ABSTRACT
The first phase of the Southbank redevelopment comprised a 500-metre stretch of river frontage adjacent to the Arts Centre, where about eight hectares of land was consolidated out of a number of smaller sites during the mid-1980s and put to tender in two large development parcels. The urban design framework was to enforce a four-storey urban wall set back 15 metres from the water with a public promenade, stepping up to the south. The new development was to be a mix of residential, commercial and retail uses with a minimum of 20 per cent residential use (Figure 3.1). To ensure an active edge on the river a minimum of 50 per cent of the ground floor on the waterfront was to be retail. This phase began with the design and construction of public promenades on both sides of the river, connected by a new pedestrian bridge (Figure 3.2). The pedestrian bridge was designed to generate direct access to both the city and railway station on the north, connecting to Southbank at the junction of the two new development sites. This was a smart move that added considerable value to each of these sites. The cost of the bridge and promenade was partially funded by each of the developers.
