Public Spaces and Public Life Report

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CITY OF ADELAIDE : 2002

PUBLIC SPACESAND PUBLIC LIFE


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Clients

South Australian Government : Planning SARoma Mitchell House, 136 North Terrace, GPO Box 1815, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.

www.planningsa.gov.auTelephone - 08 8303 0600

City of AdelaideColonel Light Centre, 25 Pirie Street, GPO Box 2252, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australiawww.adelaidecitycouncil.com

Telephone - 08 8203 7203

Capital City CommitteeFirst Floor, 50 Pirie Street, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australiawww.capcity.adelaide.sa.gov.au

Telephone - 08 8207 2319

Assisting students:

Nitsan AtkinsonDavid CasePaul CookseyPhilip CottrellDorna Darab-IsfahaniStephen DarleyBrett GrimmPaula HansardJohn KearieJohn LewisChristine MifsudMohammed Quad

Corey TreziseCatherine TwaddleMichele Williams

Jan Gehl, Architect MAA, Dr. Litt. &Helle Lis Sholt, Architect MAA, M.Arch. (Uni. of Wash.)Strandgade 100, Bygning N, DK-1401 Copenhagen, Denmarktlf.: +45 32 950 951 fax: +45 32 950 [email protected] www.gehlarchitects.dk

Project managers:Jan Gehl, Architect MAA, Dr. Litt.

Helle Sholt, Architect MAA, M.Arch.

Project co-ordinator:Henriette Mortensen, Architect MAA

Project team:Louise Grassov, Architect MAALine Spangsmark, Stud.Arch

Further copies of this report can be downloaded from the above websites

ISBN 1876 702 672 | July 2002

GEHL Architects ApsUrban Quality Consultants

Consultant

Assisting officers:

Planning SAPeter Dungey, coordinatorJason GreenAlan MerchantPhilippe MortierPaul StarkShari SutherlandJohn Tagliaferri

City of AdelaideEleanor Button, coordinatorAlan FairleyMichael FlehrBarbara Meldrum, coordinatorNick NashClem ParrishFaye Patterson


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Public Spaces and Public Life


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Public Spaces and Public Life

INTRODUCTIONIdeology + methodologyCharacteristics of a good cityLife in the public spacesPublic spaces - quality demands

The invaded and the abandoned cityThe reconquered cityThe Copenhagen development

PART 1. PUBLIC SPACESStudy area - comparison with similar citiesAreas of high pedestrian useThe public squares - waiting to be developed for pedestriansWide streets - offering many opportunitiesThe poor north-south connections

Heavy through traffic - in the city centeOff-street car parks - conflicts with pedestriansConditions for pedestrians - low priority in the city centreCycling - a half hearted gestureEvaluation of street frontages and ground level activityAttractive street frontagesUnattractive street frontagesEvening activities - towards a 24 hour cityRundle MallCentral Market

River Torrens - a well kept secretPark Lands - a recreational potential

PART 2. PUBLIC LIFEStudy area - public life studiesPedestrian traffic on a summer weekdayPedestrian traffic on a summer SaturdayOutdoor seatingSpending time in the cityAge distribution

PART 3. RECOMMENDATIONS1. Capitalize on the unique qualities2. A better city for walking3. A better city for staying4. Reduce through traffic5. A beautiful city6. A diverse, safe and lively city

SUMMARY AND REFLECTIONS

Summary - recommendationsReflections

CONTENTS

68

1011121314

1920222426

28303234363839404243

4445

485056606266

707274767880

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Public Spaces and Public Life - Page 6

IDEOLOGY AND METHODOLOGY


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CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD CITY

In order to carry out a qualitative analysis of the publicspaces, a yardstick for the evaluation is applied. The qualityof the public spaces is viewed from a pedestrian perspective,walking at a pace of 5 kilometres per hour. A good city isdefined in the following terms:

A Good City to walk in and to stay in for a while

Room to walk with dignity, integrity and withoutovercrowdingComfortable climatic conditions. Sun and shadedepending on the season and protection from thewindPleasant facades at street level to stroll alongsideand observeGood conditions for people with disabilities andpeople with pramsClear structure in the pedestrian system. It shouldbe easy to find your way aroundA pedestrian system that connects importantdestinationsAbility to promenade through the cityGood walking rhythm with few interruptionsFew and short waiting times at intersectionsMany well placed benches

Widespread secondary seating such as steps andedges of planter boxesWell-situated cafes and outdoor restaurantsBeautiful and effective lighting

A Good City for social and cultural exchanges

Space for cultural activities and communicationSpace for street theatre, clowns and jesters, musicand small scale commercial activitiesDemocratic public spaces for all

A Good City for talking, watching and experiencing

Low level of noise and few disturbancesIntimate public spacesFine views and good detailsInteresting facades, window displays and exhibits

A lively, diverse and safe city to move around in

A wide variety of uses both day and nightResidences to ensure a 24 hour cityEducational institutions to ensure life and vitalityOpen in the evenings with lit window displaysSafe places and streets both day and night


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THREE TYPES OF PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITIES

Necessary activities

The things that have to be done:

Going to school, waiting for the bus and going to work. Inthe short term these types of activities occur regardless ofthe quality of the physical environment because people arecompelled to carry them out.

A Good City provides good conditions for the many necessaryactivities and will retain and strengthen these activities overtime.

Optional activities (urban recreation)Activities people are tempted to do when climatic conditions,surroundings and the place are generally inviting and attrac-tive. These activities are especially sensitive to quality. Theyonly occur when quality is high.

A Good City is characterized by a multitude of optional activi-ties. People come to town, find the places attractive and stayfor a long time. A great, attractive city can always be recogni-zed by the fact that many people choose to spend time in thepublic spaces.

Social activitiesThese activities occur whenever people move about in thesame spaces. Watching, listening, experiencing other people,passive and active participation.

A Good City offers a wide range of attractive optional activi-ties, and because so many people are present in the city, there

are many people to experience, watch and speak to. The citybecomes a lively and wonderful city. A people city.

ACTIVITIES IN THE PUBLIC SPACES

On this page three different categories of activities carriedout in public spaces are described.Among the three distinct categories of people activities -NECESSARY ACTIVITIES, OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES AND SOCIALACTIVITIES - the optional and the social activities are theimportant keys to city quality.

In poor quality city areas one will only find necessary activi-ties ie. people doing things they have to do.

In good quality city areas one will find not only necessaryactivities (carried out under decent conditions) but also amultitude of recreational and social activities people love todo while in cities. However these activities will only happenif the circumstances are right; ie. if the city offers tempting,good quality spaces. This is why a good city can be comparedto a good party - people stay for much longer than reallynecessary, because they are enjoying themselves.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD CITY


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A Daily necessary activity: To walk to and fromor walk through

B Daily recreational activity: Breaks and pauses

C Recreational activity: Recreation and play

D Planned activity: To be a spectator/participant

1. The every day users: People that live and work in the area or walk through.

2. The visitors/customers: People that visit the functions in the area.

3. The recreational visitors: People that visit the area because the public space is delightful or usethe public space in relation to recreation, pleasure, exercise, play etc.

4. The visitors to events: People that visit the public space because of special events.

Which types of user groups can be expected to use the public spaces ? What kind of activities can be expected in the public spaces ?

LIFE IN THE PUBLIC SPACES

The good public space

The key to establishing lively and safe public spaces is pedestrian traffic and pedestrian activities.The arrival to the public space will - in different combinations - happen via six forms of traffic - people will arrive onfoot, by car, by train or tram, by bus or on bicycles. Eventually everybody will be pedestrians leaving their mode of

transport behind and entering the public spaces experiencing the surroundings at eye level.The traffic in good public spaces will primarily be dominated by walking, cycling and limited vehicular traffic. Howthe traffic will be distributed depends on the quality of the public spaces. If the vehicular traffic is too dominantthe public spaces will neither be exciting for people nor lively. Worldwide examples show how public spaces withunfortunate compromises for pedestrians result in unattractive and deserted public spaces.If on the other hand good conditions are provided for pedestrians more people will walk and many recreative andattractive activities will follow.A public space of high quality will always be recognized by people interrupting their walk or daily business so theycan rest, enjoy the city, the public spaces and be together with other people.

