Shaping the 20-Year BGPA Master Plan

Place-based planning is a way of planning for the future of a site that starts by asking: what makes this place special and how can we protect and strengthen those qualities over time? It’s a process that looks closely at the landscape, how it’s used, who it matters to, and what natural and cultural systems are present within it.

Rather than jumping straight into design solutions, place-based planning begins with understanding and valuing the distinct character, systems and stories of a place. This is achieved through listening, gathering stories, observing how people, plants and animals inhabit and interact with space, and understanding environmental conditions.

A place-based approach draws from evidence-based research, history and heritage, engagement with community, traditional knowledge holders and on-the-ground analysis to build a shared understanding of the site’s values and challenges.

From there, a long-term vision is developed that reflects those values, along with guiding principles to inform future decisions.

The final plan doesn’t prescribe every detail. It offers a flexible framework that ensures decisions are based on what is important, while continuing to adapt as the needs of places and communities evolve. 

1. Discovering: complete

This is the starting point where we ask: What makes our parks special? 
We explore the natural and cultural features of our parks, their history, and the systems that shape them, like water, vegetation, wildlife, and human activity. This stage involves mapping and observing the landscape, studying environmental conditions, and gathering evidence from existing research, reports and heritage records. The goal is to build a strong understanding of what is known about our parks before thinking about design. 

2. Listening: open now

In this step, we reach out and listen to those who know and care about the place, including the community, Traditional Owners, precinct neighbours and other stakeholders. We collect stories, experiences and aspirations to understand how our parks are used and valued. This ensures the plan reflects shared priorities and respects cultural and social identity. 

3. Interpreting 

In this step, we start shaping ideas for the future. Using what we’ve learned, we explore design directions that respond to the character and values of our parks. This stage involves identifying opportunities, testing concepts, and imagining how spaces could evolve to meet shared aspirations while protecting existing qualities.  

4. Resolving 

Finally, we sense check, refine and finalise the plan. We review the plan to ensure alignment of our values, design principles and responsibilities as BGPA. Feedback from stakeholders is integrated to ensure the plan is widely supported. The outcome is a flexible framework that guides decisions over time, adapts to change, and keeps the parks’ identity at the heart of future actions.