My Basic Vision for Adelaide: From a Planning Perspective
Posted: Mon May 07, 2018 10:21 pm
This is my 1000th post, so I wanted to write something meaningful (plus I've never made a thread here in Visions & Suggestions before).
I'm writing this from an urban planning perspective, something I'm qualified in.
Adelaide was for decades a champion in finding lower-cost solutions to otherwise expensive problems. The O-Bahn is a prime example - the corridor was part of a freeway proposed in the MATS Plan. The Dunstan Government greenlit a tramway, but construction was halted and it became a busway. Nowadays it is Adelaide's most heavily patronised public transport route, followed by the Gawler line.
However, this acceptance of low-cost solutions meant low financial investment while the problems grew. This led to the neglect of and a decline in our transport and general urban infrastructure. Since 2006, effort has been made to reverse this decline - but it should extend beyond public transport. Above all, I must stress this, even though it is unrealistic: investment in our city must extend beyond politics.
Overarching points:
- Abandonment of the 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide and replacement with a looser plan that is not so focused on serving land to development corporations. Cities can NOT be 'planned' as they are in a constant state of change. It is also something of a myth that restricting land availability pushes up prices. Sprawl simply must stop, and it can, too. However, of the 30-Year Plan, key ideas such as corridor intensification and transit-oriented development should continue.
- Retention of the SA Renewable Energy Target - this effectively helps to create underlying principles of sustainability in planning, development and construction, leading to higher standards.
- Maximum community and stakeholder engagement in the whole process of planning decisions. But it MUST be genuine (Bowden) and not tokenistic (St Clair). The more engagement, the better the quality of the decision. The poorer the engagement, the worse the outcome. Simple really.
- Continued transition to the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act, and its associated reforms.
- Realisation of the Integrated Land Use and Transport Plan.
Public Transport Infrastructure
Infrastructure was largely neglected and played a distant second fiddle to road infrastructure for a long time, but good progress has been made.
- All heavy rail should be electrified, including the Belair line.
- Optimisation of heavy rail: removal of speed restrictions, station upgrades and modernisation, improvements to disability access, security and safety.
- Removal of underutilised stations: I can vouch for the likes of Greenfields and Parafield Gardens on the Gawler line, especially the former given its extremely close proximity to Mawson Lakes.
- Grade separation of rail and road.
- Realisation of the full AdeLINK network.
- Investment in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) - not dissimilar to what we have now, and not to the same extent as Curitiba, but halfway between: the likes of ANZAC Highway and Port Road would be ideal for this.
- More dedicated bus lanes, indents on major roads, more smart stops like the new ones in the CBD, improved stop placement in some areas.
- Improved bus shelters.
- More priority lights for buses at intersections - as many as possible.
- To tie the above together, improved mode change opportunity - Salisbury and Mawson Lakes are two good examples. However, this should go beyond, including future tram stations.
In the future:
- Expansion of the O-Bahn and perhaps replication elsewhere where existing services are poor.
- Underground CBD rail loop.
- Returning interstate services and restored regional rail services to Adelaide Railway Station.
- Potential future abandonment of Adelaide Railway Station as 'the' CBD station.
- Re-routing of the freight line, preferably removing it from the metropolitan area as much as possible.
Public Transport Services
The issue with existing services is the direction they travel: in and out of the CBD. Highest frequencies are during peak hour, which is fine. However, this direction of peak hour travel only meets the needs of 15% of jobs in metropolitan Adelaide. I feel that arguments of 'it's not economically feasible' are irrelevant as public transport is never and can never be run at a profit.
- Continue improving and optimising rail frequency.
- Restructuring all bus routes to better facilitate cross-suburban travel.
Land Use and General Development
- A big topic. Land uses should be integrated, with mixed uses being the norm. 'Industry' no longer needs to be separated from 'residential' (the traditional view of the term industry is that of large, polluting factories. Most industry these days, and certainly industry of the future, is quite the opposite; Tonsley is a preview of this whole point).