Good conditions for walking and for life on foot, along with a possibility for staying, for pauses and experiences arethe key to attractive and lively public spaces.

Placa del Sol, Barcelona, Spain.


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THE INVADED AND THE ABANDONED CITY

THE INVADED CITY - Westport, Ireland

THE ABANDONED CITY - Spokane, WA, USA

Different cities have applied very different policies concer-ning people activities in the city centres and the design con-cepts for their public spaces.

- the invaded cityCities being inundated with car traffic to such an extent thatthe pedestrians and the public life have almost been sque-

ezed out. This has happened in many cities worldwide.

- the abandoned cityCities where walking and public life has become completeleyphased out. Many cities in North America are now in a situa-tion where public life is non existent.

- the reconquered cityCities which have striven to regain a reasonable balance be-tween traffic, market and meeting places. This is the case in

Barcelona (Spain), Strasbourg and Lyon (France), Freiburg(Germany) and Copenhagen (Denmark) - all European cities.From other continents cities such as Portland (USA), Curitiba(Brazil) and Melbourne (Australia) have gone through asimilar development. In many of these cities can be foundan impressive increase in the volumes of walking and otherpeople activities in the public spaces. In Copenhagen afour-fold increase in public space activities over the past 25years has been documented - closely corresponding to theimprovements carried out in the pedestrian environments inthe same period.

- from Gehl & Gemze New City Spaces, 2001


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THE COPENHAGEN DEVELOPMENT

The story of Copenhagen:

On these pages a general presentation of Copenhagen willbe made in order to illustrate the developments in Copenha-gen City centre where for 40 years a step by step policy hasbeen followed for turning a car oriented city into a people

oriented city. One of the catalysts for this development was astrong public demand but also the rising fuel prices and theincreased taxes on private cars over the same period.

The development has involved stopping the through traffic,reducing the number of car parking spaces in the centre andincreasing the amount of space set aside for pedestrian acti-vities from 15.000 m2, when the first pedestrian scheme wasintroduced in 1962, to the present day 100.000 m2 of car freestreets and squares. These physical changes have been thebackground for a dramatic increase in the number of peopleusing and enjoying the city. In the case of Copenhagen thesechanges are well documented through surveys on the relati-onship between public life and public space quality carriedout over three decades.

The general development of the main street in Copenhagen(Strget) is quite similar to the development in many other

cities - Portland, Melbourne etc. The development can bedescribed in four steps:

The car-oriented phase; the street is filled with cars andpedestrian areas are limited to narrow footpaths.The shopping phase; the street is pedestrianized and peoplevisit merely to shop and look at the window displays.The cultural phase; new activities begin to appear, peoplesettle down and recreate, the effect spreads to adjoining stre-ets and areas.

The spatial identity phase; the street and the squares con-nected are regarded significant on the same terms as impor-tant public buildings. The space between the buildings isgiven a new meaning.

The gradual development of pedestrian areas in the city centre of Copenhagen 1962 - 2000.

The total pedestrian area is 100.000 m2. Of this area 1/3 is streets and 2/3 are squares. This illustrates a policy whereconditions are not only improved for walking but also for staying and the activities that follow.

2000 99.780 m2

1.

2.

3.

4.



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Renovation turned the Town Hall Square into a large unified bowl-shaped space defined by a pavillion building in dark glass.

The Town Hall Square was renovated in connection withCopenhagen being the European Cultural Capital in 1996.

Above: The Town Hall Square in 1995 before renovation whentraffic divided the square in two separate parts.

Strdet; mixed traffic on pedestrian terms.

Bicycle traffic in Copenhagen has grown by 65% since 1980.Bicycles are an important link in the transport system andhandle 33% of commuter traffic.

Number of pedestrianized square metersavailable in the 14 study areas

Average number of stationary activities inall 14 study areas between 12 am and 4 pm

on summer weekdays

Developments 1968-1995:Stationary activities on summer weekdays seenin relation to available pedestrian areas.

71.000 sq.m

55.000 sq.m5.100

3.850

1.650

20.500 sq.m

1968 1986 1995

Relationship between areas and activity levels.

12,4 sq.m./act. 14,2 sq.m./act. 13,9 sq.m./act.

1968 1986 1995


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PART 1 - PUBLIC SPACES - problems and potentials


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PL6PL17 PL7

PL10

PL9

PL8

PL11PL12

PL13

PL14

PL15

PL16

PL1

State Library

Museum,Art Gallery

Uni of Adelaide

Uni of SA City East Campus

Botanic Gardens

Royal Adelaide HospitalParliament HouseSkate Park

Central Market

Victoria Park Racecource

WestTerrace Cemetery

Uni SA CityWestCampus

North Terrace

Hindley Street

Currie Street

Waymouth Street

Franklin Street

Grote Street

Gouger Street

Wright Street

Gilbert Street

South Terrace

Sturt Street

North Terrace

Hindley Street

Currie Street

Waymouth Street

Franklin Street

Grote Street

Gouger Street

Wright Street

Gilbert Street

South Terrace

Sturt Street

North Terrace

Rundle Mall

Grenfell Street

Pirie Street

Flinders Street

Wakefield Street

Angas Street

Carrington Street

Gilles Street

South Terrace

Halifax Street

North Terrace

Rundle Street

Grenfell Street

Pirie Street

Flinders Street

Wakefield Street

Angas Street

Carrington Street

Gilles Street

South Terrace

Halifax Street

KingWilliamStreet

PulteneyStreet

GawlerPl

FromeStreet

HuttStreet

Victoria Square

Light Square

Whitmore Square Hurtle Square

Hindmarsh Square

KingW

illiamStreet

Pultene

yStreet

HuttStreet

EastTe

rrace

Anzac

Highw

ay

WestTerrace

WestTe

rrace

MorphetStreet

Railway Station

Adelaide Festival Centre

Convention Centre

Adelaide Oval

Bi-centennial conservatory

Town Hall

Plan showing the study area,which contains the areas of greatest public and commercial activity and is

contained within the broader city square mile.

100 200 300 m


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AREAS OF HIGH PEDESTRIAN USE


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AREAS OF HIGH PEDESTRIAN USE

n ey ree

Grote Street

North Terrace

Run le Mal

StreetGrenfell

Run le Street

ingWilliamStree

t

awlerP

Victoria Square

Areas of high pedestrian use

100 200 300 m


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THE PUBLIC SQUARES - waiting to be developed for pedestrians


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g p p

Light Square

Whitmore Square

Victoria Square

Hindmarsh Square

Hurtle Square

THE PUBLIC SQUARES - waiting to be developed for pedestrians


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Total amount of car-free space: 100.500 m2

Victoria Square: 28.600 m2Light Square: 13.000 m2Hindmarsh Square: 13.600 m2Whitmore Square: 23.900 m2Hurtle Square: 21.400 m2

In Colonel Lights Adelaide plan there are six squares. Three ofthese squares are located in the study area and a further twoare within the citys square mile.

The squares provide a public space for each part of the city,offering wonderful opportunities to develop a local, activepublic space. Victoria Square is the centrally located main

square where occasionally festivals and civic events takeplace.

