Yup.Nathan wrote: ↑Thu Jan 10, 2019 3:17 pmThe problem is that there are interesting bits of the south parklands, but they're largely disconnected from each other — separated by umpteen empty sporting fields or unkept dust lands. There needs to be some denser hubs of activity.bits wrote: ↑Thu Jan 10, 2019 1:16 pmSouth parklands has Veale Garden, Himeji Garden, Marshmallow Playground, Clover playground, water retention areas, historic reservior, bmx tracks, tree climbing adventure park, function room, cafe, soccer fields, hockey fields, netball courts, tennis courts, cricket ovals, football ovals, dog training.
Does it need more things?
For instance, the upgraded Marshmallow Park is great. It has the creek next to it, with a nature play area, and the dog park. But there's not quite enough activity to justify having say a kiosk there (only enough for a Mr Whippy to come by for 30mins a day). Now imagine that instead of being a couple of soccer fields and a major road away, that the BMX park and Treeclimb were all in the same vicinity, and then throw in some proper landscaping (over an area bigger than a suburban backyard). It'd be a proper urban park with a wealth of activity, and enough people to justify facilities like a proper kiosk and larger pavilions for shade.
We should designate 6–8 locations around the parklands which should be the focus of intense activity, the kind befitting an urban park. That way all city and inner suburb residents have close access to a high amenity park. Use the parklands trail to link them all around (the trail could do with being wider, landscaped alongside, and in an ideal future, grade separated from the roads cutting through the parklands), and have the sporting fields and more "natural landscaping" fill some of the spaces in-between.
I would love to see a serious cost analysis done on what it would cost to bring all the Adelaide parklands at least up to the standard of Rymill Park, and maybe having more areas like the Botanic Gardens.
Singapore's Gardens by the Bay are a great example of the type of potential the parklands have. We could even use it as part of the push for SA to be a leader in renewable technologies by incorporating solar generation into the development, used to provide power for pumping filtered wastewater to water the parklands and even used to offset power used for desalination in drier periods.
The parklands are a massive gift, the land they sit on is worth countless billions. Its time we started treating them like they are worth and building something that we can be proud of and that make Adelaide unique.