How can we get a true 24 hour city?

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Aidan · #1 Post by **Aidan** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 2:53 pm

Recently, for the first time this millennium, I visited Sydney. Considering its reputation as one of the world's great cities, I was rather disappointed to find it stops for the night! Even on Thursday (their designated late night shopping day) the City quickly went to sleep again afterwards. Some restaurants stayed open late, and Coles stayed open, so the problem is not one of general overregulation, though apparently the bars and nightclubs are very tightly regulated. But they're not my scene anyway, so there was nothing to do after 11pm.

Investigating on the net, I found that Sydney was a 24 hour city while the Olympics were on, but as soon as those finished they started stopping again!

So if Sydney's had what it takes and doesn't any more, what will it take to stop a city from going to Sleep? And is it something we could get in Adelaide?

ghs · #2 Post by **ghs** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 3:01 pm

Friday night is always good in the city due to all the people in rundle mall and the central market.

I think opening up the shops in the city on thursday nights would be good as well.

#3 Post by AG » Sat Dec 13, 2008 3:17 pm

I don't think it's simply a matter of keeping the shops open later. In many major cities around the world people live very close to the retail and entertainment districts, good examples include New York City and Tokyo. In Australian cities, most people live more than a few kilometres from the major retail and entertainment areas beyond walking distance. Even in Sydney, the population residing in the CBD is not very large.

In the 24 hour cities, public transport continues to run frequently even after evening peak hour, while public transport service becomes largely infrequent in Australian cities. Most people would prefer to return home after a day at work than stay out in the city and shop, and if they needed to shop they would likely stop by at a suburban shopping centre or supermarket on the way instead. To truly create a city that never "sleeps" there needs to be some changes to the structural form of the city first, there needs to be a shift in the way we think about creating new residential and commercial real estate in Australia.

#4 Post by **monotonehell** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 3:55 pm

AG wrote:I don't think it's simply a matter of keeping the shops open later. In many major cities around the world people live very close to the retail and entertainment districts, good examples include New York City and Tokyo. In Australian cities, most people live more than a few kilometres from the major retail and entertainment areas beyond walking distance. Even in Sydney, the population residing in the CBD is not very large.

In the 24 hour cities, public transport continues to run frequently even after evening peak hour, while public transport service becomes largely infrequent in Australian cities. Most people would prefer to return home after a day at work than stay out in the city and shop, and if they needed to shop they would likely stop by at a suburban shopping centre or supermarket on the way instead. To truly create a city that never "sleeps" there needs to be some changes to the structural form of the city first, there needs to be a shift in the way we think about creating new residential and commercial real estate in Australia.

This is the key isn't it? A city that "never sleeps" is one where the population doesn't do the daily migration to and from the CBD to the suburbs. Until we have a greater density of locals living in the CBD, we can't really hope for much of a change.

Having said that, I've noticed an increase in night activity in the CBD over the past decade. Perhaps it is happening, gradually.

canopy · #5 Post by **canopy** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:18 pm

I live in CBD area (apt), walk to work, walk to central market. I am a city man.

Use to stay very near to CBD in my country, Kuala Lumpur.

Queen Anne · #6 Post by **Queen Anne** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 7:27 am

I think it's a real shame that the city centre lost its last mainstream cinema this year. I wonder if these sorts of issues discourage potential residents? I wonder what the students we are encouraging to live in town would make of this? The city should match the offerings of the suburbs, and then some. Yes?

Canopy, I hope you are enjoying Adelaide

jk1237 · #7 Post by **jk1237** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 5:17 pm

The Palace theatre complex is getting a bit of an overhaul at the moment. I wouldn't be surprised if it starts to become a mainstream complex.

The influx of international students has already turned Adelaide from an 8 hour city to about a 12 hour city

. Lets hope this continues. I hope the building of student housing towers will continue full-steam, caus they do add far more vitality to the city than the luxury apartment complexes, whose owners/tennants are probably too busy working, rather than being out n about on Adelaides streets, restuarants, shops, trams, like the Asian students are.