The squares are cultivated bits of landscape brought into thecity in order to offer people space for recreation. Over theyears Adelaide has changed but the squares are luckily stillthere. They still offer space for recreation and are still unbuiltareas but their present state does not reflect contemporaryvisions for fine public spaces where people want to spendtime. All squares, except Whitmore Square, are cut through

by traffic, leaving the spaces cut up in smaller pockets. Thisis very unfortunate and ruins both the perception of thesquares as a whole and as important identifiable elements inthe city plan. The respect for the squares seems to have beenworn down over the years under the pressure of traffic.

Summary

The public squares cover a large area and offer recreationalpotential yet to be fully explored. The urban and aestheticquality of the squares today is poor and an overall plan needsto be developed to discuss what future use Adelaide wants ofthese squares and what kind of character they should have -parks, urban squares or a more active space for various excer-cises or activities.

The parkRecreational city space. Offers a pause inthe throbbing life of the city and a senseof cultivated nature.

The urban spaceA classic public space which adapts thecity context and offers space for events,social activities or resting.

Urban activity + landscape featureNew type of public space which integratesmore active, recreational activities.

WIDE STREETS - offering many opportunities


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Existing street trees

Formal row planting

Irregular planting

Median strip plantings

100 200 300 m

WIDE STREETS - offering many opportunities


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Street hierarchy

Adelaide has a street system with a hierarchy dependingon widths. The streets are either 20 m, 30 m or 40 m widedepending on the importance and location in the city grid.

The extravagant widths have until now been used for extra

traffic lanes e.g. North Terrace.

Generally speaking the east west connections are very goodwith acceptable intervals. The north-south connections arenot so frequent and one often has to walk far to reach a largernorth-south bound street.Some streets have recently been upgraded - King WilliamStreet and Rundle Mall - while others are worn down and inneed of a general renewal, which could improve the condi-tions for pedestrians and cyclists as well as bring more char-acter and identity to the different streets offering a distinctsense of place.

Street trees

On the opposite page is shown a recording of street trees inAdelaide. As the street widths indicate the level of importanceso could street trees strengthen this image and help establisha distinct hierarchy between local streets and main streets.North Terrace has the most extensive and systematic street

plantings. Here, the formal row planting is continuous, offer-ing a distinct character and a wonderful shade.

Street trees are generally located in the east-west streetswhile the north-south connections have not been planted.

The exceptions are King William Street and Pulteney Street.

SummaryThe street width is a large potential which could be usedfor more recreative activities, improved conditions for cyclists

and pedestrians and dedicated bus lanes.Adelaide has a street planting strategy which needs to befollowed in order to strengthen the street hierarchy and theindividual character of every street.Planting should not be applied to every street but followthe overall strategy which identifies important routes andplaces.

Right: North Terrace has an impressivestreet planting which gives character tothe streetscape, narrows the street visuallyand adds substantial quality to the foot-path.Below: Pulteney Street has currently beenupgraded and now has tree planting insome parts of the street.

North Terrace

North Terrace

Pulteney Street

Currie Street

THE POOR NORTH SOUTH CONNECTIONS


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HEAVY THROUGH TRAFFIC - in the city centre


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North Terrace

Currie Street

Grote Street

North Terrace

Grenfell Street

Wakefield Street

KingWilliamStreet

PulteneyStreet

HuttStreet

KingWilliamStreet

WestTerrace

MorphetStreet

29.189

20.601

42.980

22.8

93

15

.874

9.0

01

22

.096

46

.811

16.135

18.0

70

38.470

18.113

19.822

17.361

34.053

36.486

6.689

15.8

10

200 400 600 m

50. 000 + cars per day

40. - 50.000 cars per day



Inward and outward bound trafficTraffic is heavy especially North and East Terrace plus the northern part of King William Street(Source: City of Adelaide economic profile, April 1999)


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OFF-STREET CAR PARKS - conflicts with pedestrians


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Above: North Terrace- three lanes in, three lanes out.

Right: Gouger Street- two lanes in, two lanes out.

Estimated number of parking spots in study area: 35.000

Parking stations (study area): 18.72Open lot parking (study area): 1.097

On-street parking (total city of Adelaide): 15.075Private on-site parking (total city of Adelaide): 31.000

Comparison:

Copenhagen: 3.000, in a similar study areaStockholm: 8.000, in a similar study areaLyon: 12.000, in a similar areaPerth: 13.000 in a slightly smaller area

Some European cities have better developed public transportsystems that enable people to leave the car at home and go

to the city by bus, tram, cycle or train.

In Adelaide the overall goal has been to offer everybody aparking spot in the centre of the city in order to make thecity accessible. Off-street car parks and large parking lots aretherefore a common element in Adelaide.

This strategy has provided good opportunities for vehiculartraffic but has proven to have a large negative impact on thequality of the public spaces and conditions for pedestrians.

The entrances to off-street car parks are constructed withup to 6 lane entries/exits which cut across the footpath andleave pedestrians in an undefined pedestrian area.

This is the situation on North Terrace and a number of otherplaces in the city centre.It is important to note that as soon as a motorist leaves thecar s/he becomes a pedestrian for which all the quality issuesdescribed apply.

Summary

Adelaide has a very high number of parking spots in the citycentre offering good conditions for cars but also increasingthe problem of traffic in the city centre.Pedestrians have low priority on footpaths where entries andexits to off-street car parks are interrupting the footpath.Given the high number of parking spaces available it is notrecommended to increase parking in the downtown area.Increase in parking capacity should in the future be linked topublic transport lines in the form of park and ride facilities,

which are currently succesfully being introduced in manyother cities.

OFF-STREET CAR PARKS - conflicts with pedestrians


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Off-street car parks in the study areaLocation of parking facilities in the study area

100 200 300 m

Off-street car parks

Off-street car parks with

entrances interrupting footpaths

(e.g. on page over leaf ).

CONDITIONS FOR PEDESTRIANS - low priority in the city centre


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330 unnecessary interruptions in the pedestrian system

Dots showing footpath interruptions made by driving lanes etc.

100 200 300 m


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CYCLING - a half hearted gesture


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200 400 600 m

Very poor cycle routes

Poor cycle routes

Good cycle routes

Fair cycle routes

Rating of cycle lanesThe recordings and ratings were done by one of the Adelaide task forces

while cycling through the study area.


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EVALUATION OF STREET FRONTAGES AND GROUND LEVEL ACTIVITY

Cit Q lit t E L l Th d fl f d


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City Quality at Eye Level - The ground floor facade

The quality of the building frontages facing the footpath is anextremely important factor for the quality of an urban area.Good ground floor facades are rich in detail and exciting towalk by, interesting to look at, to touch and to stand beside.Activities inside the buildings and those occurring on thestreet enrich each other. In the evening friendly light shinesout through the windows of shops and other ground flooractivities and contributes to both a feeling of security as wellas genuine safety. Interesting ground floor facades also pro-vide good reasons for walking around in the city in the eve-nings and on Sundays, engaging in the age old attractivepastime: window shopping. Blank walls, on the contrary,underline the futility of visiting the city outside workinghours.

Narrow units have the fine effect of making streets more inter-esting because narrow units mean many doors and many dif-ferent uses to look at, even on a short walk through town.

The many narrow units also provide a predominantly verti-cal facade structure which has the important visual effect ofmaking distances feel shorter. This makes it more interestingand comfortable to walk around in the city.

As illustrated on this page the edge is often the most popu-

lar place to sit or stand and watch public life. A lively edgecan be achieved through lively facades, which with columns,recesses, stairs, niches or stones give people an interestingenvironment to pass along or to linger by.

Adelaide has serious problems with unattractive ground floorfacades in substantial portions of the city centre. To assessthese problems a system for evaluation has been developed.

The system includes 7 grades from A+ to E- (which are intro-duced on the opposite page).

Summary

Street frontages are an important part of the street environ-ment offering life and experience to the street. In order tocreate a lively and people friendly city a substantial part ofthe street frontages need to be open, transparent and wel-coming in order to create a sense of a safe and nice city tomove around in.

