Meeting Point: Fish Lane Town Square (adjacent to Bar Brutus)
End Point: West Village, Boundary Street
Guides: Seleneah More & Melissa Buirchell
Tour Length: Approximately 2km on relatively flat, accessible footpaths
Access: Both the starting and finishing points were easily accessible via public transport.
Participants joined us for an insightful evening walking tour exploring the principles of safe, inclusive, and liveable urban environments. Based on the Safe Cities, Safe Streets framework developed by The Zonta Club and Qld Walks, the tour invited participants to consider how urban planning could support community wellbeing, particularly after dark.
As we walked through South Brisbane, we examined how urban design choices made over the past 20 years had shaped the built environment and influenced the experience of residents and visitors alike. The discussion highlighted key concepts in high-density living, walkability, lighting, visibility, and social connection, offering practical perspectives on creating safer streets.
About the Guides
Seleneah More is a Torres Strait Islander woman who has lived in Kurilpa for over 20 years. A passionate urban planner, she lives with her young family in a small unit – trading car ownership for community connection. Seleneah is President of the West End Community Association and a Director at Tenants Queensland, and has been committed to making Kurilpa a vibrant and liveable urban neighbourhood.
Melissa Buirchell is an architect and active member of Kurilpa Futures. She brought deep insight into the challenges of designing for high-density communities, with a focus on creating urban environments that are sustainable, liveable, and safe for all.
ABOUT
Kurilpa Futures: Founded in 2012, Kurilpa Futures began as a grassroots, volunteer-led group focused on local planning issues. Since then, the group has advocated for meaningful community consultation in decision-making processes, ensuring that community voices were heard in the rapidly densifying Kurilpa area. Their work has prioritised:
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Managing climate change through initiatives such as Resilient Kurilpa
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Promoting active transport and street safety for a diverse community
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Expanding green spaces through community gardens, and street and park plantings
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Collaborating with other community organisations to address urban planning challenges locally and beyond
Resilient Kurilpa: Founded in 2022 in response to the major flood event in February 2022 that impacted thousands of residents on the Kurilpa Peninsula, Resilient Kurilpa is a volunteer-led, grassroots community group focused on climate change preparedness and resilience in a city built on a flood plain. Their vision has included:
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Nurturing an informed, skilled, and connected community, empowered to rapidly and safely respond to and recover from climate disaster events
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Supporting groups to learn from the past and implement practical and inclusive mitigation strategies
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Becoming a leading community in grassroots disaster resilience building and sharing knowledge with local and global climate disaster communities so they could adapt it to their own contexts
West End Community Association (WECA): Founded in 2004, WECA is a volunteer-led, not-for-profit, incorporated association dedicated to creating a connected, diverse, and liveable community within the Kurilpa Peninsula. WECA’s work has focused on advocacy, sustainability, arts, and cultural initiatives.
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Arts and Culture: Hosting events such as the Kurilpa Derby, West End Festival, and First Nations–led projects to foster community connection through the arts
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Representation: Amplifying community voices through candidate forums and keeping residents informed via social media and e-newsletters
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Sustainability: Promoting liveability through initiatives such as Resilient Kurilpa and advocating for sustainable development and public space access
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People: Strengthening the community by providing opportunities for volunteering, subcommittee participation, student placements, and training