1. The Second Life of Urban Planning?
Using Neogeography Tools for Community Engagement
Assoc. Prof. Marcus Foth
Principal Research Fellow
Institute for Creative Industries and Innovation
Queensland University of Technology
m.foth@qut.edu.au
CCI, 12 Nov 2009
People
Urban
Informatics? Sociology
Community
Social Capital
Social Networks Remembering the Past, Imagining the Future:
Community & Community &
Embedding Narrative and New Media in Urban
Place
Neighbourhoods
Technology Planning
Online
Communities
Urban
Sociology
Community
Networks
Greg Hearn
Community
System
Design
Marcus Foth
Urban Studies
Informatics
Bhishna Bajracharya
Media and
Kerry Mallan
Locative
Communication
Helen Klaebe
Residential
Media
Place Architecture Technology
with Tony Stevenson, Ruth Greenaway, Greg Young
Information
Technology
Place & This research is supported under the Australian Research Council’s Linkage funding scheme (LP0882274).
Technology
The multicultural diversity of cities, the need to
understand differing ways of life, ... and insurgent
planning processes where people take their own
initiatives with regards to governance, will reveal a
diversity of urban experiences... The access to this
information is not necessarily through reports and
documents, but may have to be gained through oral
histories, story-telling, and poetry.
Odendaal, N. (2006). Towards the Digital City in South Africa: Issues and
Constraints. Journal of Urban Technology, 13 (3), 29-48, p. 36.

2. LOWER MILL
WOODWORK COMPLEX
Refer Detail Area 1
As urban planners grapple with effective methods to HOOP PINE GROVE
stimulate social sustainability in the ‘art of city PROPOSED PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASS
making’, through urban renewal or development RIPARIAN CORRIDOR
Supplement existing vegetation with
projects, more are recognising that history and native riparian tree planting COOROY CREEK
Revegetation with native vegetation
creativity can make great partners.
to stabilise creek banks and maintain
open view lines between library and mill
DISPLAY LAWN complex
DISPLAY LAWN
POSSIBLE DROP-OFF AREA FOR THOSE
USING PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASS
Landry, C. (2007). Visual Sensecape of the City. Proceedings of the Urban
Directions: Seeing the City Conference, Keynote Lecture, 7 March, PLANTED
EMBANKMENTS
Queensland University of Technology: Centre for Subtropical Design.
T
Refer Detail Area 2 Gentle mounding down to display lawn.
E
Incorporate bands of groundcover
E
R
planting
T
S
A
R
A
HOOP PINE GROVE
R
A
M
M
A
FUTURE COMMUNITY P
L
USE BUILDINGS E
Reference original building footprints in
S
construction. T
R
E
E
T
FROG GULLY
Remove extensive camphor laurel groves
COOROY LIBRARY AND
to open up views between library and
Lower Mill buildings
GLOBAL CONNECTION
CENTRE (EXISTING)
EARTHWORKS
+105.7 Turf mound overlooking the sawmill area
+105.3 for viewing sawmilling demonstration
events.
HOOP PINE GROVES
Groves frame carpark and link to creek
corridor
.
CONCRETE CARPARK
Ensure complete coverage of
contaminated area under. Provide
bollards along edge to separate
carpark from pedestrian path.
HARDS TAND +106.1
ACROS S
SHEET FLOW
+106.15
FUTURE +105.8
BUILDING
ROAD BASE FORECOURT +106.2
SAWMILL
TEMPORARY RAMP
DEMONSTRATION AREA
HOPPER BUILDING WOODWORKER’S Incorporate fencing around
KILN COURTYARD COTTAGE
+106.50 +106.845
TURF
+106.5 COURT
GR
AS
+106.00
EXISTING BOILER +105.15
S
SHED BUILDING
SW
+106.72
AL
E
PATH
Path separates turf from rehabilitated
creek bank. Retain concrete and
sawmill remnants as a reminder of
+106.1 industrial heritage
+104.15
E
S1
FUTUR E BRIDG
FR
A
M
E
V
IE
W
+105.25 S
TO
K
IL
N RETAIN EXISTING CAUSEWAY
FR
SHED OVERFLOW AREA
AM
Incorporate concrete over contaminated FOREST TIMBER GROVE
E V
area under. Screen from main pathway Grid planting of native timber species. Incorporate wide
with native shrub and small tree planting. bands of low groundcovers below and interpretation signage
IE
Maintain access. Future solar kiln about species relating to the history of the mill.
WS
location
TO
NOOSA HISTORY FORECOURT COOROY CREEK
DETAIL PLAN Remove existing camphor laurels.
K IL
Red brick pave with tall timber totems from
1:200 AT A1 Incorporate low-growing native species
recycled components placed around concrete
N
to stabilise creek banks and maintain
blocks for seating, and creative history mosiacs
views to kiln
PLACE Design Group Pty Ltd
Level 1, 282 Wickham Street
Fortitude Valley, Qld 4006 AUSTRALIA
COOROY LOWER MILL
T+ 61 7 3852 3922 LANDSCAPE CONCEPT MASTER PLAN DWG
F+ 61 7 3852 4766

3. Second Life allows users to immerse themselves in an environment and
engage in synchronous dialogue and production with other graphically
represented users. It allows for group authorship, which better enables a sense
of collective ownership in a space or object. And unlike professional design
programs, it affords users a sense of playfulness and allows them to
experiment with designs and concepts that have little connection to empirical
reality.
When we’re asked about Hub2, people often question why we would spend
our time building a virtual Boston when the real Boston has so many
problems. Second Life is a fascinating world unto itself, but in building and
inhabiting its spaces, it reveals more about existing social worlds than it does
about a virtual replacement to those worlds. And in affording its users the
opportunity to build and play in a collaborative environment, it has the
potential of generating politically viable groups around almost every element of
our designed world.
Gordon, E., & Koo, G. (2008). Placeworlds: Using Virtual Worlds to Foster Civic Engagement. Space and
Culture, 11(3), 204-221.

5. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/26007/
Thank you
Please join the urban informatics group on facebook:
tinyurl.com/fbqutui
Assoc. Prof. Marcus Foth
Institute for Creative Industries and Innovation
Queensland University of Technology
m.foth@qut.edu.au
www.urbaninformatics.net
This research is supported under the Australian
Research Council’s Linkage funding scheme
(LP0882274).