A+ Exciting Like A but even more attractive

The Edge Effect - RestingThe Edge Effect - Standing The Edge Effect - Socializing

A Attractive

EVALUATION OF STREET FRONTAGES AND GROUND LEVEL ACTIVITY


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A AttractiveSmall units, many doors (15-20 units per 100 m)Diversity of functionsNo closed or passive unitsInteresting relief in facadesQuality materials and refined details

B PleasantRelatively small units (10-14 units per 100 m)Some diversity of functionsOnly a few closed or passive unitsSome relief in the facadesRelatively good detailing

C Somewhere in-betweenMixture of small and larger units (6-10 units per 100 m)Some diversity of functionsOnly a few closed or passive unitsUninteresting facade designSomewhat poor detailing

D DullLarger units with few doors (2-5 units per 100 m)Little diversity of functionsMany closed unitsPredominantly unattractive facadesFew or no details

E UnattractiveLarge units with few or no doorsNo visible variation of functionClosed and passive facadesMonotonous facadesNo details, nothing interesting to look at

E- Mean Like E but even more unattractive

- seen on Grote Street - Open 7 days a weekbut certainly not towards the footpath !

The good facades

ATTRACTIVE STREET FRONTAGES


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The good facades

Attractive street frontages create a friendly streetscape withmany entrances and transparent facades which provide agood contact between indoors and outdoors.

In Adelaide the attractive street frontages are concentratedalong and around Rundle Street, Rundle Mall and HindleyStreet.In these precincts there is generally a good mix of differentunits / shops, not too large units etc. When the streetscapeis perceived as an inviting and friendly place one or two badunits cannot distort this experience.

Gouger Street is another place where a good developmenthas resulted in open, lively and transparent street frontages.

In comparison with the market frontages on Grote Street thestreet frontages on Gouger Street are generally more openand lively with many cafs, restaurants and smaller shops thatenrich the streetscape.

Apart from these areas the good street frontages are scat-tered in minor areas over larger parts of the central city area.

Guidelines for improving street frontages should be made inorder to improve the streetscape on a number of important

connections in the city. Identifying the important streets willindicate where a general improvement of street frontagesshould begin. Brochures, good examples and guidelines canstart an improvement of the general street picture.

A Good street frontage award could be introduced to begiven as a prize for the best facades every year. This is a modelthat has been tried elsewhere with good results as it has man-aged to create an increased awareness of this problem andhas resulted in a good development.

Summary

The areas with attractive street frontages are limited. The bestground floor frontages are found on Hindley Street, RundleMall, Rundle Street and parts of Gouger Street. Apart fromthese streets the areas with good frontages are widely scat-tered.

200 400 600 m

Attractive street frontagesMap showing ground floor frontages in thecategories A+, A and B as displayed on the

previous pages.

SummaryThese are the areas where attrac-tive street frontages dominate.

The poor facades

UNATTRACTIVE STREET FRONTAGES


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The poor facades

There is a general problem concerning unattractive streetfrontages in Adelaide. Far too many of the ground floorfacades are uninteresting, closed and inactive.Unattractive street frontages are concentrated in the westernpart of the city but are a widespread problem.

In particular, the north-south connections are of poor qualityand reinforce the perception that these links are uninvitingdark alleys. In order to improve the pedestrian connectionsin the city the most important north-south links must beidentified and redeveloped in order to create inviting andsafe connections.

The recordings display only the E and the E- category (see

the previous pages) which indicate that the problem is quiteserious and needs attention. Public institutions could set anexample for the redevelopment of street frontages. One ofthe poor examples of public institutions to be mentionedhere is the University of South Australias City West Campuswhich is quite introverted and uninviting. This is rather sadsince an educational institution is usually a very vibrant ele-ment in a city and could start a positive development in anotherwise quite inactive part of the city.

Summary

The areas with unattractive street frontages are concentratedin the western part of the city centre, where most of the front-ages are considered quite uninteresting.Many of the north south connections are, not surprisingly,also present on the summary map of unattractive street front-ages.

200 400 600 m

Unattractive street frontagesMap showing ground floor frontages in thecategories E and E- as displayed on the previ-

ous pages.

SummaryThese are the areas where unat-tractive street frontages dominate.

EVENING ACTIVITIES - towards a 24 hour city


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Restaurants, cafs, pubs and clubs

Hotels

Theatres, cinemas, cultural activities

Other

The streets perceived as most unsafe

100 200 300 m

Evening activitiesMap showing the number and category of evening activities open

and active at 10 pm on a summer weekday.Marked in grey are the streets perceived as the most unsafe.


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THE RIVER TORRENS - a well kept secret

The River Torrens is just outside the study area, but of suchrecreational importance for public life that the access routes


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recreational importance for public life that the access routeswere included in the study.

Until quite recently Adelaide turned its back on its river.Although Colonel Lights famous plan envisaged very few

buildings between North Terrace and the Torrens, over thepast 150 years views and easy access to the river from the Cityhave been all but lost as more and more developments haveoccurred. Fortunately though, in recent years both the Riv-erbank and North Terrace Masterplans have included designprinciples that aim to restore pedestrian connections anda sense of the river from the city. It is very important thatthese masterplans are acted on so that Adelaide can join themany cities around the world that are reconnecting with theirwaterfronts.

Pedestrian links

The essential problem with the existing conditions is therather massive building front which is situated betweenNorth Terrace and River Torrens. Along this edge access to theriver and visual contact is of low quality. Several of the pas-sages are hidden, narrow or private, not inviting people to useshort cuts to the river. There are no clear, direct and distinctpassages to the river from North Terrace.

Along the river exists opportunities for a re-establishment ofthe passages and the Riverbank project includes the possibil-ity for more passages to the water.

As displayed on the map the access points to be developedare: 1. Morphett Street Bridge / Montefiore Road. 2. AdelaideConvention Centre. 3. Adelaide Plaza. 4. Station Road / FestivalDrive. 5. King William Road. 6. Kintore Avenue. 7. Path throughthe University of Adelaide.

SummaryThe connections between the city centre and the River Tor-rens are weak. Buildings close off the immediate visual linksbetween the two and passages have not been kept open inmany cases or are of such poor quality that people do notwant to, or cannot use them.

These conditions need to be changed. Adelaide should havestrong visual and physical connections to the river. The accessto the water should be eased and activities on the riverbanksand on the water should be encouraged.

Passages to the riverMap showing possible passages to the river.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

PARK LANDS - a recreation potential

The Park Lands are outside the study area, but of equal rec-reational importance for the public life as the river

The surrounding Park LandsMap showing important passages


44/83


reational importance for the public life as the river.

The Park Lands are an important element of Colonel Lightsoriginal plan for the city - a cultivated border of green land-scape that surrounded the city offering free space and rec-

reational activities to the urban population between the hillsand the seaside.

The Park Lands have mostly been preserved as a green beltsurrounding the inner city, but over time a number of publicmonuments and private institutions have been built.

To continue preserving the character, attractiveness and rec-reational qualities of Park Lands, it is important in the futureto limit the build form from spreading.

Pedestrian links

Like the access to the riverfront, the success and liveliness ofthe Park Lands also depends upon accessibility.

Today, several of the footpaths in the Park Lands are used asshort cuts to other parts of the city. The most important anddirect routes are marked on the map on this page.

The overall perception is that the Park Lands are unsafe to

walk through at night, and in general the parks are not uti-lized enough as recreational areas.

Summary

The connections from the city centre through the Park Landscan appear unsafe at night and the routes to the city centrethrough the Park Lands need to be improved for pedestriansand cyclists.Adelaide should have strong visual and physical connectionsto and through the Park Lands. Wide, well lit paths through

the parks should also be developed and others improved toencourage more people to use the recreational opportunitiesavailable there and to walk and cycle to the city.

