A joint research project aims to glean the views and ideas of Glass House Mountains residents, to shape the future of the town.
The study will be done by the University of the Sunshine Coast and Sunshine Coast Council.
UniSC Program Coordinator Nicholas Stevens said they were calling on all the town’s residents, local businesses and community organisations to get involved.
“This is an opportunity to ensure the Glass House Mountains remains a special place that reflects its community’s values,” Dr Stevens said.
“This is a unique opportunity for up to 20 UniSC students from multi-disciplinary areas to engage in a process of work-integrated learning that enables professional growth and development.
“Through meaningful engagement, students will collect perceptions about the qualities of Glass House Mountains that are important to the community and identify a range of environmental, economic and social aspects of the Glass House Mountains community.
“The findings from this project will allow for greater understanding and insights to the qualities that communities identify as important to them.”
The Sunshine Coast News has recently revealed how Glass House Mountains is attracting increased attention from prospective residents.
What is known as a farming locality and gateway to the national park is also increasingly a chosen residential destination, as they gravitate to the area to take advantage of its relatively affordable houses and natural beauty, and relative proximity to work and goods and services.
The SCC-UniSC project – dubbed Sunshine Coast Community Co-Lab – invites people to share their thoughts about their village, how it functions, its character and identity via an online survey, or in person next month when the Co-Lab team visits the area.
Division 1 Councillor Rick Baberowski said the exciting project would be a chance for students and the community to work together to explore and evaluate potential design and placemaking ideas that could improve, redefine or even transform the Glass House Mountains village.
“The project seeks to dive deeply into the community’s lived experience and vision to help create places that are more sustainable and better reflect their distinctive identity moving more confidently forward into the future,” Cr Baberowski said.
“In November, keep an eye out for UniSC students who will be in the village undertaking field work engaging directly with the Glass House Mountains community
“They want to understand what you love about the township and will also workshop placemaking ideas and opportunities for the village.
“We aim to utilise the range of local knowledge and skills to help problem solve and co-create solutions to make places more inclusive, sustainable and liveable.”
People are able to have their say until November 4.
“(Local residents’) valuable experience and input will help the students identify potential urban design and placemaking opportunities for the village, as well as any placemaking processes council may undertake in the future.”
Sunshine Coast Community Co-Lab Fast Facts:
- The Sunshine Coast Community Co-Lab model is a pilot project and partnership between Sunshine Coast Council and UniSC.
- Sunshine Coast Community Co-Lab is a best practice engagement model that aims to bring together the resources of the Sunshine Coast community, council, UniSC and their students to share knowledge and collectively respond to local challenges and opportunities.
- The program aims to open a dialogue on items that matter to the community and invites them to co-create locally appropriate responses.
- By driving innovation and co-creation in our community engagement approach, we can support community leadership, decision-making and sustainable partnerships that deliver stronger and more connected communities.
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