#8 Post by **monotonehell** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 6:25 pm

jk1237 wrote:The Palace theatre complex is getting a bit of an overhaul at the moment. I wouldn't be surprised if it starts to become a mainstream complex.

The influx of international students has already turned Adelaide from an 8 hour city to about a 12 hour city . Lets hope this continues. I hope the building of student housing towers will continue full-steam, caus they do add far more vitality to the city than the luxury apartment complexes, whose owners/tennants are probably too busy working, rather than being out n about on Adelaides streets, restuarants, shops, trams, like the Asian students are.

They're already picking up more mainstream movies, as well as still providing their mixed bag of other than Hollowwood's offerings. Which is a good thing in my book.

EDIT: In fact, a more international showing of movies would possibly be of interest to international students?

pushbutton · #9 Post by **pushbutton** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 11:36 pm

Why would we want a 24 hour city? Cities that do stay open 24 hours tend to just be full of crime and sleazy activities.

No thanks!

Call me boring and old-fashioned if you will, but personally I find late at night is a pretty good time to sleep.

It seems I'm not the only one!

#10 Post by **Norman** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 11:39 pm

Didn't comeone say that an active community is a safe commun ity? Then it should even reduce crime I thought.

#11 Post by AG » Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:59 am

pushbutton wrote:Why would we want a 24 hour city? Cities that do stay open 24 hours tend to just be full of crime and sleazy activities.

Tokyo operates around the clock and it is one of the safest cities in the world, having one of the lowest crime rates. The biggest issue is usually during peak hour, when groping on crowded trains tends to occur more often. I'm not sure where this misconception of 24 hour cities having lots of crime comes from.

Shuz · #12 Post by **Shuz** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 10:36 am

AG wrote:
pushbutton wrote:Why would we want a 24 hour city? Cities that do stay open 24 hours tend to just be full of crime and sleazy activities.
Tokyo operates around the clock and it is one of the safest cities in the world, having one of the lowest crime rates. The biggest issue is usually during peak hour, when groping on crowded trains tends to occur more often. I'm not sure where this misconception of 24 hour cities having lots of crime comes from.

I think it's a misconception of NYC in the late 70s/80's/early 90's.
The Bronx, Brooklyn and those northern suburbs of Manhattan were horrendously crime-ridden. There were always news stories about crimes and social breakdown of those communities on a daily basis. However, in the same city, on the same island - down south in the proper Manhattan, Midtown, and Financial districts were always promoted as a hive of activity - a tourist hotspot, regularly busy - gave the city the common perception of being a 24-hour city.

Understandably, as however those two areas were seperate districts, of different social classes, and therefore different social aliases - they were still mediated as a product of NYC, which led the common person to believe that the two went hand in hand.

canopy · #13 Post by **canopy** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 12:55 pm

Queen Anne wrote:I think it's a real shame that the city centre lost its last mainstream cinema this year. I wonder if these sorts of issues discourage potential residents? I wonder what the students we are encouraging to live in town would make of this? The city should match the offerings of the suburbs, and then some. Yes?

Canopy, I hope you are enjoying Adelaide

So far i am okay, just feel it very quite in Adelaide. I do wish shopping centre here closed at 9pm on everyday! just like most place in asian country, hong kong is the best, they closed around 10-11pm, you can see thousand of ppl still in the street at that time, for example Mongkok area, HK.

Prince George · #14 Post by **Prince George** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 5:16 pm

It must be a big change for you, comparing Adelaide to KL or HK. Hong Kong, for example, has about the same area as Adelaide, but has 6 times as many people. Just imagine 6 Adelaides stacked up one on top of the other - I bet that would be busy! It would be hard for people anywhere in Australia, let alone Adelaide, to picture living at that kind of density.

#15 Post by **AtD** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 4:55 pm

New Years Eve on O'Connell Street... all the pubs closed at 2am. WTF?

How can we get a true 24 hour city?

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