Adelaide (un)Planned

The River Torrens parklands between Adelaide and North Adelaide host many of the city's major events. Riverbank also features big in the wider image of the city, being a common photo-backdrop for TV news interviews from Adelaide, and televised sporting events from Adelaide Oval. But does the Riverbank live up to its potential as a place for recreation, frequent visits and simply enjoying city life? With many master plans in its time, and some exciting new proposals announced for further developing the Riverbank, what better time to talk about this important place in Adelaide's history, and its future. Episode #29.

Michael and Daniel chat with Adelaide Sustainable Building Network chair and fellow migrant Ken Long about his passion for sustainability. We know that many buildings that are designed more sustainability, but how can we make our public spaces and infrastructure more sustainable? What does the sustainable street look like? What makes the ASBN conversations tick? Why Adelaide is already a world leader in sustainability, and who does Ken support in the Olympics? Episode #28 of Adelaide (un)Planned.

Prospect Road 10 years on, Payinthi, Churchill Road residential corridor, COAG, local government, art deco in Adelaide

Landscape architecture of the future is the theme for episode #26 of Adelaide (un)Planned. Chloe Organ is the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects 'Future Leader' award winner for South Australia in 2020. Chloe is co-leader of SAILA Fresh which works with students and new landscape architects to connect them with industry peers, and also a colleague of presenters Michael and Daniel. In this edition the trio talk about the current priorities of the landscape architecture profession. We get Chloe's view on the coastal landscapes of Adelaide near where she lives. And we talk design - do we get enough plant diversity in our landscape designs? Do landscape architects know enough about plants? We also talk about living and working in Adelaide. Do small cities have what it takes?

For episode #25 of Adelaide (un)Planned Michael and Daniel take a virtual stroll down King William Road, one of Adelaide's best suburban high streets and recently subject to a major redesign and upgrade. City of Unley chief executive Peter Tsokas has a long association with King William Road having grown up nearby and then leading the council staff as CEO for a decade. We talk with Peter about the new urban design features of King William Road, from its luxuriously paved footpaths, extra outdoor dining areas, zebra crossings, 80 new street trees, dazzling lights, colourful sculptures, digital signs, and of course the reconstructed and fully paved roadway, an unusually iconic engineering feature of the streetscape. Peter talks about the successes of the upgrade and the benefits it is bringing to local shops and businesses, as well as lessons learned and things to improve on for Unley's next streetscape upgrade project...wherever that may be!

Martin Haese has used the retail skills he first honed as a stallholder at Brickworks Market throughout his career, first as the owner of fashion chain Youthworks, at the Rundle Mall Management Authority, as Lord Mayor of Adelaide from 2014-18, and now as chief executive of Business SA. Episode #24 is our first podcast for 2021 and Michael McKeown and Daniel Bennett are very pleased to host Martin on Adelaide (un)Planned . We hear more about the projects Martin is most proud of from his time as Lord Mayor, why the Adelaide Parklands need a few more cafes, about the influence of the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors, on the future for Adelaide events post-Covid, Martin's vision for a more connected Adelaide, and more!

Adelaide (un)Planned is back for a new series, with new microphones (!), and the same mix of great guests, and probing conversations about planning, design and Adelaide. Join us!

Episode #22 is a short wrap up of Adelaide (un)Planned's 2020 podcasts. What podcast was most listened to this year? What were Michael and Daniel's highlights from nearly 20 special guests from planning, landscape architecture, conservation, engineering, transport, retail and main streets, engagement, architecture and not forgetting politicians SA environment minister David Speirs and just last week, Lord mayor of Adelaide Sandy Verschoor.In 2020 we talked a lot of about streets including Hindley Street, Rundle Mall, Gumeracha main street in Adelaide Hills, and the city's grand North Terrace. We also heard from our guests about their visions for a greener, more equitable, calmer, economically sustainable and future-thinking Adelaide, so what are our own visions for the future Adelaide?

At the end of a tough year, what better guest to discuss the future of Adelaide with Michael and Daniel than Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Sandy Verschoor. In Episode #21 we find out about the big plans and the big projects for Adelaide in 2021. Will the 88 O'Connell Street and the Central Market Arcade redevelopments help the city rebound from Covid? What will the new city-wide business agency do for economic growth and our main streets? Will we ever have an east-west bikeway? What's next for events and festivals after the ending of the Adelaide 500 motor race and the pandemic-induced challenges to the arts? And why we all need to discover the 18km Parklands Trail...