- Revival and concerted effort to push progress of more transit-oriented development: Woodville Road (and not St Clair - this was and should have remained a nice public park); Kilkenny, Seaton Park and those proposed in the 30-Year Plan.
- Creation of a new standard of dwellings: siting, design, building materials and colours should be suitable for Adelaide's climate. Current rubbish found in the generic housing estates of the north and south is not.
- Stop any further greenfields development and cancel future such development in the likes of Mount Barker.
- Encouragement of higher architectural standards in the CBD - let's end blank walls.
Cycling
- Doubling the percent of the annual transport budget allocated for cycling (was 0.5% as recently as 2013).
- Continuation and encouragement of free bike schemes.
- Allow Hills buses to carry bikes.
- Improved maintenance of road surfaces and shoulders.
- Separation of bike lanes from roads with speeds above 70km/h.
- Investment in dedicated cycling bridge overpasses/bikeways in necessary areas.
- Creation of an urban design standard for high quality, high capacity bike lanes - such as Frome Street. This can then be transferred to suburban high streets or local collector roads, such as Churchill Road, Unley Road etc.
Road Infrastructure
- Continued use of improved resurfacing technology: old surface is recycled to some extent.
- Clear the road maintenance backlog and repair all dilapidated road surfaces in metropolitan Adelaide - there are a lot.
- Grade separation projects at major intersections, signal sequencing and synchronisation improvements, improved green time for some movements, more permanent clearways - especially along freight routes.
- Improved provision for cycling, buses and merging.
In the future: connection between the S-E Freeway and a completed N-S Motorway.
Cultural Transitions: Sustainability
To tie it up, for Adelaide going forward, the only way the above changes can be accepted, is with a cultural shift.
People will use public transport more if they feel the service is good and meets their needs, but it will need to be better than the car. 2% of all trips to work in Adelaide are made on public transport. This is deplorable, but isn't really a blame game. It's a cultural game. We've seen hints of this temporarily improving in the past: remember in 2006-2007 when fuel prices leapt some 70 cents overnight to $1.69 a litre for unleaded? There was a massive spike in public transport use.
I just want to see some real vision for our city - in 18 years, we turn 200. The time is approaching. Let's get it right.
I'm writing this from an urban planning perspective, something I'm qualified in.
Adelaide was for decades a champion in finding lower-cost solutions to otherwise expensive problems. The O-Bahn is a prime example - the corridor was part of a freeway proposed in the MATS Plan. The Dunstan Government greenlit a tramway, but construction was halted and it became a busway. Nowadays it is Adelaide's most heavily patronised public transport route, followed by the Gawler line.
However, this acceptance of low-cost solutions meant low financial investment while the problems grew. This led to the neglect of and a decline in our transport and general urban infrastructure. Since 2006, effort has been made to reverse this decline - but it should extend beyond public transport. Above all, I must stress this, even though it is unrealistic: investment in our city must extend beyond politics.
Overarching points:
- Abandonment of the 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide and replacement with a looser plan that is not so focused on serving land to development corporations. Cities can NOT be 'planned' as they are in a constant state of change. It is also something of a myth that restricting land availability pushes up prices. Sprawl simply must stop, and it can, too. However, of the 30-Year Plan, key ideas such as corridor intensification and transit-oriented development should continue.
- Retention of the SA Renewable Energy Target - this effectively helps to create underlying principles of sustainability in planning, development and construction, leading to higher standards.
- Maximum community and stakeholder engagement in the whole process of planning decisions. But it MUST be genuine (Bowden) and not tokenistic (St Clair). The more engagement, the better the quality of the decision. The poorer the engagement, the worse the outcome. Simple really.
- Continued transition to the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act, and its associated reforms.
- Realisation of the Integrated Land Use and Transport Plan.
Public Transport Infrastructure
Infrastructure was largely neglected and played a distant second fiddle to road infrastructure for a long time, but good progress has been made.
- All heavy rail should be electrified, including the Belair line.
- Optimisation of heavy rail: removal of speed restrictions, station upgrades and modernisation, improvements to disability access, security and safety.
