After years in the making, Griffith’s Cities Research Centre has launched the first book length academic research history of the Gold Coast.
‘Off the Plan – The Urbanisation of the Gold Coast‘ is a collaboration between researchers at Bond University, Queensland University of Technology, Southern Cross Universityand Macquarie University involvingfour years of work.
The book covers planning, policy, tourism, real estate and architecture on the Coast. Each chapter’s author was specifically chosen because of their expertise in thatfield.
It addresses the historical circumstances, both accidental and intentional, that led to the Coast’s transition from a collection of settlements unburdened by planning restrictions to become Australia’s sixth largest city.
Lead author Dr Aysin Dedekorkut, of Griffith’s School of Environment, said typicallyurban research in Australia had focused on capital cities.
“The Gold Coast is a very unique city, particularly in terms of its urban landscape,” she said.
“It’s not just a regional city anymore, even though there’s a perception in the media as well as from people who come here that the Gold Coast is just Surfers Paradise, and it’s not.
“There’s a lot more going on here than a regional city so that requires careful analogy.
“One of the findings of this book is we keep repeating the mistakes of the past and we usually do that if we don’t know our past.”
The book is available from CSIRO Publishing.