How can we get a true 24 hour city?

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rev · #31 Post by **rev** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:27 pm

Increased CBD population of young people + venues open all night.

Venues be they a fast food venue or a bar will only stay open if there is the opportunity to make money. The best opportunity for them to make money is with an influx of young people living in the cbd. This means affordable housing in the CBD, either to buy/live in, or rent. Think along the lines of the bigger "global" cities.

They also need a reason to live in the cbd.

Operating hours of businesses(eateries, clubs etc) needs to be addressed obviously.

I can't tell you how much I would love to be able to get a pizza or yiros at 4am on some week nights.

The CBD basically needs to have life kept in it after 5pm when the office workers go home.

Dare I say it, all those crappy townhouses in the southern part of the CBD are a huge mistake. New residential property in the CBD should not be under 4-5 storeys. The CBD is not another suburb part of the urban sprawl of low-density housing. It should be a high density area that is packed with people, with many people out and about at all hours of the day and night.

stumpjumper · #32 Post by **stumpjumper** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:51 pm

You've hit the nail on the head, rev.

ACC is doing a fair job in getting more people to live in the city, but it must complete the equation. The sort of person who buys and occupies a city dwelling is generally youngish, active and wants as you said, amenities after hours. A critical mass of both night time consumers and venues to suit them is required to achieve sustainable '24 hour city'.

The only way to provide these amenities is for the providers to have a sound economic base - ie extended hours in conjunction with live or nearby live music. Despite the public time and again in various surveys requesting extended shopping hours, we have never been able to overcome the resistance of the SDA.

As someone formerly involved in the management of a city precinct known for its nightlife, I can guarantee that the SDA influences night-time trading hours via the precinct licensing agreements.

The SDA is also in favour of penalty rates for 'after hours' workers in the entertainment, hospitality and tourism industries, regardless of the effect of penalty rates on employment and viability of operations. The SDA is more interested in protecting conditions for existing workers and seeing its policies prevail than in seeing the city as a whole prosper.

Brando · #33 Post by **Brando** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 5:17 pm

Agree rev. I would like to know how many companies are operate 24 hours in the city, ie; call centres etc. It would be good to see a concerted effort to get these businesses closer together in order to be able to offer services open 24 hours.
I worked night shift and what many fail to realise is that even though it was 5am when i finished work, i still wanted a good meal, i still wanted to go to a pub with mates for a drink. To us it was our knock off work drinks, we're on different body clocks due to our jobs...
I'm sure that if all these people were bought together and safe public services were available nearby, many would take advantage of it.

stumpjumper · #34 Post by **stumpjumper** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 5:49 pm

Perhaps the Government and the Opposition could go on bended knee to the SDA and politely ask that the CBD be exempt from penalty rates. That would be a start. The problem is that the SDA is well and truly embedded in the Attorney-General's department which looks after things such as licensing hours. The A-G himself owes his position to the SDA, so a change is not likely.

#35 Post by **monotonehell** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 9:14 pm

That's a bit unfair Stumpy, why should one sector not get overtime and penalties while others do?

Hooligan · #36 Post by **Hooligan** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 9:41 pm

stumpjumper wrote:Perhaps the Government and the Opposition could go on bended knee to the SDA and politely ask that the CBD be exempt from penalty rates. That would be a start. The problem is that the SDA is well and truly embedded in the Attorney-General's department which looks after things such as licensing hours. The A-G himself owes his position to the SDA, so a change is not likely.

Are you serious?

Lets just make the CBD exempt from minimum wage rights to then

stumpjumper · #37 Post by **stumpjumper** » Fri Sep 04, 2009 4:26 pm

Yeah I am serious, sort of.

If you can invigorate a country with a free trade zone, why not exempt the CBD from penalty rates? We can't have a 24 hour metropolitan area, but the CBD might work as a sort of 'throbbing hub'...

It might not work, too, but such suggestions should not be rejected out of hand. Everything should be considered.

One of the problems getting young people to live in the city is the dilemma of matching high priced land (CBD land) and low paying tenants (younger people who patronise clubs etc). The East End used to be full of cheap tenancies above shops, but no more. We need a cheap student quarter!

Prince George · #38 Post by **Prince George** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 3:11 pm

The "cheap east-end" horse has bolted, I fear that your idea just leads to grander margins for the owners of Le Boutique de Posh. In this regard, I think your "free trade zone" comparison is a good one. Yes they did invigorate their countries - as long as you're only interested in the minority of the country that are above the poverty line. The people that are actually powering these "economic miracles" have largely gained a better class of squalor.

How can we get a true 24 hour city?

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