City profile

Abstract

Fourteen years have passed since Brisbane was profiled in Cities by Stephen Hamnett. The Brisbane-SEQ Metro Region, which incorporates the Brisbane and the surrounding Moreton statistical divisions, has been a net gainer in one of the largest demographic shifts seen in Australia. This sprawling low density metropolis has emerged as a sun-belt destination for in-migrants. Growth has spread out from Brisbane City along corridors, to encompass the Gold Coast City to the south, urban centres such as Caloundra and Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast to the north, and the old industrial mining city of Ipswich to the west. The term “Australia's fastest growing region” has been widely used in commentaries about the Brisbane and SEQ region for almost two decades. Although rapid population growth is widely seen as being positive, negative consequences have occurred presenting challenges for urban management and planning future urban development and services provision.