Activities in the Park LandsThe Park Lands include the well visited Botanical Gardenswith the bi-centennial conservatory. The gardens arean important asset for both the city and the region. Inaddition the garden is a fine place to find quietness andsolitude.

The Park Lands further incorporate the Adelaide Oval,which is much loved, well established and attracts visitorsto cricket matches from all over the country.(Photo: Tourism Commission)

Map showing important passagesthrough Park Lands to the surroundingneighbourhoods.


45/83

PART 2 - PUBLIC LIFE


46/83


1

STUDY AREA - public life studies


47/83


32

4 5 6 7

9

12

8

11

13

10

1514

b

ed

g

j

h

f

c

a

k

Counting positions for pedestriantraffic.Squares and streets where stayingactivities have been recorded.

100 200 300 mStreets and squares where public life has been recorded


48/83

PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ON A SUMMER WEEKDAY - day-time 10 am to 6 pm

320


49/83


Comparison ; City main streets

(Summerdays 10 am to 6 pm).

Copenhagen (1996): 55.000 pedestriansMelbourne (1994): 45.000 pedestriansPerth (1994): 46.000 pedestriansStockholm (1991): 56.000 pedestrians

1.660

12.500

2.3

14.700

59.230

4.970

5.040

8.730

9.020

17.430

12.5

10

9.0

30

14.0

1

0

8.3

60

5.6

40

100 200 300 m

Wednesday the 22nd of January 2002

Weather: Mild and sunny, 25oC.Day-time - 10 am to 6 pm

As expected, Rundle Mall is the most visited street with almost60.000 pedestrians surveyed. This total is three times thenumber of pedestrians in Grenfell Street (that has the secondhighest pedestrian traffic). The busiest street in Copenhagencarries 55.000 pedestrians in a similar period.

Other streets with a quite high number of pedestrians are:North Terrace (West), Hindley Street, Gawler Place and KingWilliam Street (South). These streets have pedestrian volumesof 12. - 15.000.

120

PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ON A SUMMER WEEKDAY - night-time 6 pm to 12 pm


50/83


520

2.320

250

920

850

1.7

60

480

1.580

2.860

520

1.

620

2.1301.830

250

200 400 600 m

Summary

During daytime a surprisingly high number of people walk inAdelaide, considering the partly undeveloped pedestrian net-work. The pedestrian traffic in the city is related to businesshours, where people walk from car parks to offices, go out forlunch and walk back to the car park or to the bus or train inthe evening. Another important reason for walking in the cityis shopping which is evident in Rundle Mall.

Wednesday the 22nd of January 2002

Weather: Mild, 20oC.Night 6 pm to 12 pm

After 6 pm the activities shift to other streets such as: RundleStreet, North Terrace (West) and Gouger Street. Generally thepedestrian traffic is very low at night indicating that peoplewalk in the city because it is necessary in relation to work andshopping and not because it is a pleasure to walk. In Copen-hagen 23.000 people walk in the main street at night-time tolook at the window displays and enjoy the night life. This isapproximately 50% of the daytime activity.

Adelaide becomes inactive after 6 pm when the shops andoffices close. The countings display a remarkably quiet city atnight time on a normal weekday.

3500 Rundle MallAll day: 61.350

215

220

PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ON A SUMMER WEEKDAY


51/83


3848

6472

9788

12900

11392

10188

7848

3584

792

328

468

318

14872

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

5500

6000

6500

7000

7500

8000

8500

9000

9500

0000

0500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -1 0 1 0- 11 1 1- 12

Pedestriansperhour

Time

5

8

5

21

131

13

190

60

170

64

163

108

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

210

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -1 0 1 0- 11 1 1- 12P

edestriansperminute

Time

Rundle StreetAll day: 11.880

Pedestriansperhour

Pedestriansperminute

Time

Time

696

1028

1360

1720

2084

1824 1800

1260

796732

668576

516

300

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -1 0 1 0- 11 11 -1 2

12

17

23

29

35

30 30

21

1312

1110

9

5

0

10

20

30

40

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -1 0 1 0- 11 1 1- 12

Hindley Street - WestAll day: 2.160

rhour King William Road

All day: 3.440rhour



52/83


19

26

4039

3130

35

25

9

6 6 6

2 2

0

10

20

30

40

50

1 0- 11 11- 12 1 2- 1 1- 2 2- 3 3 -4 4- 5 5- 6 6 -7 7- 8 8- 9 9- 10 1 0- 11 11 -1 2

1136

1580

23802312

1880 1796

2092

1528

556

3 44 3 44 3 48

108 132

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -1 0 1 0- 11 1 1- 12

Hindley Street - EastAll day: 16.540

Pedestriansperhour


Time

Time

116 136

2 64 2 64 2 36 2 40 224176 188

104 112 66 20 12

0

500

1 0- 11 11 -12 1 2- 1 1 -2 2- 3 3 -4 4 -5 5- 6 6 -7 7- 8 8 -9 9 -1 0 10 -11 1 1- 12

Time

Pedestriansper

2 2

4 4 4 4 43 3

2 2 10 0

0

10

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12- 1 1 -2 2- 3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6- 7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -1 0 1 0- 11 1 1- 12

Time


Time

Time

23

29

37

41

2524

30

75

3 2 2

25

11

0

10

20

30

40

50

10 -11 11 -1 2 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -10 1 0- 11 11 -1 2

1402

1710

2228

2440

1494 15201432

1780

672

404304

150 124 108

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -1 0 1 0- 11 1 1- 12

King William StreetAll day: 15.770

Pedestriansperhour


Time

Time

216 244304

402 380

2202 80 2 80

196 180 148

42

532

18

0

500

1000

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 1 2- 1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -1 0 10 -1 1 1 1- 12

Time

Pe

destrianspe

4 45

7 6

45 5

3 3 21

9

0

0

10

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -1 0 1 0- 11 1 1- 12

Time


Time

Time

Page 52:

Rundle Street

The pedestrian traffic in Rundle Street peaks around 2.30 pm.The street is a busy place throughout the day with peoplevisiting the many outdoor cafs and restaurants. Around 6pm the activity decreases to 1/3 of the daytime activity. At 11pm the cafs close and people go home.

Rundle Mall

The pedestrian traffic in Rundle Mall is at its highest at 1.30pm. At this time 215 pedestrians pass every minute. At 6 pm

the shops close and the street becomes rather deserted. Thisindicates that Rundle Mall is used merely as a shopping malland not as a good, multifunctional city street with life andactivities continuing after closing hours.

This page:Hindley Street and King William Street

The same situation as Rundle Street occurs during daytimealthough the hourly number of pedestrians (approximately2.000) are more constant in these two streets than Rundle

Street. At night-time Hindley Street and King William carry50% of the activity on Rundle Street.

