Method

My research for the case study included in-depth interviews with key people involved in developing the initiative and other stakeholders. They were:

• Deborah Lowndes, Project Manager Create, Innovate Gosford City and Manager of Gosford Business Improvement District
• Mel Laws, Community Partnership Broker, Youth Connections Gosford
• Jason van Genderen, local creative entrepreneur and founder of Treehouse Creative
• Rob Wilcox, Real Estate Agent, Chapman and Frazer Real Estate

All those interviewed gave their consent in writing.

Other research tasks included:

• Attending five fortnightly meetings of the Steering Committee

• A review of all existing documentation including planning documents and minutes of Steering Committee meetings

• Observation of foot traffic in the Gosford CBD at different times and different days of the week

• Strategic conversations with:

                      - Members of the Create, Innovate Gosford City Steering Committee

                      - Chris Holstein, Councillor, Gosford City Council

                      - Lisa Andersen, Manager, and Katrina Fox, Community Manager, Empty Spaces Project, UTS

• Analysis of ABS and Gosford Council statistics to develop a demographic profile of Gosford

I recommend that Create, Innovate Gosford City and the Empty Spaces Project undertake further research in early 2012 to:

• build on this case study,

• document the first year of empty space reuse in the Gosford CBD and examine its impacts, and

• make visible and examine the special local characteristics of creative industries on the NSW Central Coast.