Roma Street Canopies
New vision to transform inner-city Brisbane with increased green space
An ambitious new concept to transform inner-city Brisbane by covering the unsightly Roma Street railway yards with an elevated walkable green canopy has been launched by leading Brisbane architect and urban designer Liam Proberts of bureau^proberts.
The Roma Street Canopies proposal would create a network of pedestrian-friendly new green parklands and pathways built atop a large-scale structure suspended above the existing railway yards.
“By building an elevated walkable green canopy over the Roma Street Railway Yards, we can give 7.5 hectares of new green space back to the city,” said Liam Proberts, Managing and Creative Director of bureau^proberts.
“This would transform the Western edge of Brisbane’s CBD with this series of interlinked canopies acting as the foundations for landscaped gardens, walkways and bicycle paths.”
“The technology exists to build above the existing rail yards, and this initiative will create a large-scale elevated canopy that will carry earthworks, landscaping, plantings, trees and the other infrastructure required to develop new parklands.”
The proposed Roma Street Canopies will link neighbourhoods, major sporting venues and facilities separated by roads and railway tracks, as well as the ridges and valleys of Brisbane’s inner-city landscape.
This project would directly connect the Brisbane CBD with Roma Street Parklands, the redeveloped Suncorp Stadium (Lang Park), and the planned Victoria Park Olympic Precinct.
“The topography and landscape of the area are part of Brisbane’s identity” he said. “However, the historical railway transport nodes that bring us into the city have split the inner-city apart for pedestrians.”
“Although the railway lines are essential transport infrastructure, they have blocked easy pedestrian access from Petrie Terrace across to Spring Hill and the CBD for over a century.”
“Anyone who walks around Brisbane city will know that it is currently difficult and unsafe to walk from the CBD across to the key Olympic venues in Victoria Park, or up to Suncorp Stadium,” he said. “It can be hot and unwelcoming with steep inclines, no shade, with busy roads and railway tracks blocking your way.”
“This proposal will mean that residents and visitors will be able to catch a train to Roma Street Station and walk directly from the station to Victoria Park in fifteen minutes, all on one easily accessible level, bypassing the ridges and steep streets of Spring Hill.”
“The project optimises the use of new infrastructure, including the Cross River Rail, to reduce our reliance upon cars to create a healthy walkable city,” he said. “This aligns with several initiatives that have been proposed for Brisbane, including the *Green Pathways, Gold Places strategy.”
“It will also open up land across the Roma Street precinct for new residential housing developments close to the Brisbane CBD and its associated employment opportunities.”
The plan would include new buildings outside the railway corridor, enabling more then 1,000 apartments, hotels and other facilities to be built on and around the site, helping fund the initiative and providing a mix of affordable and premium housing, boosting the city centre’s economic viability and liveability.
“This would be a market-led proposal that complements the current work being done in the Roma Street Priority Development Area by Economic Development Queensland and QIC,” said Mr Proberts. “Roma Street Canopies can occur independent of the 2032 Olympics, although it will supercharge the possibilities being created by the Brisbane 2032 Olympics infrastructure.”
“Roma Street Canopies will unlock potential new residential and mixed-use sites around Roma Street and Petrie Terrace, adding value to existing sites on both sides of the railway lines, making the entire precinct more commercially viable.”
“This proposal will create a lasting built environment and green space legacy, similar to how Southbank has been our city’s ongoing legacy from World Expo 88.”
“We want to provoke some ambitious thinking about how we make our city a better place to live and work,” he said. “We believe in Brisbane’s status as one of the best cities in the world and that we can be adventurous in how we think about the city’s future.”
The Property Council of Australia has strongly endorsed the Roma Street Canopies proposal.
“This is exactly the kind of bold, future-focused vision Brisbane deserves,” said Jess Caire, Executive Director Queensland of the Property Council of Australia. “This aspirational concept has the power to unlock enormous potential, connecting key precincts while creating new housing and vibrant public spaces.”
“Elevated green corridors pay homage to our subtropical climate, making the city more walkable, reducing car dependency, and boosting economic activity.”
“Ambitious plans like this will not only enhance Brisbane’s liveability and long-term prosperity but also cement our position as a global city for decades to come,” she said.
Acting as the champion for this innovative idea, bureau^proberts has been leading discussions with state and local governments and potential partners to develop a market-led proposal for submission to Economic Development Queensland.
Images: Render House Studios.