James PlaceAll day: 9.280

erhour

Leigh StreetAll day: 6.500

erhour

1196

1796

1920

1500

2000


13361500


53/83


18

43 43

24

20

12

21 1 1

2425

0

10

20

30

40

50

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -1 0 1 0- 11 1 1- 12


Time

1108

1410

2606 2571

1488 1444

1180

700

13244 40 30

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2- 3 3- 4 4 -5 5 -6 6- 7 7- 8 8 -9 9 -10 10 -11 1 1- 12

Gawler PlaceAll day: 12.750

Pedestriansperhour

Time

20

32 30

16

14

6

31 0 0 0 0

15

18

0

10

20

30

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -1 0 1 0- 11 1 1- 12

Pe

destrianspe


Time

Time

10

1312

19

21

1

7

38

12

18

23

0

10

20

30

40

50

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -1 0 1 0- 11 1 1- 12


Time

628702

1408

2288

1068

772720

1148

390

11640 78

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 1 2- 1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -1 0 10 -1 1 1 1- 12

Pirie StreetAll day: 9.360

Pedestriansperh

our

Time

Pedestrianspe

5253

26

49

2 23

19

8

26

32

34

0

10

20

30

40

50

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3- 4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7- 8 8 -9 9 -1 0 1 0- 11 1 1- 12

1160

2025

31223199

1890

1548 1531

2950

462

148 116192

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -1 0 1 0- 11 1 1- 12

Grenfell StreetAll day: 18.340


Pedestriansperh

our

1196

876

1086980

812

364

15052

16 12 12 80

500

1000

10- 11 11- 12 1 2- 1 1- 2 2- 3 3- 4 4- 5 5- 6 6 -7 7- 8 8- 9 9- 10 1 0- 11 11- 12

Time

Time

Time

1011

11

14

108 9

22

7

2 2 1 1 1

0

10

20

30


Time

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1- 2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -10 10 -1 1 11 -1 2

584 630676

812

582496 528

400

140 10866 64 76

0

500

1000

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6 6 -7 7 -8 8- 9 9 -10 10- 11 1 1- 12


54/83

PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ON A SUMMER SATURDAY - daytime 10 am to 6 pm


55/83


7.910

7.970

33.980

2.940

3.270

10.180

5

.800

7.1

90

5

.060

100 200 300 m

Pedestrian traffic 10 am to 6 pmSummer Saturday in February 2002

PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ON A SUMMER SATURDAY

F ll i

Saturday the 9th of February 2002 - 10 am to 6 pm.

Weather: Cool and cloudy, 22oC.

D 0 6


56/83


Following pages:

As mentioned earlier there is a general decrease of 50% inpedestrian traffic on a Saturday compared to a weekday.

In addition, none of the streets experience a lunchtime andan afternoon peak as seen on the weekday recordings. Thepedestrian traffic is much more constant with no big variati-ons.

Gouger Street and North Terrace East are not well visitedstreets. Here only 7 pedestrians pass per minute.

Gawler Place andJames Placeare fairly quiet streets with 13

pedestrians passing every minute.

North Terrace West, Hindley Street East and King WilliamStreet have the same number of pedestrians passingthrough. Approximately 17 pedestrians pass every minute.Hindley Street is a bit busier with 20 pedestrians passingevery minute.

In Rundle Street 25 pedestrians pass every minute whileRundle Mall is much busier with an average of 80 pedestri-ans passing every minute.

Day 10 am to 6 pm

A general picture of the pedestrian traffic on a Saturday inAdelaide displays a 50% decrease in comparison with a week-

day. This is the case for all streets except Rundle Street whichcarries approximately the same amount of pedestrians as ona weekday.34.000 pedestrians have been recorded on Rundle Mall bet-ween 10 am and 6 pm compared to a weekday, where 60.000pedestrians pass in the same hours.

Comparison ; City main streets - Saturdays

Copenhagen (1996): 50.000 pedestrians

Melbourne (1994): 63.000 pedestrians

A comparison with Melbourne and Copenhagen on a summerSaturday shows a different pattern. Here the pedestrian trafficin Melbourne has experienced a 50% increase compared to aweekday while the pedestrian traffic in Copenhagen is muchthe same on a Saturday compared to a weekday.

Summary

The pedestrian traffic in Adelaide on a Saturday in Januaryis half that experienced on a normal weekday. On Saturdayswhen offices are closed many people choose to stay homeor go elsewhere. The people who do come to the city visitRundle Mall or the cafs in Rundle Street. These are the mostpopular destinations on Saturdays in the city.A future development of the pedestrian network, streets andsquares would most likely, as seen in other cities, result in anincrease of the number of people who come to the city toexperience public life and city activities.

Gouger StreetBetween 10 am-6 pm: 3.270

our

Hindley Street - eastern partBetween 10 am-6 pm: 7.970

our

1518

2000



57/83


Pede

striansperminute

Time

6

1011

76 6

44

0

10

20

10-11 11-12 12-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6

Pedestr

iansperho

Time

372

624684

408354 336

258 234

0

500

1000

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 1 2- 1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6

Pedestr

iansperho

Time

630

948

11221194

1290

1518

1272

0

500

1000

1500

10-11 11-12 12-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6


Time

11

16

1920

22

25

21

0

10

20

30

10-11 11-12 12-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6

Rundle StreetBetween 10 am-6 pm: 10.180

Pedestriansperhour

Time

340

852

980

15121584

1648

1976

1288

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6


Time

6

1416

2526

27

33

21

0

10

20

30

40

10-11 11-12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6

Pedestriansperhour

Time

2052

3702

4112

5856

6330

5865

4732

1332

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

5500

6000

6500

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6


62

98

22

106

79

69

34

98

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

10-11 11-12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6

Time

Rundle MallBetween 10 am-6 pm:33.980

Gawler PlaceBetween 10 am-6 pm: 5.060

our

North Terrace - eastern partBetween 10 am-6 pm: 2.940

our



58/83



Time

78

1311

13

10

12

10

0

10

20

10-11 11-12 12-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6

Pedestr

iansperho

Time

412504

764660

792

588

744

600

0

500

1000

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6

James PlaceBetween 10 am-6 pm: 5.800


Time

1113

15

18

1210

2

16

0

10

20

10-11 11-12 12-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6

Pedestriansperhour

Time

656756

908 948

1080

736628

92

0

500

1000

1500

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6

North Terrace - western partBetween 10 am-6pm: 7.910

Time


1113

20 20 20

1816

15

0

10

20

30

10-11 11-12 12-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6

Pedestriansperhour

Time

680752

1184 1180 1220

1056964

872

0

500

1000

1500

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 12 -1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6

Pede

striansperminute

Time

4 4

68

98

6

3

0

10

20

1 0- 11 1 1- 12 1 2- 1 1 -2 2 -3 3 -4 4 -5 5 -6

Pedestriansperho

Time

260 252372

480 540 496360

184

0

500

1000

10-11 11-12 12-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6

King William StreetBetween 10 am-6 pm: 7.190


Time

12

1517

14

20

1714

10

0

10

20

30

10-11 11-12 12-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6

Pedestriansperhour

Time

736

8941012

852

1200

1004864

628

0

500

1000

1500

10-11 11-12 12-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6

OUTDOOR SEATING


59/83


Rundle Mall and Rundle Street 300

Hindley Street and North Terrace West 54

Light Square 42

153 North Terrace East

279 Hindmarsh Square

King William Street 111

168 Remaining eastern part

Victoria Square 60

Remaining western part 84

100 200 300 m

Seats on public benches

Map showing the number of seatson public benches area by area.

100 200 300 m

Seats on outdoor cafs

Map showing the number and

placement of outdoor cafs. Thenumber of cafs and of caf chairsmust be regarded as quite remark-able and constitutes a valuableasset for the city.

1-25 caf seats

26-50 caf seats

51-100 caf seats

OUTDOOR SEATING

Number of seats on benches in Adelaide: 1.250Number of seats on outdoor cafs: 3.440Number of outdoor cafs: 160


60/83


Benches

Resting is an integrated part of pedestrian activity patterns.

Good seating opportunities give people the option to rest inorder to be able to walk further and to enjoy public life andthe hustle and bustle of the city.Apart from the number of public benches other parametersare important in order to provide good quality possibilities forresting. Views, shade and comfort are all important attributes.Evidence shows that the seating most used is of good quality,has a good view, sufficient shade, and most importantly islocated close to important pedestrian links.

The public benches in Adelaide are mainly placed in the

eastern part of the city centre - Hindmarsh Square, KingWilliam Street, Rundle Mall, North Terrace East and RundleStreet.

