Baillieu plans inner-city housing revolution
Mr Guy said the project was an opportunity for growth in an area of the city similar to the urban renewal that took place in Vancouver, Canada, and some other North American cities. “We have the opportunity to get this right, to put in place long-term structures that will outlast me as Planning Minister and run into successive governments in 20 to 30 years’ time.”
They’re talking about the gradual de-industrialisation of Fisherman’s Bend, which I think is a great idea. However, after the disasters that are Southbank and Docklands, the chances they’ll fuck this one up too are pretty high - especially since they’re talking about not having “a vision for a suburb of multimillion-dollar apartments”. What is the vision then? An inner-city Caroline Springs? You only have to look around the corner at the soul-less Beacon Cove for a reason why *that* is a bad idea.
Southbank: People? Why design cities for people? It’s all about the buildings.
Docklands: All the charm of St Kilda Road, but without the trees.
They do mention having a “water-bourne” public transport option, which is something Melbourne sorely needs. It’s like the Bay is considered an inconvenience, rather than an asset. We can run passenger ferries up the western shore of Port Philip Bay, even around the top to Geelong. Join with a service going up the Yarra to at least Chapel Street. Brisbane knows this. Sydney knows this. Why hasn’t Melbourne clued in yet? We have more water than either of those places.