And to add to David's post above, here is one from Stephen Yarwood - below.david wrote:The agenda which Stephen has been delivering over the past four years was the work of a group of Councillors who were elected in 2007 of which I am proud to be counted as one. We turned the Council around and set a new and exciting direction which led to major projects such as Victoria Square, Rundle Mall, Victoria Park, laneway activation and many more.
I was Deputy to Stephen for 2 years and we worked very effectively together - the young and the old! - to deliver a whole new urban framework for the city based on the needs of people (Jan Gehl) and a better balance between pedestrians, cyclists public transport and the motorist.
There is a lot more to be done but we need to be wary of those forces that would wind the clock back to the 1980s or give undue influence to the big end of town. We need to keep moving forward and to strike a reasonable balance between all the stakeholders in the city.
I am running for Area Councillor and I hope for your support.
David
As the race for the next Lord Mayor heats up, LM Stephen Yarwood's blog post certainly resonates with me.
I have been unimpressed by the regressive ideas, lack of vision of other LM candidates - with some worse than others? Yarwood has been inspirational in the role, working with others, including David, and our city is much more progressive and vibrant, in tune with 21st century planning and design principles under his leadership.
Will old media and the establishment turn back the clock and stymie change or will Adelaide embrace the vision as outlined by Yarwood in the post below. We need 'Awesome Adelaide'.
http://stephenyarwood.com/2014/09/must-retain-youth/'We must retain our youth' - Stephen Yarwood
There has been much discussion around change in Adelaide recently. Some people have been critical of new cycling infrastructure, street art, laneway bars, music in our park lands and food trucks hitting our streets and squares.
However, the old Adelaide is the city young people have been leaving in droves. We have all heard references to Adelaide being boring and the ‘brain drain’ heading east. I am often told I need to address this issue in the same conversation where I am told that some of the changes in Adelaide are not popular.
Demographic data says we are in serious trouble if we do not arrest the decline in young people leaving South Australia. Our economic future depends not only on keeping them here, but also attracting the best and brightest from around the world. In a world where there will be cities with “old economies” and “new economies”, we must do everything we can to remain relevant.
The truth is, whether we like cycling or street art is not the point, the vast majority of younger people clearly do. They are desperate for transport options, more entertainment and a more colourful life in the heart of our city.
That is why council has supported initiatives like a “Live Music Action Plan”, “Night Time Economy Plan” and a “Digital Strategy”. We have also rolled out one of the best free Wi-Fi networks of any city worldwide, supported new small bar legislation, encouraged food trucks and let the street artists have a fair go on lots of walls that were previously blank and hence boring.
Council has also invested in social media communications and developed a Digital Hub in our new City Library that includes free training for small businesses.
If Adelaide is to truly prosper, we must create an entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports the next generation. This includes creating small businesses that are relevant in the 21st century and that means our creative industries and information economy combining to make Adelaide an international destination for ideas and investment.
Adelaide must adapt to attract and retain young people. We have no choice and we need to look beyond our own needs and value this strategic imperative. If Adelaide does not become ‘cooler’, we will be a retirement city with an old economy in decline. A place our children and grandchildren leave for greener pastures.
We need to think about our next generation of leaders and our city’s future. A future where many entrepreneurs wear jeans, ride bicycles, play in rock bands, populate our cafés and create the industries of tomorrow.
So before ‘having a go’ at what is happening in Adelaide and opposing change that is not exactly to your own liking, I would encourage you to ask yourself not if you like it, but if your children and grandchildren will like it.
Our prosperity is largely dependent on them saying ‘Adelaide is awesome’, so let’s all have an open mind towards the Adelaide future generations will inherit and engage younger people in the future of this great city.
Get behind Stephen and David. Spread the word for 'Awesome Adelaide'.