Cafs

The culture of outdoor caf life has developed rapidly inmany countries around the world. This has significantlychanged the usage patterns of city centres. Today thesummer activities are of a much more recreational nature.Drinking coffee is an uncomplicated way to combine severalattractions: to be outdoors, enjoy pleasant views and theever-present amusement of watching people pass by.In Adelaide a substantial number of caf seats are offered.

This reflects a growing outdoor lifestyle and a rich diversityof cultures. Most of the outdoor cafs are smaller servingareas and they are well distributed throughout the city withconcentrations on Rundle Street, Gouger Street, HindleyStreet and Pirie Street.

SummaryThe city appears to have enough seating possibilities but asthe recordings of the stationary activities will show, quite afew of the benches might not be well placed. The amountof secondary seating in Adelaide is quite high pointing to asituation where there are not enough benches in the rightplaces to accomodate the needs. Many benches are placed inodd locations with no view, no shade and with limited publicaccess. This is the case in places such as: Victoria Square, Hind-marsh Square, Light Square etc.

Seating will in general encourage staying, which will againencourage spending and boost local businesses.

1.2

50

seatsonp

ublicbench

es

3.4

40

seats

ono

utdoorcafs

1.3

40

seatsonp

ublicbenches

4

.790

seatsono

utdoorcafs

3.9

40

se

atsonp

ublicbenches

1.9

40

seatsono

utdoorcafs

840

seatsonp

ublicbenches

1

.110

seatsono

utdoorcafs

Adelaide (2002) Copenhagen (1995) Melbourne (1994) Perth (1993)

Caf on Rundle Street. A number of public benches are placed in odd locations -Victoria Square.

SPENDING TIME IN THE CITY


61/83


Cultural activities

Commercial activities

Children playing

399 SPENDING TIME IN THE CITY

Wednesday the 22nd of January 2002 - 10 am to 8 pm.

Weather: Mild and sunny, 25oC.

Spending time in the city.

Average in the period between noon and 4 pm:


62/83


North Terrace

Hindley Street

Gouger Street

North Terrace

Rundle Street

Victoria Square

Rundle Mall

Light Square HindmarshS quare

SkatePark

Lying down

Secondary seating

Seated on outdoor cafs

Seated on benches

Standing

44

66

136

24

15

58

62

60

Average in the period between noon and 4 pm:

864 activities

Comparison ; Average no. of activities (noon to 4 pm)Copenhagen (1996): 5.900 activitiesMelbourne (1994): 1.920 activitiesPerth (1994): 809 activitiesStockholm (1991): 3.050 activities

The recordings of staying activities show a concentration ofactivities in the central areas where also the highest numberof pedestrians were counted. The activities are mostly stan-ding (looking at goods on the street, speaking to friendsand relatives), sitting on benches (resting), secondary seating(resting) and sitting in cafs (resting, socializing).

These are the major activities and it is only in Rundle Mall thatcultural and small scale commercial activities are found.

A substantial number of people were found using secondary

seating. This indicates a lack of public benches in certainareas.

Children playing are seldom found in Adelaide. The onlyplaces where children playing have been recorded in thisstudy are in Rundle Mall and at the Skate Park. The publicspaces are generally surrounded by traffic and parents do notlet their children loose to play. A future development of thepublic spaces could improve the conditions for children.

SummaryThe recordings of staying activities in Adelaide show asomewhat low rate of activities compared with other cities.

The pedestrian countings showed a reasonably high numberof pedestrians in central city streets, which indicates thatmany pedestrians are in the city but only few choose to settledown and spend time in the city. This suggests that the qua-lity of the public spaces is low in most places and the possibi-lities for staying have not yet been properly developed.

b.North Terrace c.NorthTerrace

a.Skate Park

475

500

525 518

Rundle Mall (e)Hindley Street (d)

ns



63/83


d.Hindley Street

k.Gouger Street

f.Rundle Street

j.Victoria Square

e.Rundle Mall

g.Light Square h.Hindmarsh Square

Rundle Street (f )

Time

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

175

200

225

250

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10:00 A M 12:00 PM 2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM

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Hindley Street is not a place where many people choose tospend time. The street is fairly quiet and the main activity isvisits to outdoor cafs.Rundle Street is dominated by its many cafs and smallershops. After 4 pm Rundle Street is the most active street.Rundle Mall has a diverse activity pattern reflecting a busymain street. The large groups of people standing at all timesdisplays the well known urban activity of looking at shoppinggoods and speaking to friends and relatives. There are some

cultural and commercial activities at Rundle Mall includingspeaker salespeople, artists etc.

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Skate Park is an interesting new activity place for childrenand young people and the place is used exclusively by themthroughout the day. The main activity is skating and watchingskateboarders or cyclists perform on the ramps.North Terrace is dominated by people waiting for buses,while the main activity on Gouger Street is people sitting at

the outdoor cafs.Light Square is an informal park-like square where manycome to lie in the sun and relax. The activity is quite lowreflecting the Squares isolated location in the city and thelack of shade.Victoria Square is dominated by people waiting for publictransport and although this is the main square in the city sur-prisingly few people spend time here.Hindmarsh Square is mainly a lunchtime plaza wherepeople come to visit the outdoor cafs or eat their packed

lunch on the public benches or on secondary seating.

b.North Terrace c.NorthTerrace

a.Skate Park

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d.Hindley Street

k.Gouger Street

f.Rundle Street

j.Victoria Square

e.Rundle Mall

g.Light Square h.Hindmarsh Square

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AGE DISTRIBUTION

Hindley Street Rundle Mall Rundle Street

11 am


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Hindley Street Rundle Mall Rundle Street

9 pm

Average for Rundle Mall

AGE DISTRIBUTION

11 am - the midmorning situation

The highest number of children at age 0-14 year olds arefound at this time of the day. This group is mostly representedin Rundle Mall.40-55% of all pedestrians are young people between 15 and


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Average for Rundle Mall 40 55% of all pedestrians are young people between 15 and30 years. The lowest number were registered on Rundle Mall.

The share of 31-64 year olds is 35-40% which is much thesame on all streets.The group of elderly is best represented at 11 am whereseniors (above 65 year olds) make up to 10% of all pedestri-ans on Rundle Mall. At this hour the elderly avoid the over-crowded situation which arises later in the day.

9 pm - the evening situation

Children have disappeared from all streets.Young people (15-30 years) are the most dominant. Of all

pedestrians on Rundle Street 72% are between 15 and 30years. At 9 pm this group is dominated by males.

Hindley Street - 76% of the 15-30 year olds are male.Rundle Mall - 80% of the 15-30 year olds are male.Rundle Street - 64% of the 15-30 year olds are male.

Average - who are the people using Adelaide city centre.

4-5% are children (0-14 year olds).50-60% are the 15-30 year olds.

35-42% are the 31-64 year olds.3-7% are the elderly (+65 year olds).

Summary

The survey illustrates a very young city with a large share ofyoung people. Children and elderly people are poorly repre-sented.It is thought-provoking that the evening situation representssuch an unequal distribution of male /females where up to

80% of the registered pedestrians are males. The situation ismost evident on Hindley Street and Rundle Mall, while RundleStreet has a better distribution in comparison with the otherstreets.

Two main findingsThe recordings made on a summer weekday onHindley Street, Rundle Mall and Rundle Street showa pattern where young people constitute the big-gest group of people walking in the city.

The findings show very low figures concerningyoung women in the city at night raising the issueof young women possibly avoiding going to the city

because it is perceived to be unsafe.

Below: Evening activities on Rundle Street


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PART 3 - RECOMMENDATIONS


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1. Capitalize on the unique qualities 2. Create a better city for walking 3. Create a better city for staying

6. Create a diverse, safe and lively city5. Create a beautiful city4. Reduce through traffic

1. CAPITALIZE ON THE UNIQUE QUALITIES


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1. The River

2. The Park Lands

3. The five Squares

4. The wide Streets


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2. A BETTER CITY FOR WALKING


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Improved primary routes

Improved public spaces

Improved north south connections

Improved secondary routesBoundary of pedestrian priority area

Future pedestrian network

Map showing future pedestrian network to be developedincorporating the streets and squares displayed.