- Removal of underutilised stations: I can vouch for the likes of Greenfields and Parafield Gardens on the Gawler line, especially the former given its extremely close proximity to Mawson Lakes.
- Grade separation of rail and road.
- Realisation of the full AdeLINK network.
- Investment in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) - not dissimilar to what we have now, and not to the same extent as Curitiba, but halfway between: the likes of ANZAC Highway and Port Road would be ideal for this.
- More dedicated bus lanes, indents on major roads, more smart stops like the new ones in the CBD, improved stop placement in some areas.
- Improved bus shelters.
- More priority lights for buses at intersections - as many as possible.
- To tie the above together, improved mode change opportunity - Salisbury and Mawson Lakes are two good examples. However, this should go beyond, including future tram stations.
In the future:
- Expansion of the O-Bahn and perhaps replication elsewhere where existing services are poor.
- Underground CBD rail loop.
- Returning interstate services and restored regional rail services to Adelaide Railway Station.
- Potential future abandonment of Adelaide Railway Station as 'the' CBD station.
- Re-routing of the freight line, preferably removing it from the metropolitan area as much as possible.
Public Transport Services
The issue with existing services is the direction they travel: in and out of the CBD. Highest frequencies are during peak hour, which is fine. However, this direction of peak hour travel only meets the needs of 15% of jobs in metropolitan Adelaide. I feel that arguments of 'it's not economically feasible' are irrelevant as public transport is never and can never be run at a profit.
- Continue improving and optimising rail frequency.
- Restructuring all bus routes to better facilitate cross-suburban travel.
Land Use and General Development
- A big topic. Land uses should be integrated, with mixed uses being the norm. 'Industry' no longer needs to be separated from 'residential' (the traditional view of the term industry is that of large, polluting factories. Most industry these days, and certainly industry of the future, is quite the opposite; Tonsley is a preview of this whole point).
- Revival and concerted effort to push progress of more transit-oriented development: Woodville Road (and not St Clair - this was and should have remained a nice public park); Kilkenny, Seaton Park and those proposed in the 30-Year Plan.
- Creation of a new standard of dwellings: siting, design, building materials and colours should be suitable for Adelaide's climate. Current rubbish found in the generic housing estates of the north and south is not.
- Stop any further greenfields development and cancel future such development in the likes of Mount Barker.
- Encouragement of higher architectural standards in the CBD - let's end blank walls.
Cycling
- Doubling the percent of the annual transport budget allocated for cycling (was 0.5% as recently as 2013).
- Continuation and encouragement of free bike schemes.
- Allow Hills buses to carry bikes.
- Improved maintenance of road surfaces and shoulders.
- Separation of bike lanes from roads with speeds above 70km/h.
- Investment in dedicated cycling bridge overpasses/bikeways in necessary areas.
- Creation of an urban design standard for high quality, high capacity bike lanes - such as Frome Street. This can then be transferred to suburban high streets or local collector roads, such as Churchill Road, Unley Road etc.
Road Infrastructure
- Continued use of improved resurfacing technology: old surface is recycled to some extent.
- Clear the road maintenance backlog and repair all dilapidated road surfaces in metropolitan Adelaide - there are a lot.
- Grade separation projects at major intersections, signal sequencing and synchronisation improvements, improved green time for some movements, more permanent clearways - especially along freight routes.
- Improved provision for cycling, buses and merging.
In the future: connection between the S-E Freeway and a completed N-S Motorway.
Cultural Transitions: Sustainability
To tie it up, for Adelaide going forward, the only way the above changes can be accepted, is with a cultural shift.
People will use public transport more if they feel the service is good and meets their needs, but it will need to be better than the car. 2% of all trips to work in Adelaide are made on public transport. This is deplorable, but isn't really a blame game. It's a cultural game. We've seen hints of this temporarily improving in the past: remember in 2006-2007 when fuel prices leapt some 70 cents overnight to $1.69 a litre for unleaded? There was a massive spike in public transport use.
I just want to see some real vision for our city - in 18 years, we turn 200. The time is approaching. Let's get it right.