Adelaide - City of Talk?

[rubegoldbergdevice]

I couldn't agree more with the comments of Professor Maher. Everything that a vibrant city requires is either here or not that difficult to procure. And yet Adelaide remains the retarded sibling of Australian cities. Why? The only explanation I can come up with is a veil of "can't be fucked" that lies over the place. Tucked safely and cozily between hills and sea. It's reflected in the "it's not quite what we're after but it'll do" attitude to architecture. "It'll do" should be on the number plates. either that or "SA - Closed For The Day".

When that idiot Robert Doyle recently suggested Adelaide should be shut down in an orderly fashion, what struck me most was Harbo's comment. That there was a grain of truth to it. Indeed there is. More than a grain. It's not even a case of one step forward, two steps back here. It's a step forward, two sideways, one back, three diagonally, two back again, five downwards, etc, etc until we end up exactly where we were to start with. BORING!

It's unbearably frustrating to live here too often. I've had enough. Like so many other young people from Adelaide, I'm moving to Melbourne in a few weeks. It's sad because I do love Adelaide and I see so much potential here, but unless it becomes something other than a regional centre, at least in mindset, we might just as well start an orderly shutdown.

[Will]

I completely agree with the sentiments expressed in the article. Adelaide has the potential, however we are hijacked by vocal minority groups as well as by people who dont think Adelaide can change.

Furthermore I hope that all the people commenting actually do something other than write some response in the Advertiser. By expressing an opinion, it suggests that there is a part of you that cares about this city. However expand on this. Write letters to councils, support developments, and stand for office. If people like us don't do anything, nothing will happen.

[peachy]

Adelaide a city of all talk and no action. I think we can all agree there is truth in the statement. Otherwise how else could issues such as Vic Sq, Brit round-a-bout, the parklands (particularly south and west) etc... stay as such stagnant problems for so long? Now when these projects are talked about there is that sense of cringe factor as the thoughts of all the negativity thrown at us from the east (and ourselves) about our inaction is given power. Maybe this has given the city's psyche a huge dose of self doubt over the years about what we can do and as a result mediocrity is tollerated with in our governments.

Adelaide can be world class and already is in some areas ie events, but we need to find some proper cities to have as role models to aspire to. We are not going to be London, Paris or NY (let Syd and Mel try for that crown), we should be aiming to emulate cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Munich. All are fantastic cities and have populations much closer to that of Adelaide. Sure we have a long way to go in some regards but they are closer stepping stones.

Of course what is needed to get us there is a forward thinking leader(s) to take action and risks, ones that are well thought through and not half arsed. But what can we do as people who aren't in positions of power and only have our voices? All we can do is talk and talk and talk. It's great that Sen-Ad exists so we can collate ideas in what is usually a positive way with generally only constructive criticism, not blatant negativity which runs rampant throughout letters to the ed. Maybe that forward thinking leader will come from amongst us. But until then as Shuz suggested previously, maybe the rest of us can do something, those in Sen-Ad and the wider public. Rallies when appropriate are probably the most realistic (although they kind of amount to more whingeing, although, again, at least they would neutralize the anti-move forward groups) and show there are Adelaideans wanting change. But are there other physical things that we can do to make our city better? Can anyone out there think of some? So the river is polluted, can we clean it up? If there is more good happening around the city (even if small) it will lift the psyche of the city thus giving us a can do spirit, "...of course we can do that, remember when we cleaned up the river..."

[Brando]

I have just spent the past week in Cairns and i found it interesting to read and hear locals talk about the towns future. They are so heavily reliant on tourism and the global downturn has made the town look beyond their main source of revenue and get on with doing what needs to be done in order to sustain a viable city or face a bleak future.

Adelaide on the other hand just continues to think and ponder what would be best and what we 'shouldn't' do....Just forget the minority groups and get on with it. Without decisive action we will die a slow painful death and slowly we are...

I'm sorry guys, but talking to many tourists and backpackers up there, SA/Adelaide is not on their agenda.

[jk1237]

I couldn't agree more with the comments of Professor Maher. Everything that a vibrant city requires is either here or not that difficult to procure. And yet Adelaide remains the retarded sibling of Australian cities. Why? The only explanation I can come up with is a veil of "can't be fucked" that lies over the place. Tucked safely and cozily between hills and sea. It's reflected in the "it's not quite what we're after but it'll do" attitude to architecture. "It'll do" should be on the number plates. either that or "SA - Closed For The Day".

When that idiot Robert Doyle recently suggested Adelaide should be shut down in an orderly fashion, what struck me most was Harbo's comment. That there was a grain of truth to it. Indeed there is. More than a grain. It's not even a case of one step forward, two steps back here. It's a step forward, two sideways, one back, three diagonally, two back again, five downwards, etc, etc until we end up exactly where we were to start with. BORING!

