Migrants' encounters of a lifestyle destination: From coastal idyll to activated city

Lifestyle destinations draw migrants in with a promise of certain place encounters. However, these place encounters are likely to change over time, particularly with increased amenity migration and associated development. In this article, I consider the lifestyle destination settlement of Maroochydore and surrounding suburbs in the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. Plans to build a central business district (CBD) have been approved, with the local council aiming to build infrastructure for growing populations. However, these plans may jeopardise the imaginary of Maroochydore as a quiet sea change idyll that draws lifestyle migrants and tourists to the area. In order to understand the potential impact of a CBD to migrants' place encounters, I interviewed 34 migrants of different ages and life stages to Maroochydore and surrounds (the Maroochy area) as part of a larger study. I used narrative, visual, and virtual visitation methods to explore their prior place-based experiences and current encounters with the area. Housing form and density were the most discussed material components related to the CBD, likely because of fears that high-rise buildings affect an imagined coastal lifestyle. Employment and transport were the most discussed day-to-day practices potentially affected by the CBD. Participants thought the CBD positively affected public transport services but had little effect on future employment opportunities. The challenges discussed in this article have implications for how lifestyle communities manage and maintain positive place encounters, balancing the realities of growing development with idyllic expectations.

Automated summary

The article discusses how lifestyle destinations like Maroochydore in Sunshine Coast, Australia, may face challenges with the development of a central business district (CBD) compromising the idyllic expectations of residents and tourists. The study found that housing form and density as well as daily practices related to employment and transport were the main concerns for residents in the face of CBD development.