City Building Seminars – Nature-based solutions for a resilient city

Tuesday 27 May 2025 | 12:00 PM

From flood to flourish: nature-based solutions for a resilient city. Presented by Alan Hoban, Principal, Civil and Water at Bligh Tanner.

The Gold Coast’s growing population is forecast to be 1 million by 2040. As our city grows, our urban green spaces are being increasingly valued with a growing desire for more authentic engagement with nature. Urban green space networks can include drainage channels and easements which traditionally have not been well utilised as public recreation space. Reconsidering their potential presents the opportunity to provide flood resilience against a more variable climate as well as create more quality multi-purpose space for the population.

Join Alan Hoban as he explores these opportunities and presents case study projects at a range of scales, including the award-winning Hanlon Park redevelopment.

Alan Hoban advises government and developers on how to create better urban environments and manage our resources more sustainably, especially water. Alan has been behind several successful initiatives including Water by Design, Flood of Ideas, Cool Communities and Australia’s first carshare venture, Flexicar. He is a Director at Bligh Tanner and his key projects include developing new urban typologies for Western Sydney, the Parramatta Irrigated Green Grid, Singapore’s Water Sensitive Urban Design Strategy, sea-level rise adaptation strategies for Mooloolaba and Maroochydore. The much-celebrated Hanlon Park waterway re-naturalisation was awarded Australia’s Best Park and featured on ABC’s Gardening Australia. He is the recipient of numerous project and individual awards, is a graduate of Queensland Leadership and past President of Stormwater Australia (2018 – 2023). In 2020 he was named Queensland Professional Engineer of the Year.

Getting there

Consider using public transport or active travel. Plan your trip with Translink's journey planner.

Parking may be limited. For metered parking, use the EasyPark app to start, end, and extend your parking direct from your phone to avoid fines. For more information visit City of Gold Coast's Parking page.