The Adelaide Evolution

Adelaide is the capital of the State of South Australia. The metro area of 1.5 million residents is nestled between hills to the east, the Gulf of St. Vincent to the west and Australia’s greatest vineyards to the north and south. Dozens of small councils (units of local government) constitute the region. At the center of the region is Adelaide itself. Adelaide’s layout is strikingly similar to Philadelphia, with a central square, a grid of streets and four smaller squares. 

For decades City leaders have successfully protected the ring of park land that surrounds the city from development. That parkland has provided a natural urban growth boundary for the core of Adelaide. During the mid and late 20th century sprawling suburbs developed to the north and south of the parklands. The region is more car dependent than any large Australian city. 

There are a group of leaders at the local and state level working shift the future of Adelaide to provide its residents more choices in how live and move across the City the and region. The urban form of a city doesn’t change by revolution, it morphs by evolution. In 2002, the state government instituted an urban growth boundary to protect high value agricultural areas. Some in planning community have been concerned that the boundary is not held to strictly enough, but from those I had discussions with it seems to have largely held or at least is far better than the scenario of development without an urban growth boundary. 

In 2007, the Genelg tram that links a beach community with downtown Adelaide was extensions for one mile in a loop through the city center. Ridership has exceeded expectations and further extensions are under construction. In 2009, then Premier (roughly equivalent of governor) Mike Rann created an Integrated Design Commission to, “ensure that our future development and infrastructure investment is better coordinated and of the highest quality, not something that we, or our children, will regret later.” Other recent developments include, Adelaide's release and efforts to implement a plan to make the city more bike friendly and introduction of bus lanes to speed bus travel times and reduce the congestion caused by cars changing lanes to move around a stopped bus. Structurally, the state government has joined responsibilities for transportation and land use planning under one division. In just the last year, an Urban Renewal Authority was formed to “create great places for people to live by forging strong community and private sector partnerships and accepting only the highest standards of design and planning.”

Adelaide by its nature is a conservative town, conservative in the sense of not liking to see itself change too quickly. That is not different from lots of communities. All of this of work to evolve Adeliade demands leadership, particularly in the context of conservative culture. Adelaide has smart and progressive political representation and public sector executives. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Pat Conlon, who also serves as Minister of Housing and Urban Development and Minister of Transportation Services Chole Fox provide political leadership at the state level. Their leadership is a complement to the dynamic Lord Mayor of Adelaide Stephen Yarwood. As Minister Conlon noted great public administrators are critical to the success of a community, “a very good minister will fail with a bad administration; and a good administration can make a bad minister look good.” At the state level the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure is led by “Mr. Fix-It” Rod Hook, the Integrated Design Commission by architect and planner Tim Horton, and the Urban Renewal Authority by former Portland Tri-Met General Manager and EPA Deputy Administrator Fred Hansen. Adelaide City government is led by similarly dynamic personnel. Without this team Adelaide could be doing the right thing, but it would be hard for them to do it right. 

There are some who would like the evolution to be a little more revolutionary and there are others who are concerned that the public could revolt at any moment. As an outsider it looks to me that Adelaide has public sector leadership that is in pretty good balance.

Smiling after lunch with Lord Mayor Yarwood and Integrated Design Commissioner Tim Horton

Obama supporter Minister Pat Conlin and Urban Renewal Authority Executive Fred Hansen