FAQs

The Better Suburbs - Places and Spaces (BSPS) program takes a holistic and site-specific approach to the design of spaces within Brisbane's local neighbourhoods. Improvements delivered will be informed by the following four values.

• People - Design neighbourhoods that are inclusive places for everyone to enjoy and access. Possible improvements may include upgrading sections of footpaths, reclaiming under-utilised spaces, and ensuring pedestrians are prioritised to improve and promote walkability.
• Sense of place - Celebrate local character, community, and identity, creating distinctive places where everyone can connect and belong, improving the quality of public open space. Possible improvements may include installing public art, creative lighting or creative placemaking outcomes such as murals, pavement surface treatments and wayfaring. 
• Green - Create well-designed public open spaces, capitalising on Brisbane's subtropical climate and existing character. Possible improvements may include increasing tree canopy coverage to create more comfortable and walkable environments by planting street trees, understorey and ground coverings, and installing unique and standard Brisbane City Council street furniture.
• Connect - Create neighbourhoods that are connected, safe and comfortable for everyone to access and enjoy. Improved connections to and through neighbourhood precincts by delivering gateways and markers, providing wayfaring and orientation cues, resolving underutilised or missing links and increasing tree canopy coverage.

Site opportunities and improvements will vary for each site, depending on community feedback - including community values and interests, project budget and the site constraints of each project area. 

Council is unable to influence the retail mix of private businesses within neighbourhood precincts. Through the Better Suburbs - Places and Spaces (BSPS) program, Council works closely with the local community and business owners to deliver public space improvements that collectively improve amenity, safety, functional and overall attractiveness of the neighbourhood precinct. These improvements also contribute to and encourage development at the identified neighbourhood precincts across Brisbane.

No, the BSPS program does not deliver new toilet block facilities. The focus of the BSPS program is to revitalise local neighbourhood precincts, creating quality public open space, improving local character, identity, and sense of place, and creating a city of vibrant neighbourhoods which include improved connections between, and walkability within, Brisbane's neighbourhoods.

Council generally does not undertake works or improvements on private buildings or spaces, however there may be works required at business property boundaries to assist the transition between public and private spaces for accessibility and compliance reasons. This is determined individually for each site and each property.

Each BSPS project may have creative placemaking outcomes incorporated and community feedback along with key stakeholders engagement will inform the site-specific creative placemaking opportunities, which may include public artwork, creative lighting, murals, pavement treatments and integrated outcomes.

The BSPS program investigates a range of public and open space improvements, and while not every neighbourhood is able to gain additional parking, the project may include the consolidation or formalisation of parking bays, as well as modifying parking times and restrictions. This is done in partnership with Council's road traffic engineers to ensure a safe and accessible neighbourhood for pedestrians and motorists.

The BSPS program does not deliver new parking areas or multi-storey parking facilities. Each individual project aims to minimise parking loss, however, in some instances, parking bays may need to be removed for safety and compliance reasons, for example, sight lines to pedestrian crossings.

The choice of 'day' or 'night' works may depend on the type of road adjacent to the identified work areas. In some instances, construction traffic management and/or road closure may not be feasible during the daytime. In addition, undertaking works at night minimises impacts to local businesses, daytime traffic through the area and existing on-street parking. It can also be safer for pedestrians and motorists. 

Every effort will be made to minimise the impacts on the local community throughout the works.

Council is committed to keeping residents and businesses informed of construction activities in their local area and will provide advance notification of activities likely to have impacts, during the construction period.