Episode #20 of Adelaide (un)Planned was recorded on tour in Canberra the nation's capital. Michael and Daniel chat with engagement, social sustainability and workshop leader Liesl Codrington. So what do non-designers think about the colouring-in fest that is design workshops? Is keeping your camera on the secret to online communication success? When did social planning become a thing of the past? And who got it right, Walter Burley Griffin or Colonel Light? (unfair question I admit)

Adelaide the city is in an (un)planned mini-lockdown. What a good time for this special edition #19 of Adelaide (un)Planned to reflect on a year of desktop design innovations, online workshops and travel time savings. But wait, Michael and Daniel have very recently been back to the Enquiry by Design workshop world, and it was great! Drawing by hand, gathering in a cool location for several days, overambitious agendas, crayons... Design facilitation is infectious, and let's celebrate it!

In Episode #18 of Adelaide (un)Planned we talk architecture with Tony Giannone, Director of Tectvs and national president elect of the Australian Institute of Architects. Is there such a thing as an Adelaide architectural style? Does design review deliver better buildings or a better city? Is SA's planning reform a missed opportunity? Listen to Tony's vision for an Adelaide of small parts and projects combining to make a better city.

In Episode #17 Michael and Daniel are joined from Sydney by landscape architect Sara Padgett Kjaersgaard. Sara's research into peri-urban landscapes prompts some interesting observations about Adelaide's Parklands. Once wasteland, and now national heritage listed! But have Australian cities drawn inspiration from international contexts at the expense of our own history and context, including Australia's indigenous culture? Listen in to Sara's vision for our future cities which includes embracing the edge of our cities and the regions that surround them.

Andrew Wallace is the unofficial spokesperson for Hindley Street in Adelaide's West End, a place for nightlife but also a street rich in history (Australia's first council meeting was held here), culture and diversity. He's also a workplace design expert and in Episode #16 of Adelaide (un)Planned Andrew offers his views on the post-pandemic relationship between workplaces and the city. Working from home may be good for some people but what does might it do for the hospitality businesses the city depends on? Will our workplaces become more elastic, centres of collaboration and socialising? Perhaps they will if Andrew's 'cool Adelaide' vision and the 1980s revival comes about...

In Episode #15 Michael and Daniel ask 'how green is Adelaide?' with regular listener and Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs MP. Will more regulation or better incentives make our city greener and more climate resilient? Find out about how the city's national parks have jumped in popularity since the Covid pandemic and how the new Glenthorne National Park and opening up the city's reservoirs to recreation will help get more people into nature. Also how can the Adelaide Parklands be less elitist? And more about David's vision for a greener, cooler, wilder and more livable Adelaide.

Episode #14 of Adelaide (un)Planned talks trees with Craig Wilkins of the Conservation Council SA. How big a problem is tree loss in our city and suburbs, and is it a problem of our public spaces, or private property? For a greener future, should we educate, regulate, or reward citizens to manage urban trees in their gardens? In this podcast Michael and Daniel also talk society and politics. How much attention do our elected reps pay to our letters and emails? And what will the Covid pandemic mean for our environment and our connections to nature?

Podcast #13 of Adelaide (un)Planned takes on transport planning with engineer and economist Scott Elaurant, as Michael and Daniel seek out the dark secrets of traffic modelling. Is something wrong with the models, or is it just the way we use them? And when did project managers take over from traffic engineers as the bogey men of urban decision making? The team also talk about Adelaide's bus reforms (!), and learn why the French build the best light rail.

Chelsea Lewis from the Gumeracha Main Street Project joins Daniel and Michael for Episode #12 of Adelaide (un)Planned. Gumeracha is a small Adelaide Hills community making big and small changes to their main street. Starting with 50 local stories a few years ago this community has developed a vision and is implementing it through art, events, bus shelters, infrastructure and more. Community-led placemaking in action!

Community engagement specialist Becky Hirst joins Michael and Daniel for Episode #11 of Adelaide (un)Planned. Hear about Becky's passion for communities, where it all started back in 1999, and the 50,000 South Australians who have been exposed to the ‘Becky Hirst Effect'. What are the secrets of successful engagement? What about trust, or the lack of it? Why Becky doesn't get involved in local engagement!!! And... digital discussion forums are the future… but we mustn't forget face-to-face….And a rant from Daniel about the lack of pop-up bikeways in Adelaide and why social distancing could send our workplaces backwards.

