The wide-ranging scope will centre around four key themes, each designed to deliver tangible, community-focused outcomes:
- Precinct planning: Developing detailed precinct plans for central Cairns precincts, focused on health, education, the arts, and sport. These plans will align with Cairns’ Towards 2050 Growth Strategy and existing city masterplans.
- Placemaking: Placemaking and improvements to public spaces are at the heart of this project, ensuring that infrastructure development is not only functional but also enriches the experience of living in Cairns. Improvements to walkability and urban infrastructure will be critical to support investment, economic diversification and increased housing density.
- Community and stakeholder engagement: With a strong emphasis on cultural responsiveness, the project will engage Traditional Owners and local communities through an inclusive co-design process.
- Climate resilience: Cairns’ tropical climate poses a unique set of challenges. SMEC’s plan includes nature-based strategies, such as expanding the city’s urban canopy to reduce heat and improved resilience to extreme tropical weather events.
The Council remarked, «This project complements Council’s existing efforts to provide additional housing central Cairns through the Development and Investment Incentive Support Policy, which waives headworks charges for high quality infill development in targeted areas.»
Pilot Places Principal Caroline Stalker added, “Cairns is an exceptional tropical city, and in taking on twin challenges of housing provision and climate change, it can be an exemplar for cities across the tropical regions of the world. Our place-centred and collaborative design approach will help the city fulfill the ambition to create vibrant and safe tropical neighbourhoods in central Cairns”.
Local team member and Project Manager, Bruce Gardner said, “Given Cairns’ tropical climate, we face unique challenges like intense rainfall, cyclones, and storm surges. These realities shape how we approach urban design, ensuring that green spaces, water-sensitive solutions, and storm-surge mitigation strategies are central to our place-based planning.”
Drawing on extensive local expertise and a global record, SMEC’s appointment underscores its reputation as a leader in sustainable urban development. With the project’s completion set for May 2025, this initiative is poised to support economic growth while reflecting the diversity and vibrancy of the local community.
