
and Excellence in Mixed Use
Development (2008)
o 53 levels
o Outside - retail component
o 1 -11 - car parks
o 14-38 - commercial space
o 41-52 - residential space
Building heights
Limited temporal extension
Development
Anzac Square Buildings
Brisbane Square Building
Brisbane Transit Centre
Oaks Festival Towers
Riparian Plaza
Central Station
The Midtown
The Bostonian Apartments
201 Charlotte Street
Primac House
400 George Street
141 Queen Street
140 Elizabeth Street
Before 8am
Working Hours
8am-5pm
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After 5pm-late
24 hours
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Conclusion
VMU is no silver bullet to sustainable cities
Limited scoping study
Results
Definitions of VMU conflicted
Uptake limited by:
o Greater cost and risk
o Complexity of decision process
o Scarcity of mixed-use design and project management
talent