Path to knowledge not paved well
Queensland’s Chief Scientist Professor Peter Andrews was one of the panellists at the final Shape Your City Heart Forum last night. He shares his views on Brisbane as a centre of knowledge and creativity but laments how challenging it is for ‘old codgers’ to get around.
For me, one of the most important aspects of any city is the quality of the physical and cultural linkages it provides for its residents. There are some things that Brisbane does very well. And there are some I would love to see changed.
The thing I love the most about Brisbane is the way we’re attracting creative people to the city centre, particularly to the Knowledge Corridor.
What’s the Knowledge Corridor? The concept was originally proposed by the Smart State Council in its Smart Cities report.
Think of it as a big ‘S’ that begins at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Bowen Hills, winding through QUT’s health hub and Creative Industries Precinct at Kelvin Grove. It crosses the new Kurilpa Bridge, running through the Millennium Arts and cultural precincts, past two fantastic new research facilities at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and Boggo Road Ecosciences Precinct, and finishing at UQ.
This continuum of great science and creative spaces is home to literally thousands of knowledge workers.
With its green bridges and public space, the Knowledge Corridor shows real foresight in terms of linking our citizens – scientists, artists and punters alike – as do other initiatives like Brisbane’s ferry services and bike paths.
On the other side of the coin, I’ve noticed a failure to provide a similar level of connectivity for old codgers like me who like to walk from A to B.
I live in St Lucia, one of Brisbane’s oldest suburbs. Yet I can’t push my grandson’s pram to the local shops safely because the few footpaths that do exist are obstructed by parked cars and garbage bins. And I can’t walk along the river to my city office without fear of being hospitalised, as my daughter’s doctor was, by a speeding cyclist.
How about some dedicated footpaths?