It's unbearably frustrating to live here too often. I've had enough. Like so many other young people from Adelaide, I'm moving to Melbourne in a few weeks. It's sad because I do love Adelaide and I see so much potential here, but unless it becomes something other than a regional centre, at least in mindset, we might just as well start an orderly shutdown.

the grass is always greener on the other side - until you actually get to the other side and realise Adelaide aint too bad after all the years of constantly bagging it.
Quite a few of my mates have moved interstate, they thought Adelaide was dull. Yet everyone of them lived with their parents in the outer suburbs, so Id agree, that would be boring. They move to the inner suburbs of Syd and Melb and marvel at their cosmopolitan lifestyle compared to living in Tea Tree Gully. Well derrr, thats not really surprising. If only they had moved into inner Adelaide. The few that stayed here and moved closer to town seem to love Adelaide, including me.
My wish is that more Adelaideans take more time to know and experience what their city has to offer them. Many Adelaideans hardly ever venture into the city and have a look around at many great things we have. They then go for a holiday around inner city Syd and Melb and go on about how cool it is, yet its compared to their normal quarter acre block lifestyle of driving everywhere around the burbs such as to Westfield Tea Tree Plaza. Start behaving like you live in a vibrant city, then suddenly Adelaide feels like a vibrant city.

[monotonehell]

the grass is always greener on the other side - until you actually get to the other side and realise Adelaide aint too bad after all the years of constantly bagging it.
Quite a few of my mates have moved interstate, they thought Adelaide was dull. Yet everyone of them lived with their parents in the outer suburbs, so Id agree, that would be boring. They move to the inner suburbs of Syd and Melb and marvel at their cosmopolitan lifestyle compared to living in Tea Tree Gully. Well derrr, thats not really surprising. If only they had moved into inner Adelaide. The few that stayed here and moved closer to town seem to love Adelaide, including me.
My wish is that more Adelaideans take more time to know and experience what their city has to offer them. Many Adelaideans hardly ever venture into the city and have a look around at many great things we have. They then go for a holiday around inner city Syd and Melb and go on about how cool it is, yet its compared to their normal quarter acre block lifestyle of driving everywhere around the burbs such as to Westfield Tea Tree Plaza. Start behaving like you live in a vibrant city, then suddenly Adelaide feels like a vibrant city.

^^ This and several more bags of this. I live in a vibrant city. I go out and do things. I don't sit at home and think how boring Adelaide is. I'm sick of the cries of "There's nothing to do." You can hear the same thing said in every city around the World. Life is what you make of it. If you feel inadequate - it's your own problem, don't blame it on your perceived lack of tall buildings.

As to the development side of things, that's mostly down to economics. Governments are only directly responsible for so much. Business can only build what there's a market for. If we want more development, we need to generate more industry, more industry leads to more need for office space, which means more jobs, which means more people need somewhere to live, which drives demand for housing. There's no point continuously saying "should have been taller." And sorry Shuz but there's no point picketing Parliament house for the same reasons.

"It's the economy stupid." Realize this and act accordingly.

[Queen Anne]

i've found Adelaide a much more enjoyable place to live since i changed my own attitude to just accept it for what it is, rather than what it could be... because what it could be in all likelihood will never happen in our lifetimes.

Respectfully, ricecrackers, I have no intention of doing that when I get home. There is a whole world of people out there who refuse to accept mediocrity for their city - their home. I've seen numerous examples of it here in Seattle..

And I'm reading a book right now called Making Their Own Plans that's about ordinary people getting together and making change happen in their city or neighbourhood. The book covers all sorts of groups and aims but that's not what I want to share here..

What I want to say is that we shouldn't sit around waiting for some big project to change our image, or our self image. Personally, I can't stand the feeling of powerlessness that this gives me, anymore.

I know that there is something out there for me, some project, that will give me an opportunity to contribute to the life of Adelaide, and when I get home I am determined to find it. Living in Seattle has shown me that these efforts add up and create a "can-do", positive atmosphere. And really, when it all boils down, its the unconfident, apologetic atmosphere around Adelaide that is our real downfall.

Before I stop pouring my heart out here, I'd just like to say Shuz, I like your idea about advertising S-A. I'd chip in.

[rhino]

the grass is always greener on the other side - until you actually get to the other side and realise Adelaide aint too bad after all the years of constantly bagging it.
Quite a few of my mates have moved interstate, they thought Adelaide was dull. Yet everyone of them lived with their parents in the outer suburbs, so Id agree, that would be boring. They move to the inner suburbs of Syd and Melb and marvel at their cosmopolitan lifestyle compared to living in Tea Tree Gully. Well derrr, thats not really surprising. If only they had moved into inner Adelaide. The few that stayed here and moved closer to town seem to love Adelaide, including me.
My wish is that more Adelaideans take more time to know and experience what their city has to offer them. Many Adelaideans hardly ever venture into the city and have a look around at many great things we have. They then go for a holiday around inner city Syd and Melb and go on about how cool it is, yet its compared to their normal quarter acre block lifestyle of driving everywhere around the burbs such as to Westfield Tea Tree Plaza. Start behaving like you live in a vibrant city, then suddenly Adelaide feels like a vibrant city.

