Shedding New Light on Adelaide? Intersections between Urban Design Projects and City Marketing

Abstract

Cities are increasingly locked in transnational networks, thus prompting the need for competitive urban identities. Governments and policy makers are increasingly looking towards city marketing to gain a competitive advantage. Urban design projects have emerged as a key strategy in this pursuit. Policy makers often assume that physical interventions in place will assist in the creation of a more globally competitive urban identity. However, such an assumption may be overly simplistic, denying the complexities inherent in place. This paper critiques the relationship between urban design and urban identity through a South Australian case study. Investigating the Rundle Lantern, an urban design project aimed at activating a prominent Adelaide intersection and assisting to re-orient the city's image, the paper evaluates the capacity of urban design to create emblematic places that seek to communicate a more progressive and vibrant urban identity. Drawing upon a multi-method approach, the paper demonstrates the opportunities for and limitations of major urban design projects to achieve the place-making outcomes which they are purported to deliver.

Notes

1. Adelaide hosts a number of sporting and arts/cultural events that are of national and global significance. These include annual events such as Adelaide Fringe, which is Australia's largest and the world's second largest alternate arts festival, WOMADelaide, reputed to be the world's largest World Music festival, the Cabaret Festival, the Festival of Ideas, the Adelaide Writers Festival and the biennial Adelaide Arts Festival, regarded as ‘one of the world's great arts festivals’ (see Adelaide Festival Corporation http://www.adelaidefestival.com.au/). Added to this list can be a significant number of film, cultural and culinary festivals. Further still, Adelaide annually hosts a number of national and international sporting events, such as the V8 Supercar Clipsal 500 Race, the Tour Down Under and a number of international cricket matches. Undoubtedly, Adelaide is a festival city and this raises it to national and international prominence. Ironically, the majority of these events occur during February and March. During this period the city comes alive. Unfortunately, at other times the city appears to be asleep!

2. Light's plan refers to the original survey and plan Colonel William Light laid down for Adelaide in early 1837. This plan reflected the then new and highly influential principles of the Garden City Movement. Consequently, a greenbelt of parkland rings the original urban survey. These parklands have survived largely intact and on 7 November 2008 were entered on the Australian Commonwealth Government's Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts National Heritage Register (see http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/adelaide-parklands/index.html).

3. Fusion submitted two versions of the Rundle Lantern. Option A proposed a 60% wrap of the building, while Option B proposed a 100% wrap. Adelaide City Council approved Option A at an estimated cost of A$1.7 million. Option B was estimated to cost A$2.75 million. Due to the modular nature of the Rundle Lantern it is possible to extend it cover the entire building at a later stage.