QIC Placemaking Program

Futurecity was approached by QIC the to conduct a company-wide review of how a cultural placemaking approach could be implemented across their portfolio of 23 retail centres in Australia. This set about a systems change in thinking about how they manage their retail assets at a time of rapid change in the sector responding to competitive online retail. 

The sites represented a broad range of locations, typologies and challenges; from city centre shopping malls to out of town retail parks in urban and suburban locations across Queensland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra. Using a Futurecity 11-point cultural placemaking approach, these retail spaces were reimagined as cultural destinations, taking on a greater civic and social role that would drive footfall and increase dwell time. 

Workshops with senior management showcased how these retail centres could be enlivened through partnerships with local cultural institutions; transforming physical assets such as carparks, low value units and food halls; events programming; experiential retail; and working with immediate residential neighbours to give a stronger sense of community space for the suburbs. 

On the back of this work Futurecity were invited to develop detailed cultural or public art strategies for 3 of QIC’s flagship centres; Hyperdome near Brisbane; Castle Towers on the outskirts of Sydney and 80 Collins in Melbourne.

Photo (c) QIC