Noosa Placemaking
What is a place and what makes a great place?
A place is the emotional connection individuals or communities have with a specific location. When a person or community’s values align with a place, this is called place connection. This connection is unique to each person or community, creating a sense of belonging.
Focusing on the connection to place, rather than just the physical and material aspects, provides a deeper understanding of how people value different locations. It helps address the diverse needs of residents and acknowledges the intangible factors that influence how people interact with places.
Great places are welcoming, accessible, and sociable. They are places where people feel good, want to return to, and feel connected to.
What is a place-based program?
A place-based approach involves engaging with the people who live, work, and play in a specific area to understand their needs and aspirations. It helps create a shared vision for that place.
Place-based programs aim to deliver sustainable social, cultural, economic, and environmental benefits. They achieve this by fostering partnerships and customising program interventions to meet the unique needs of each community. This approach is community driven. It’s not just a solution imposed by government planners; instead, it’s about building community capacity, so the area can manage itself sustainably in the long term.
About the Noosa Place Program
The Noosa Place Program aims to work with communities to strengthen place connections and improve the liveability of villages and the shire. Understanding the relationship between people and their places is crucial for enhancing local liveability.
In November 2021, Noosa Council partnered with Place Score to conduct our first Liveability Survey. This survey gathered insights from community members about what they value most in their neighbourhoods and how they rate their liveability. These results were combined to create a Liveability Index for each neighbourhood.
The survey results help us focus on what matters most to the community, both across the shire and in specific locations. They guide our planning and decision making to have the greatest impact on liveability and wellbeing in your neighbourhood. By planning for liveability, we aim to create safe, healthy, active, and resilient communities and places.
FAQs
What is included in place plan?
Place plans are the result of a community-led local area planning process. While specific actions for Pomona were determined through community engagement, they may include things like improved wayfinding, more shade and landscaping, and increased employment opportunities.
Why was a place plan developed for Pomona?
The Pomona Place Plan was developed as part of the Noosa Place Program, which aims to improve the towns and villages across the Shire. Pomona was chosen as the pilot location to test this new planning approach, with the goal of co-delivering the plan’s actions through collaboration between the community, Council, and other stakeholders.
Who is responsible for implementing the actions in the plan and how were they funded?
The responsibility for implementing the actions in the Pomona Place Plan is shared between the community, Council, and various stakeholders. Actions could be led and resourced by the community, Council, or in partnership with other levels of government.