Brisbane, the River City, lies roughly halfway up Australia’s scorching East Coast. The city’s history meanders back to 1824 when it was first settled as a penal colony in a generous curve of the Brisbane River. Sheltered behind a belt of mangrove swamps, Brisbane is the only East Coast city without direct beach access. Today the city’s British heritage persists in European-style architecture ensconced within the city’s ever-aspiring skyline. This urban hub of modernity was recently tipped (by consultants Jones Lang LaSalle), to be the world’s fastest growing city in terms of GDP through to 2020, owing to its increasing population (which swells by more than 100,000 every year) and local investment opportunities. Behind the city’s sleek, contemporary exterior resides a laidback, easy-going community. Brisbane is a convivial hub that combines a thriving business culture with an effervescent café culture and vivid arts scene. The city is prone to extreme weather events such as King tides, summer storms and the floods they bring. A strong sense of community has developed in response to these, and the city has adopted a range of adaptation measures to weather the barrage of climate-related events.