Rapid population growth, changes to our demographics and household compositions, patterns and modes of working and transport and climate change impacts require thoughtful and intelligent planning and design of our homes, neighbourhoods, and infrastructure.

These changes will place our natural environment under significant pressure. How we live in the environment may need to change as we transition to a more sustainable way of life. Our diverse communities range from urban hubs and seaside towns to hinterland villages. This means there is no one solution to what our communities need to support more sustainable living.

How we plan and design our built environments can significantly influence people’s daily choices. Key elements of sustainable communities in a changing climate include heat island mitigation, reduced energy demand, and access to services and active transport options.

Well designed and planned neighbourhoods, buildings and infrastructure can help reduce the number of private vehicle trips, promote active lifestyles, reduce urban heat, and facilitate lower energy and water consumption. These factors can also influence health and wellbeing, affordability and quality of life - all aspects that contribute towards sustainable living.

However, there are many challenges to overcome. Over the past 10 years median lot sizes have reduced while house sizes have increased. This affects how people and communities use their neighbourhoods, often resulting in greater demand on energy and road transport networks, less backyards and trees, and increased urban heat hazard potential.

As the population grows, the need to grow and live sustainably becomes increasingly important. The Strategy supports the Growth Management Strategy in navigating the challenges associated with accommodating population growth while maintaining environmental values. A key part of that will be through the implementation of an urban growth boundary and the effective realisation of infill development opportunities on land within it, in a way that is sensitive to its environmental context and responsive to the climate, resilience and sustainability challenges of the region.

By taking a sustainable approach to our future growth, we can strike a balance that will accommodate growth and economic prosperity, while protecting our beautiful natural environment and enviable lifestyle.

• Your Next Generation Neighbourhood Guideline provides practical sustainable design choices to make homes more economical and sustainable.
• Your Climate Smart Living Guideline provides practical tips for building, renovating or buying a house in our region.
• Naturehoods: Your backyard and Outdoor Spaces Guideline provides practical tips on designing your backyard or small outdoor space.
• Since 2017, Walk to school shade projects resulted in 35km of tree plantings in Caboolture, Deception Bay, Kallangur, Kippa-Ring, Margate, and Murrumba Downs.
• New policy to guide the future of the Narangba Innovation Precinct, home to many large-scale industrial enterprises.
• Advocacy through the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) to promote energy efficient design in building standards.
• Investigation into the performance of Next Generation Neighbourhood Precincts.

• Establish equitable access to walkable, complete communities for new neighbourhoods which are livable and leafy, support urban biodiversity, promoting local economic opportunities and social connectedness.
• Plan and design neighbourhoods, buildings and infrastructure to respond sensitively to their natural environment context, achieving sustainable development outcomes and supporting future growth.
• Neighbourhoods and buildings are efficiently serviced and provide for effective waste minimisation and management, water and energy efficiency, and reduced reliance on non-renewable energy and fuel sources for electricity and transport.
• Design buildings and infrastructure that are responsive to our changing climate and increasing natural hazard risks with the planning, design and building of cities, towns, neighbourhoods, streets and places reflecting best practice approaches in disaster risk reduction, resilience and adaptation.

• Council supports well-planned communities and places that are socially connected, resilient, climate-responsive and designed for safety to support biodiversity and efficient use of land and resources.
• Council supports the integration and connection of new and existing neighbourhoods with recreation and natural areas using shaded pathways that enable year-round walkingand cycling.
• We support active transport (walking and cycling), reduced car dependence and lower carbon transport options and incorporate them in existing neighbourhoods and the planning and design of new neighbourhoods.
• Planning and design of neighbourhoods, streets and public places considers urban heat island effects, and how they can be addressed to create cooler communities and reduce the impact of extreme heat events.
• Identification of new future growth areas avoids larger natural areas and habitats to preserve and restore links across the landscape and protect the region’s biological diversity.
• Council supports and encourages uptake of sustainable design elements across new and retrofitted infrastructure including renewable energy installations, green roofs and walls, water and energy efficiency measures and low embodied carbon materials.
• Circular economy and local economic opportunities (eg supporting incubator projects, microbusinesses and industry co-location) are considered when planning for new neighbourhoods and centres.
• Land for sustainable farming and agribusiness will be retained to contribute to regional resilience and economic growth.
• Council supports community gardens and urban farming for local food production and community resilience.
• The settlement pattern for the region is informed by and responds to the scale and implications of natural hazards and climate change risks and the built environment and supporting infrastructure are planned, designed and built to increase resilience and support all people to thrive and adapt to a warming climate.
• Council leverages partnerships with key stakeholders, (including federal and state government and industry) to advocate for, and facilitate, sustainability-led urban form outcomes and projects.