17 Sep The Centre For A Better Canberra: Creating thriving communities through research and engagement.
The Centre For A Better Canberra (FAB CBR), based at the University of Canberra (UC), is a think tank and public engagement body with the objective of advocating for the interests of the Canberra community and bridging the gap between the University’s resources and the functional needs of Canberrans.
Earlier this year, FAB CBR undertook its first policy project: ‘Thriving Canberra 2024: Better and Fairer Utilisation of CFZ land in Canberra’.
Demand for Community Facility Zoned (CFZ) land in Canberra significantly exceeds supply, which has adverse consequences for the Canberra community including: not-for-profit (NFP) aged care providers can’t compete with commercial purchasers for land; the needs of emerging ethnic and cultural groups are not met; and the development of indoor sporting and community facilities is constrained.
FAB CBR’s research into the issue identified 960 hectares of underutilised CFZ land, often consisting of small buildings in poor repair with modest carpark spaces attached.
To tackle this, the Centre invited UC Architecture Lead, Dr Erin Hinton, to lead a School of Design and the Built Environment student team to quantify CFZ land utilisation, reimagining better and fairer uses for a sample set of these blocks. The research was then shared in roundtable discussions with community stakeholders and ACT Government officials, in order to collate their input.
A report on the issue, published on August 22, identified 10 key recommendations to enhance community outcomes. You can access the report and learn more about the Centre For A Better Canberra’s work at https://www.canberra.edu.au/fabcbr.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpL1n1e2wE0
Image 1: Report Team
Image 2: Ainslie Site Proposal (Student Designed)
Image 3: Braddon Site Proposal (Student Designed)