#126 Precinct Study: Carseldine Train Station
I've undertaken a precinct study of Carseldine Train Station in Brisbane's outer suburbs. It's a thought and design experiment on paper. The purpose of the study is to encourage different kinds of thinking about train stations as community and transit hubs. The proposition is that if government is providing this kind of infrastructure, then there should be some scope for integrating community uses and design for sustainability. Car parks and car use, in particular, come at a cost to the community and environment. Therefore, my proposal is that where car parks are being developed, then there is some possibility for including community uses, design for sustainability (e.g. green roofs, water sensitivity and energy capture) and affordable spaces for non-profit organisations and social enterprises. I can see some potential for doing more with publicly owned spaces and resources which are strategically located.

Comments (2)
I really like the ideas of re-thinking transit hubs as important community spaces, especially as places for play. Have you seen the 'Smart Light' installations that were part of the Vivid Sydney festival recently? A busy bus stop on George St near Town Hall was transformed into a glowing fuschia-hued mp3 music player you could 'plug in' to. Another social experiment/hack is Bruno Taylor's bus stop swing http://urbanprankster.com/2008/08/bus-stop-swing/ It's all about, as you say "doing more with publicly owned spaces and resources which are strategically located." Have you approached any community groups yet to hear their thoughts?
Hi Kate. Thanks so much for your comments and the links to the other projects. I've not seen the Vivid Festival but heard many great things about it. Also, I love the bus stop hacks - had heard of the swing project ... Much prefer the idea of them as hacks (adaptions) than interventions. The proposal was put together for a university assignment - I felt there was some value in making it public. So far I've spoken to some colleagues (I work as a social/cultural planning consultant) and my family - they all think it's an interesting idea and an interesting approach to mixed use development ... I was trying to figure out an approach to local community groups to talk about it - will get there eventually.
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