Very well said jk1237, I agree 100%.

[Wayno]

Quite a few of my mates have moved interstate, they thought Adelaide was dull. Yet everyone of them lived with their parents in the outer suburbs, so Id agree, that would be boring. They move to the inner suburbs of Syd and Melb and marvel at their cosmopolitan lifestyle compared to living in Tea Tree Gully. Well derrr, thats not really surprising. If only they had moved into inner Adelaide. The few that stayed here and moved closer to town seem to love Adelaide, including me.

BANG! you hit the nail on the head - well done jk1237458163999

[Shuz]

I'm going into the Advertiser, ACC, Parliament today to find out what I can each course of action we can take, as I mentioned in my previous post...

[Shuz]

Have also decided to deliver the height submission documents directly to ACC and Advertiser today (pending I get copies soon) Premier's one to follow shortly, keep you updated

[shaun]

Anyone know how the FuturePerth group is going?

Could use a few ideas from them..

[Shuz]

Agree with Crawf - we could definetly get some ideas from them, they're definetly a credible and recognisable organisation. Aren't they actually established as a business though, like as a not-for-profit organisation? I believe they have legal support also.

I think Sensational-Adelaide really needs to move forward and assume a greater role in the public arena. We could still retain the prime element; forums, but establish a commitee of representatives on behalf and elected by the membership of the Sensational Adelaide community?

I can't express more than enough as I have about Adelaide's need for change, and that it is up to us to drive that change. If we take matters into our own hands, with credibility and authority, just maybe that will be the catalyst. I believe the public support out there is more than overwhelming for such a venture to proceed. Let's get on board and actually do something about it!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have just decided will stick with original intention of finiding out information; delivering the documents can wait for next week?

[Shuz]

Agree with Crawf - we could definetly get some ideas from them, they're definetly a credible and recognisable organisation. Aren't they actually established as a business though, like as a not-for-profit organisation? I believe they have legal support also.

I think Sensational-Adelaide really needs to move forward and assume a greater role in the public arena. We could still retain the prime element; forums, but establish a commitee of representatives on behalf and elected by the membership of the Sensational Adelaide community?

I can't express more than enough as I have about Adelaide's need for change, and that it is up to us to drive that change. If we take matters into our own hands, with credibility and authority, just maybe that will be the catalyst. I believe the public support out there is more than overwhelming for such a venture to proceed. Let's get on board and actually do something about it!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have just decided will stick with original intention of finiding out information; delivering the documents can wait for next week?

[ricecrackers]

Adelaide a city of all talk and no action. I think we can all agree there is truth in the statement. Otherwise how else could issues such as Vic Sq, Brit round-a-bout, the parklands (particularly south and west) etc... stay as such stagnant problems for so long? Now when these projects are talked about there is that sense of cringe factor as the thoughts of all the negativity thrown at us from the east (and ourselves) about our inaction is given power. Maybe this has given the city's psyche a huge dose of self doubt over the years about what we can do and as a result mediocrity is tollerated with in our governments.

Adelaide can be world class and already is in some areas ie events, but we need to find some proper cities to have as role models to aspire to. We are not going to be London, Paris or NY (let Syd and Mel try for that crown), we should be aiming to emulate cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Munich. All are fantastic cities and have populations much closer to that of Adelaide. Sure we have a long way to go in some regards but they are closer stepping stones.

Of course what is needed to get us there is a forward thinking leader(s) to take action and risks, ones that are well thought through and not half arsed. But what can we do as people who aren't in positions of power and only have our voices? All we can do is talk and talk and talk. It's great that Sen-Ad exists so we can collate ideas in what is usually a positive way with generally only constructive criticism, not blatant negativity which runs rampant throughout letters to the ed. Maybe that forward thinking leader will come from amongst us. But until then as Shuz suggested previously, maybe the rest of us can do something, those in Sen-Ad and the wider public. Rallies when appropriate are probably the most realistic (although they kind of amount to more whingeing, although, again, at least they would neutralize the anti-move forward groups) and show there are Adelaideans wanting change. But are there other physical things that we can do to make our city better? Can anyone out there think of some? So the river is polluted, can we clean it up? If there is more good happening around the city (even if small) it will lift the psyche of the city thus giving us a can do spirit, "...of course we can do that, remember when we cleaned up the river..."

have you ever actually been to Amsterdam, Copenhagen or Munich?

they are far bigger cities than Adelaide....they're also at the center of Europe

seriously some perspective is needed here to move forward. part of the problem i find with a lot of South Australians is the simply lack of perspective they have...through lack of travel or simple naivety or whatever it is i dont know...far too much is expected from what really is a very small provincial city.

the frame of reference you measure it by may paint a different picture as to how successful Adelaide is at what it is.

i hear a lot of people on this site banging on about 'potential'. what potential? you can say anywhere has potential...it really is a pointless argument to make.
perhaps Adelaide has already truly realized its potential. Given its complete isolation in relative terms, its lack of water, arable land etc..it probably does pretty well for what it is.