Lol, when George saw my post he said, "Uh-oh, Queenie's got her petulant voice on.." I think my reaction reveals that I was probably feeling a bit silly I've been thinking about this, and you might be right that I'm overreacting about the idea of covering the mall (though it's still not an option that excites me, personally).
While I was living in America I read a book called, Cities Back from the Edge: New Life for Downtown. It contained examples where American cities and towns had opted for large building projects as the answer to their downtowns' problems (including plopping suburban style shopping centres downtown). Often, these projects did not work well, and it made me realise that any place can be 'that stupid'. Scary stuff. But would we in Adelaide, in 2010, really be that simple? I think I hit the panic button there, and was imagining something much worse for the mall than other people on here are.
I thought it was a bit out of character for you!
I understand your concerns about shopping centres (they suck one and all and if anyone knows of one that doesn't, I'd love to be privy to it!). But the Mall is much more than that (at least potentially). In fact it is the counterpoint to the shitful suburban shopping experience I reckon. I can see an awesome redevelopment in my mind; architecturally and artistically interesting, with covered spaces and without. A place that is a joy to be in. Of all Malls in Oz, Rundle Mall is closest to this already and can easily be transformed from the slightly depressing emo attractor it seems to be now. It is a street after all, rather than a "complex".
It's good to know people ARE thinking about these things outside of school. Onya Queenie!
I am embarrassed when I'm in Rundle Mall and I see the very few tourists we actually get in Adelaide taking photos of pig statues eating rubbish out of bins. I can only imagine how they're friends laugh at Adelaide when they see the photos back in Japan.
Jesus Howard Christ. This is just old school Australian (and particularly South Australian) cultural cringe. Surely if tourists are taking pics of them THAT'S A GOOD THING????? Yes there aren't many photo ops in Adelaide, but to be embarrassed by the ones the place has is pretty lame.
Pigs and rubbish aren't the problem here. This is indicative (as others have pointed out here) of an Adelaide mindset that can only continue to hold it back.
Can you suggest what you would prefer??? Statue of Bob Francis, fallen naked out the back of his house after going for a pee and waiting for an ambulance? That WOULD be funny, I guess.
