Directions for growth

Nearly 1,000 Gold Coasters recently shared their views on 8 directions to guide how we grow—where we live, how we connect, and the kind of city we will become. The engagement showed strong community support for the City’s directions for growth. Across all 8 directions, people backed the intent to guide growth through a coordinated, long-term planning strategy. Take a closer look at the findings.

Shaping future growth

The Local Growth Management Strategy Directions Paper includes 3 concepts demonstrating how advancing the 8 directions for growth could shape the future growth of the city.

Centres as the city's hubs

Places where people live, work, shop, and connect. We’re planning for more homes, jobs and services concentrated in one place.

Corridors connect centres and suburbs

We’re focusing growth around public transport to make it easier to get around without a car. That also means medium-rise housing near key public transport and road routes, and improvements to the public transport networks.

Neighbourhoods

Neighbourhood will experience gradual growth over time helping keep or enhance the existing character. We’re planning for more housing options, like small lot homes, townhouses, granny flats, and low-rise apartments.

The concept of ‘gentle density’ provides diverse housing options that cater to different lifestyles and budgets. Below is a conceptual example of how gentle density could occur over a 20 year horizon.


The 8 key directions

Well planned and distributed growth

New development is focused in existing well-serviced and resilient areas to optimise infrastructure use, preserve environmental values, and reduce pressure on coastal areas while increasing housing supply and choice across the city.

Movement and transport choice

Our land use pattern supports transport choice by locating more homes in proximity to public and active transport connections, increasing transport choice to more than one million residents and visitors.

A network of connected green spaces

A connected network of green space across the Gold Coast supports biodiversity, facilitates wildlife movement, strengthens environmental resilience, deepens our connection with nature, and supports an active outdoor lifestyle and sustainable travel.



Infrastructure that services a growing city

Infrastructure is delivered in a timely and targeted manner, addressing service gaps, improving efficiency, and ensuring infrastructure investment aligns with land use planning to accommodate population growth while reducing risks from natural hazards and making the city more resilient to climate change.

Well-designed centres and neighbourhoods

Well-designed centres, corridors, and neighbourhoods across the Gold Coast serve as vibrant hubs for community life, integrating diverse housing and lifestyle options with accessible jobs, retail, and recreational spaces, encouraging low emission lifestyles and strengthening local identity.

Building on our economic strengths

Build on our city’s existing strengths in construction, tourism, film, education, healthcare, and emerging industries to drive sustained economic growth, deliver new jobs and an economy with international exposure.

Celebrating Traditional Owners aspirations, values and places, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, and our heritage

Our Traditional Owners and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are heard in planning for the future growth of the city, and our heritage places are valued, protected and accessible.

An inclusive and accountable planning and development process

Enhance transparency, accountability, and community engagement in planning and development processes to build trust and confidence among stakeholders as our city grows.

Nearly 1,000 Gold Coasters recently shared their views on 8 directions to guide how we grow—where we live, how we connect, and the kind of city we will become. The engagement showed strong community support for the City’s directions for growth. Across all 8 directions, people backed the intent to guide growth through a coordinated, long-term planning strategy. Take a closer look at the findings.

Shaping future growth

The Local Growth Management Strategy Directions Paper includes 3 concepts demonstrating how advancing the 8 directions for growth could shape the future growth of the city.

Centres as the city's hubs

Places where people live, work, shop, and connect. We’re planning for more homes, jobs and services concentrated in one place.

Corridors connect centres and suburbs

We’re focusing growth around public transport to make it easier to get around without a car. That also means medium-rise housing near key public transport and road routes, and improvements to the public transport networks.

Neighbourhoods

Neighbourhood will experience gradual growth over time helping keep or enhance the existing character. We’re planning for more housing options, like small lot homes, townhouses, granny flats, and low-rise apartments.

The concept of ‘gentle density’ provides diverse housing options that cater to different lifestyles and budgets. Below is a conceptual example of how gentle density could occur over a 20 year horizon.


The 8 key directions

Well planned and distributed growth

New development is focused in existing well-serviced and resilient areas to optimise infrastructure use, preserve environmental values, and reduce pressure on coastal areas while increasing housing supply and choice across the city.

Movement and transport choice

Our land use pattern supports transport choice by locating more homes in proximity to public and active transport connections, increasing transport choice to more than one million residents and visitors.

A network of connected green spaces

A connected network of green space across the Gold Coast supports biodiversity, facilitates wildlife movement, strengthens environmental resilience, deepens our connection with nature, and supports an active outdoor lifestyle and sustainable travel.



Infrastructure that services a growing city

Infrastructure is delivered in a timely and targeted manner, addressing service gaps, improving efficiency, and ensuring infrastructure investment aligns with land use planning to accommodate population growth while reducing risks from natural hazards and making the city more resilient to climate change.

Well-designed centres and neighbourhoods

Well-designed centres, corridors, and neighbourhoods across the Gold Coast serve as vibrant hubs for community life, integrating diverse housing and lifestyle options with accessible jobs, retail, and recreational spaces, encouraging low emission lifestyles and strengthening local identity.

Building on our economic strengths

Build on our city’s existing strengths in construction, tourism, film, education, healthcare, and emerging industries to drive sustained economic growth, deliver new jobs and an economy with international exposure.

Celebrating Traditional Owners aspirations, values and places, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, and our heritage

Our Traditional Owners and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are heard in planning for the future growth of the city, and our heritage places are valued, protected and accessible.

An inclusive and accountable planning and development process

Enhance transparency, accountability, and community engagement in planning and development processes to build trust and confidence among stakeholders as our city grows.

Page last updated: 07 Oct 2025, 12:55 PM