Light's Vision & The City Grid
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Light's Vision & The City Grid
I thought I'd throw this out to the crowd, as I can't find anything online in regards to some aspects of the original city grid for Adelaide.
It's always puzzled me why Light included the area between Hutt St and East Tce, and cut short the 3 north-east city blocks (they're all short by 1 lot), rather than have the city square a perfect rectangle with 4 equal quadrants. I figure some of the alignment of the parkland edges on the outer western and eastern edges may have something to do with the topography of the area, although it does irk me a little that they're not parallel with the grid. In all the history documented about the grid, there's no mention as to the reasoning for these decisions. Does anyone have any ideas?
It's always puzzled me why Light included the area between Hutt St and East Tce, and cut short the 3 north-east city blocks (they're all short by 1 lot), rather than have the city square a perfect rectangle with 4 equal quadrants. I figure some of the alignment of the parkland edges on the outer western and eastern edges may have something to do with the topography of the area, although it does irk me a little that they're not parallel with the grid. In all the history documented about the grid, there's no mention as to the reasoning for these decisions. Does anyone have any ideas?
Light's Vision & The City Grid
I've read about this, much like the folk of today planners were pandering to the requests of an elite few. The wealthy wanted a quadrant of their own in the SE away from the commoners and industry (remembering adelaide cbd at its peak reached 100k people, so it was quite a bustling place).
Re: Light's Vision & The City Grid
The northeastern corner of the grid was cutaway to avoid building directly on top of First Creek, which still runs through the eastern parklands. This area also has steeper and "boggier" terrain which was not deemed suitable for developing.
This document discusses the reasoning for the layout generally:
"At the northern end of East Terrace between Botanic Road and Bartels Road, the surveyed city
which is about forty metres above sea level falls away to about thirty metres onto the Park Lands
creating a low lying wet boggy area, through which First Creek runs. Between Bartels Road and
southwards of Wakefield Street the land rises gently to fifty metres above sea level. The southeastern
corner of the city that stretches from Halifax Street to the middle of Victoria Park
Racecourse is, along with a point around the junction of Tynte Street and Lefevre Terrace, the
highest point in the city. Southwards of East Terrace from Pirie Street, where the land is suitably
level at a height between forty and fifty metres above sea level, Colonel Light squeezed in a
further eighty Town Acres which enabled the creation of an extra north-south road of Hutt Street."
This document discusses the reasoning for the layout generally:
"At the northern end of East Terrace between Botanic Road and Bartels Road, the surveyed city
which is about forty metres above sea level falls away to about thirty metres onto the Park Lands
creating a low lying wet boggy area, through which First Creek runs. Between Bartels Road and
southwards of Wakefield Street the land rises gently to fifty metres above sea level. The southeastern
corner of the city that stretches from Halifax Street to the middle of Victoria Park
Racecourse is, along with a point around the junction of Tynte Street and Lefevre Terrace, the
highest point in the city. Southwards of East Terrace from Pirie Street, where the land is suitably
level at a height between forty and fifty metres above sea level, Colonel Light squeezed in a
further eighty Town Acres which enabled the creation of an extra north-south road of Hutt Street."
Re: Light's Vision & The City Grid
I am not sure whether this is true, but when I was in high school, I remember we had an Aboriginal elder come in to talk to us, and he said the shape of the City of Adelaide plan was because the spirit of the red kangaroo had infiltrated Col. Light. What this means is that the plan for the City of Adelaide is meant to replicate the shape of the red kangaroo.
Re: Light's Vision & The City Grid
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Any views and opinions expressed are of my own, and do not reflect the views or opinions of any organisation of which I have an affiliation with.
Re: Light's Vision & The City Grid
Yeah... No... I can't see it. Must've been one hell of an abstract kangaroo!
Re: Light's Vision & The City Grid
that aboriginal elder must have had a bit of 'sniff' before coming to your high school
Re: Light's Vision & The City Grid
Interesting..Howie wrote:I've read about this, much like the folk of today planners were pandering to the requests of an elite few. The wealthy wanted a quadrant of their own in the SE away from the commoners and industry (remembering adelaide cbd at its peak reached 100k people, so it was quite a bustling place).
I'm glad the design was changed, the earlier proposal looks a little boring.
Re: Light's Vision & The City Grid
In those days they were all blitzed on gin half the time, so it's not surprising that there are some idiosyncrasies left over from the period.
Re: Light's Vision & The City Grid
Well, there were what are now entire inner Sydney suburbs that were transferred ownership between individuals over a bottle of rum.Omicron wrote:In those days they were all blitzed on gin half the time, so it's not surprising that there are some idiosyncrasies left over from the period.
Re: Light's Vision & The City Grid
Im amazed to hear that the city once had a population of 100,000 people! What year was this? What is it now, 25K? Where were the main residential areas? AFAIK the northern parts of the CBD were always industiral/office/retail properties and the South more residential...
Re: Light's Vision & The City Grid
100,000 sounds a little high... my sources indicate that the CBD population peaked at a bit over 40000 around World War I and then dropped off significantly after World War II as the suburbs expanded. Household sizes were also larger back then than they are now (talking at least 4 people per household rather than the 2.5 or so now).
Re: Light's Vision & The City Grid
I've been told inner adelaide was included in city boundaries, so it could very well be off the mark. 40,000 in the square mile not including north adelaide sounds about right. It's hovering around the mid 10's right now? Still a decent way off it's peak.
Re: Light's Vision & The City Grid
A couple of years old now but this is the latest I've found.
City Profile
Adelaide City Council monitors change in the City on a regular basis, including changes to the City User Populations, number of dwellings and environmental factors affecting the City. Below are the figures as reported in Council’s 2008-2009 Annual Report:
Area 15.57km²
Estimated average daytime population 205,000
Estimated overnight population 27,400
Estimated permanent residents 19,800
Visitors resident overnight 7,600
Workers 118,500
Students enrolled in City Institutions 86,700
Visitors (daily from metro area) 74,000
Number of dwellings* 11,338
Office space 1,442,657m²
Re: Light's Vision & The City Grid
With our city council, why would anyone want to move into the city to live?
I was just thinking actually, about those shitty rows of wall to wall town houses that all look the same..there should be a minimum height level for residential buildings in the city. 5 stories or something.
Build up population density, and really bring back life into the city.
I was just thinking actually, about those shitty rows of wall to wall town houses that all look the same..there should be a minimum height level for residential buildings in the city. 5 stories or something.
Build up population density, and really bring back life into the city.
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