In Episode #10 we head to the main street with David West, an Adelaide local and an international expert on town centre retail and place management. Having managed the big malls, as well as Adelaide's premier shopping street Rundle Mall, David explains why shopping centres offer some of the secrets to creating successful main streets. Also in this episode…how the 3000 Business Improvement Districts worldwide could teach Australian cities a thing or two. Could local centres do well post-Covid? Is main street one word or two? Recorded online, stay healthy, enjoy listening.

Joining Michael and Daniel for episode #9 is their good mate Steven Burgess. Steve is a passionate advocate for creating great streets, and an engineer! Listen in to find out why 'small cities are the new black', the value of the 'third place', why cities have a choice now about how their streets and public spaces will be post-coronavirus, and why Austroads is no good for designing streets (and the kiwis do it better). Recorded online with a few audio hiccups.

The Urban Development Institute's Pat Gerace joins Michael and Daniel for Episode #8 of Adelaide (un)Planned. Historically Adelaide has often led Australia in urban development trends, so how will today's developers respond to the challenges of Covid-19 and the potential effects on consumer sentiment? Have recent planning reforms been good for developers? Why developers want more greening in our streets and suburbs as much as anyone, but shouldn't have to do all the heavy lifting. And hear Pat's vision for a more connected community in Adelaide.

Episode #7 diverts from the usual format, as Michael and Daniel ask 'what can Adelaide learn from the coronavirus pandemic that is reshaping our city (at least for a while)'? Will our local shops be revitalised by the 'great work from home experiment' and a return to localism? What can we take from the increased use of parks and many public spaces? Will there really be a return to suburban values and gardening?In this podcast we also talk transport opportunities. With all the cars at home, is it time for a pop-up East-West city bikeway to test? And why $18m of green stimulus could be a great way to spend local and help SA towns and cities adapt to climate change. And slow TV...

Episode #6 features former Australian Planner of the Year, Sandy Rix. The conversation starts with urban design lessons from the transformative upgrade of North Terrace two decades ago, to contemporary public realm priorities, innovation clusters, modern monetary theory (!) and a bigger Adelaide. Recorded via Zoom.

In Episode #5 Michael and Daniel talk planning with Elinor Walker, South Australian President of the Planning Institute of Australia. SA's draft Planning & 'Design' Code gets a bit of attention, as does planning priorities after the pandemic, social distancing in our public spaces, and Adelaide the 'classy city'. Enjoy listening whether you're home, home in the garden, or at home!

Episode #4 is about walking and cycling and people. Why is it so hard to build high quality walking and cycling infrastructure in Adelaide? Our guest is Helen Donovan who, as a behaviour change psychologist, Walking SA exec, and elected member of the City of Adelaide, has a few insights. This podcast was recorded via online meeting in the age of social distancing.

Episode #3 takes Michael and Daniel out of the studio to visit U-City, a new 20-storey mixed use building on Franklin and Pitt Streets, Adelaide. What's interesting about this new CBD tower is that it was built by a not-for-profit organisation, Uniting Communities. In this episode U-City's Simon Schrapel talks about the building, the history of Uniting Communities at this site, why churches and charities are developing big mixed-use city buildings, and why you are invited inside...

Episode #2 features Trish Hansen, a creative thinker in search of the 'vibe' of our cities and a leader in many areas including wellbeing, public art and culture. Trish recently co-authored a 'Case Study of Urban Design for Wellbeing and Mental Health in Adelaide'. In this episode we talk with Trish about her approach to projects and to life, and the present and future challenges faced by Adelaide as a city and as a community.

In Episode #1 Michael and Daniel talk with Michael Lennon, Chair of South Australia's State Planning Commission. One of Adelaide's most experienced planners, Michael Lennon is helping guide South Australia through major planning reforms, and not for the first time! What have we learned? What still has to be done? And what's Michael's vision for the future of Adelaide?

Adelaide (un)Planned is a new podcast exploring design and planning in Adelaide, South Australia – the good, bad and (sometimes) ugly.Expect discussion about well-known and changing places, streets and developments, and topical chats about landscape, transport, our environment, civic leadership and more.In this preview meet co-hosts Michael and Daniel and hear about what drew them to their interests in urban design and Adelaide.