Adelaide a city, not a town - Mike Duffy Blog

[Brando]

Have a read through this. It makes you realise just how many frustrated people there are in this state.

http://blogs.news.com.au/adelaidenow/st ... not_a_town

When will the power brokers of this state actually stand up and listen, when will someone dare to say no to the older, sleepy mindset of past generations and realise that if Adelaide is to have a real future and by that i mean a vibrant, youthful, colourful and productive city, someone has to stand up and make some drastic changes. As everyone says, we don't want to emulate Sydney or Melbourne, but we need the young ones around Australia to want to visit here. I can't imagine a group of late teens/ early twenties wanting to organise a weekend getaway to Adelaide unless it was for the Clipasl or the fringe etc. They after all are the tourism dollars we wan't to attract. Adelaide can't change it's perception interstate overnight nor here, but we can start by creating a noticble change and strong planning that will encourage growth and atmosphere. Light the city up at night, encourage and have initiatives for business owners and shop keepers to spruce up so to speak their premises, hold landlords accountable for derilict and neglected sites. Bring in a no nonsense policy as Rudy Gulliani once did in New York with his broken windows theory.

The city has no connection at all. By this i mean hot spots such as Rundle, Hindley, Gouger, Hutt St's etc don't flow, they lead to nothing exciting either directions. Tourist would not know where to from here, they can't follow the crowd. After years of consultation and much discussion, we can't even connect Hindley and Rundle Streets together. The best they have come up with so far is a outdoor Cafe at the junction of Hindley St and the Mall. It's a start, but far from what is required. I suggest making King William St the spine of Adelaide. Imagine Rundle Mall vibrant, full of people at night with KW st alive with outdoor dining, buskers, late night shops, maybe some market stalls, art and sculptures, water features leading to a Victoria Square packed with people enjoying entertainment, a meal and a coffee, a safe social place to meet and enjoy being outdoors in a beautiful city square that is lit up with lights and fairy lights in almost every tree. I hope you can see the picture i'm trying to create. Tourist will just follow and feel safe and will walk and walk. How many peolpe just walk and walk in Melb CBD, simply because you can and feel a part of the city life and those shopping and dining???
By doing this it would link most main 'hot spots' at night and encourage people to stay longer and become involved. Crowds would just wonder from Rundle St to end up in Gouger St without feeling they have dropped from a vibrant, bustling st to a ghost strip to kill the excitment of the night. Hutt St could be linked up by this too, maybe via an improving Angus St.

Fact is i love this city. I have lived interstate and i have heard it all about Adelaide- the good and the bad. Sadly the good is few and far. They say it's a nice place. I would love to hear a 19 year old tell me they visited last weekend and it was the best weekend they have had in years.... It can be done, but must be done very soon.

Sorry to go on a bit, but i couldn't sleep.

[Ho Really]

Adelaide CBD is not Rome, London, Paris or New York. Mike Duffy, I sympathise, but I think your dream and that of many others is too far into the future.

Cheers

[AtD]

Ho, aspiration causes no harm, no aspiration does.

[Ho Really]

Ho, aspiration causes no harm, no aspiration does.

Acknowledged. Adelaide CBD definitely needs a massive increase in population for those things to happen or it won't be economically viable. Also we need to see a few of the oldies move on.

Cheers

[AtD]

^^ Which is one of the ACC's current key objectives!

[Brando]

Ho, aspiration causes no harm, no aspiration does.

Exactly. All that the people of this state are screaming for is direction, vision and a real sense of passion of what this city will be like in the future. Business leaders and former politicans are all weighing in on this more and more. My suggestions are simply what i feel could work and add to this city. some of my suggestions could be hopeless and not viable, but the fact remains these are the sentiments of people of this city and those abroad. Have you ever heard a politcian or anyone from ACC come out and really have a long term detailed vision.

"The future depends on what we do today" - Mahatma Ghandi

[Al]

Have you ever heard a politcian or anyone from ACC come out and really have a long term detailed vision.

I think part of the problem is that having a long term plan involves bi-partisan support and have you seen two political parties agree on anything other than wage rises?

[skyliner]

In response of your thoughts Brandon King - while I recognise many of the shortcomings of Adelaide that you mention, the place has been in a bad way over the last 15 odd years. HOWEVER - not so now - look at the pace development is moving, how many are coming to live in the CBD (as a percentage growth), how much mining is moving - this all points to a city that will not stay sluggish in it's development.

Although tha ABS predicts little growth for Adelaide, that is made on mathematical projections from earlier info - NOT allowing for cultural/taste changes, mining and building development, drought, water, health systems, infrastructural inconveniences etc.

I recently heard that Brisbane will have 15 resi blocks 275 metres tall built in the CBD - to respond to the change in TASTE to inner city living - this IS happening in Adelaide - see proposals for resi towers. It is behind Brisbane because the trend is not YET as strong in Adelaide. It IS happening though AND particularly in response to student influxes.

I would add concerning SE QLD - about 1500 per week were coming to live in there - but due to an unforseen factor by the ABS in it's projections after this time lack of WATER has reduced this rapidly to 1200 per week. On top of this the opposition party is saying stay away to people coming here. There is about 20% of Brisbane's water supply left - the panic is becoming evident. Added to all this is the realisation that strategies to overcome the water shortage are lagging well behind projected completion dates.

To return to Adelaide, it is factors like water that affect population (and hence youth number and associated changes) Adelaide looks in a far better position than Brisbane.[/quote]

[Paulns]

Hey Brando mate,
I couldn't agree with you more, its good to see there's others out there on the same page. I too have lived interstate and have heard it all said about Adelaide. Unfortuately 90% of what I hear is still negative. Sure most of those people have never even been here, but thats the perception and that's what needs changing. NOW...
This city serioulsy needs some sexin up!!!!
Take Sydney for example, There blessed with the beautiful harbour and numerous amounts of awesome beaches and yet they still went a head and built equally beautiful man made structures like the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera house. These man made structures are modern day marvals that bring people from all over the world, just see.
Whats there for people that come to Adelaide to see?? Atleast what they couldn't see anywhere else anyway??? Unfortunately people see Adelaide as a boring place, its that simple. If you dont agree, bad luck, thats the reality.
Its time to make some drastic changes... Like the Opera house, it was initially very greeted with a lot of skeptism, but now look its not just an Aussie icon, but a world icon!!!!!

[jimmy_2486]

Yeah true, another one is, if you don't like it here then leave??

Anyone heard that one?

[Shuz]

Just to let people know, the Festival Theatre was built to be an icon of Adelaide with its complex geometry and audiotorium space - but it was done on the cheap and thats why its not nationally - let alone internationally recognised.

[Ho Really]

Just to let people know, the Festival Theatre was built to be an icon of Adelaide with its complex geometry and audiotorium space - but it was done on the cheap and thats why its not nationally - let alone internationally recognised.

Unfortunately in the past we've done too many things on the cheap in SA. I am hoping our boom times will correct this and more money will be spent on better design. My belief is that great (and functional) design equals added-value.

Cheers

[omada]

In distinction to Syd, Melb, Perth, Bris - Adelaide wasn't built on a harbour/by the sea (for completely logical reasons, ie access to fresh water - in those days the Torrens LOL).. I think this has been probably the biggest factor in its stagnation compared to other cbd's..

[rhino]

Brisbane is about 17 miles (27kms) up the Brisbane River.

[omada]

lol, ok. point taken.. never been to Brissy..