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Square principles

The diagrams to the left display a set of simple principles forimprovement of the five squares in the square mile. Perhapsthese principles could open a discussion about the futureuse and purpose of the squares eg. how can the squares bedesigned to accomodate future standards and wishes from

3. A BETTER CITY FOR STAYING

SQUARE PRINCIPLES


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designed to accomodate future standards and wishes fromthe public ?

Adelaide needs a general discussion about the squares andan overall plan to put the squares into a perspective.

Traditionally the squares have been green parks, but traffichas taken up more and more space. Redevelopment of thesquares today and in the future needs to address the ques-tion of whether or not the squares should be preservedas green spaces, or whether more urban qualities can be

applied. To the right is shown three different examples andreferences as inspiration.

Improve the five SquaresMake the squares integrated parts of a general pedestriannetwork.Upgrade the squares to create a sense of ownership andpride and give people a feeling that the city is being care-fully looked after.Unify the squares by redirecting traffic. Roads should notcut up the squares into unusable bits.Relocate parking as it creates a generally unpleasant recrea-tional environment.Create possibilities for a multitude of uses, sports, recrea-tion, music, resting, talking, meeting etc.Strengthen the squares as lunch time plazas with many dif-ferent food outlets, outdoor cafs and public benches.Utilize the street frontages surrounding the squares tocreate an active and soft edge.Provide more dwellings surrounding the squares to create asafe night time area.Remove the public toilets or replace them e.g. in adjoining

buildings.Provide good quality lighting.

Redirect traffic

Ensure a lively edge

Upgrade the adjoining streets

Ensure visibility

Secure pedestrian access

Placa de la Palmera, Barcelona - combined park and modernpublic space.

Above: Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland - traditionalpublic space.Below: Place des Terreaux, Lyon - traditional public space.

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4. REDUCE THROUGH TRAFFIC

ELEMENTS FOR A CYCLE POLICY ELEMENTS FOR A TRAFFIC POLICY


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E

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Coloured markings of cycle-

paths at intersections

Cyclepaths on a raised level

Cycle lights at intersections

A secure cyclepath between

parking and footpath

Traffic

1. Create an effective ring road

2. Establish traffic calming measures in the central city

Above and below:Details from traffic system inCopenhagen


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5. A BEAUTIFUL CITY


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A good city has fine details. When people move around by

foot there is time to see, to touch and to enjoy all the variouselements in the streetscape.Unappealing, ugly litter bins, poorly designed signs anditems placed randomly around on foot paths are all signals topeople visiting the city about lack of care and concern for cityquality. Poor and carelessly placed pieces of street furnituredestroy the visual urban quality of cities at eye level.

Paving materials differ across Adelaide. Granite, concrete and

bitumen are used as paving material for footpaths. King Wil-liam Street has just been repaved with slate and is one of thebetter streets in the city. In most streets the materials useddo not respond to the level of street hierarchy. A special treat-ment of the streets could show what k ind of significance theindividual street has in the city structure, whereas a street likeNorth Terrace which has such a great potential as a city boule-vard is not treated in any special way to signal its importance.A general paving policy needs to be discussed to secure arationale for the work on this important issue.

Good quality paving in Leigh Street with brass bands.

Poor bitumen paving on North Terrace.

The flower pavillons in Rundle Mall offer a multitude of colours.

The toilet buildings are perceived as unsafe at night.

The street furniture in Rundle Mall is upgraded regularly.

The street furniture on North Terrace is tired and badly placed.

5. A BEAUTIFUL CITY

Strengthen the history and the architectural heritage

respect the original city plan and the qualities it holds.require that new buildings fit in with their neighbours, byconsidering relations to scale, building heights and addressto the surrounding public spaces.by replacing heavy canopies along building fronts with light

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by replacing heavy canopies along building fronts with light

elegant Australian bullnose type canopies.remove out of place vertical signs on the older buildings andsigns which obscure the details of the architecture of thebuildings. Develop regulations for signage, canopies etc. inorder to prevent unfortunate elements destroying the archi-tecture and the street environment.encourage awareness and promote sensitive reuse of herit-age buildings. Reuse old buildings for new purposes if pos-sible.

Create a policy for the design of street scapes

improve the quality of street signs and street furniture aroundthe city.encourage better standards in shop signs and lettering.create a policy for the use of paving materials and look afterthese. Use paving of high, durable quality and avoid concreteand bitumen.

Introduce a local design profile for Adelaide

which can create a strong city image and a sense of owner-ship of the public spaces.by choosing a city colour for the street furniture and creatinga design series of benches, lamp posts, dust bins etc.

Develop an overall lighting plan for the city centre

as a part of a strategy to reduce crime and improve the streetlighting and city quality. Good, beautiful lighting contributesto the feeling of safety and creates a good and friendly streetenvironment.Further the street lighting can enhance the understandingof the street hierarchy with different lighting policies for thefour types of streets in the city: main streets, city streets, trafficcalmed streets / residential streets and pedestrian streets.

Out of scale signage, overpowering a typical two storey building. Signs of poor quality dominate a hotel, prominently placed on acorner.

Hotel free of too dominant signage, although the vertical sign in thebackground is not very fortunate for the street.

Better example of a coherence between architecture and signage.

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SUMMARY AND REFLECTIONS

SUMMARY - RECOMMENDATIONS

IMPROVE THE NORTH-SOUTH CONNECTIONS

Create good North-South passageways by linking different sidestreetsinto upgraded, safe and lively routes through the city.

CREATE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN CITY AND RIVER

Create more, significant visual links and passageways to the river fromNorth Terrace. Encourage activites on the water and the riverfront.


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DEVELOP PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Develop a well integrated and well connected public transport net-work to provide an alternative to cars.

MAKE USE OF THE MANY WIDE STREETS

To achieve a reduced number of driving lanes, dedicated bus lanes,organize street plantings following a hierarchical street strategy, estab-lish cycle lanes, wider footpaths and zones for street furniture.

REDUCE THROUGH TRAFFIC

Establish a well-connected ringroad to redirect traffic with no destina-tion in the central city area. Introduce more traffic calming measures inthe inner city.

DEVELOP A WIDER AND BETTER PEDESTRIAN NETWORK

Upgrade and improve conditions for pedestrians in North Terrace,Hindley Street, Rundle Street, Grenfell Street and King William Street inorder to create a larger network.

UPGRADE THE SQUARES

Unify the different parts of the squares to one whole. Create an overallstrategy for a redevelopment of the five squares.

PRESERVE AND ACTIVATE PARK LANDS

Prevent new buildings in Park Lands. Establish safe passagewaysthrough Park Lands. Celebrate Park Lands as a nature resource for walk-

ing, skating etc.

SUMMARY - RECOMMENDATIONS

IMPROVE SAFETY

Ensure visibility at public places, good lighting, easy access to publictransport and a general upgrade of the public spaces.

ESTABLISH A CYCLE NETWORK

Relocate cyclists to ride between the footpath and the parking zoneas in many European cities. Provide a proper network for cyclists andcreate safe cycle routes e.g. raised kerbs towards traffic lanes, lightsetc.


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DEVELOP A LIGHTING STRATEGY

To strengthen the street hierarchy, improve safety and upgrade thelight quality and the quality of the public spaces at night.

IMPROVE GROUND FLOOR FRONTAGES

Establish transparent ground floor facades and smaller shops withmany entrances. Work primarily on the r

Public Spaces and Public Life Report

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Transcript of Public Spaces and Public Life Report