With the continuing densification of urban areas and pressures on coastal and rural landscapes, visual amenity conflicts are increasingly the focus of many disputes within the Queensland Planning and Environment Court.
The nature of these conflicts can vary widely depending on the type of development being proposed, surrounding urban and landscape context and relevant local and state planning requirements. Visual amenity conflicts can range from the loss of a balcony view to the Brisbane River or Story Bridge from neighbouring development to concerns about increased views to an expanded landfill site on the local skyline from nearby residential areas.
Figure 1- Views to and from the Brisbane River and Story Bridge have been the subject of many disputes.
Whilst requirements to protect landscape values and views vary between state and local authorities, the involvement of Landscape and Visual Assessment (LVA) specialists in the early planning and design phases of a project can assist with avoiding or reducing the possible need for dispute resolution later on. This can help to reduce possible future time and costs delays to projects from potential redesign and possible requirements for additional mitigation measures to be incorporated.
This article demonstrates the benefits of early involvement of experienced LVA specialists to guide site responsive development at a citywide and regional scale through to an individual project. It is intended to assist local authorities, town planners, architects and project managers with the planning, design and delivery of development particularly in areas within or adjacent to sensitive natural settings and in areas with strong community sensitivities to development.
What is Landscape and Visual Assessment?
Landscape and Visual Assessment provides an essential tool to reconcile development with landscape and scenic values and promote better outcomes for our communities.
Landscape and Visual Assessment is an area of expertise of Landscape Architecture and is undertaken by Registered Landscape Architects from the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA).
The ‘Landscape and Visual Assessment AILA Guidance Note for Queensland’ (2018) outlines a framework to understand the potential impacts of a project so that any adverse impacts on landscape values and views can be either avoided or reduced.
The guideline outlines a number of common principles which determine scenic preference and the importance of views. It recognises that the Landscape and Visual Assessment approach for a project needs to be tailored to address the key visual amenity issues, project context and type of development. Importantly, the Landscape and Visual Assessment should have an appropriate level of rigour to inform decision making.
Landscape and Visual Assessment Specialist Expertise
The benefits of engaging experienced LVA specialists up front within a project include the early identification of potential landscape and visual impacts with consideration to the planning context and setting of the project amongst various other factors.
Experienced LVA specialists can also offer the expertise to:
Guide future urban form and building height at a regional, citywide or project specific scale to protect important view corridors, urban landmarks or significant landscape features such as mountain peaks and forested ridgelines.
Guide the route planning of tall linear infrastructure in sensitive residential and natural areas.
Guide building envelope design to avoid or minimise potential view intrusions.
Context Visual Assessment
Context Visual Assessment is a leading Brisbane based practice specialising in Landscape and Visual Assessment.
The author, Nerida Thomas, is the Director of CONTEXT. Nerida is an experienced Urban Designer and Registered Landscape Architect with over 25 years’ experience working for global multidisciplinary consultancy firms, a major urban developer and several design consultancies.
Her LVA specialist experience includes guiding the route planning of infrastructure and master planning of large scale urban development in sensitive areas across Queensland and Papua New Guinea.
This extends to assessing view intrusions from increased building height in prominent locations with high levels of community sensitivity. Nerida is also highly skilled at guiding future building height at a citywide scale in response to landscape settings and scenic values and was involved in an innovative project for the City of Gold Coast Council which recently received international recognition.
Figure 2- An innovative study identified the building height constraints for future urban growth and development in the southern Gold Coast so as to protect views to landscape features important to the character, identity and tourism ‘image’ of the city.
For further information or preliminary LVA advice, please contact Nerida Thomas at: https://www.contextvisual.com.au/contact-us