Development of the strategy

From September 2018 to February 2019 the community and stakeholders were invited to participate in identifying key values for the Sunshine Coast through a series of focus group workshops, one on one conversations and an online survey. We asked:

• What are the distinct characteristics of the Sunshine Coast that you value and enjoy?
• How are the characteristics of the Sunshine Coast translated into built and landscape outcomes?
• How do we make sure that these distinct qualities are part of our future as we grow?

Based on what we heard, the draft values and design principles were developed. Initial testing was undertaken with a small group of development and design industry experts, councillors and our leadership team. A selection of existing buildings, streets and places were assessed against the design principles to further evaluate their effectiveness.

See how the Values and Design Principles were informed by the first phase of community and stakeholder engagement in this 5 minute video.

In July and August 2019, the draft values and design principles were tested by asking the community and stakeholders:

• Is what you value about the qualities and features of the Sunshine Coast captured in the values?
• Will using these principles help deliver good design on the Sunshine Coast?
• Have we missed anything?
• How can we all use the four values and nine design principles to help deliver great design for the Sunshine Coast. What other tools could we use to achieve great design outcomes?

Feedback was gathered through a design forum and panel discussion, a series of focus group meetings, community pop up events and an online survey. The information gathered was used to revise the values and design principles and inform the Implementation Plan. The final content was again tested with a small group of development and design industry experts, councillors and leadership team.

Sunshine Coast Design is the culmination of this process. It is the collective voice of our region for our region.