Download pdf of Fred Hansen's report - Adelaide Thinkers in ...

‘When driving isthe only optionfor travel thenwalking andbiking areabandoned’IntroductionAdelaide is a wonderful city in a special and unique region ofAustralia. The city and its greater metropolitan area are at the gatewayto Australia’s premier wine country, the Outback, Kangaroo Island,the South Coast region and the extensive wildlife found throughout.And in the urbanised areas there are rich cultural, sporting andintellectual challenges. The attractiveness of the area is attested toby the commitment of the population to their way of life and toproviding a sustainable and quality environment for their childrenand for future generations. While these attributes are striking andwonderful, Adelaide has neither fulfilled its potential nor fully met thenew challenges facing it.I N T R O D U C T I O NQuality of lifeFirst and foremost, sprawling development patterns have threatenedrich agricultural lands and sped up environmental degradation. Withinits current boundaries the spread of the greater metropolitan area hasensured that many families have had to live far from their necessarydestinations of jobs and shopping, and so have to regularly drivesubstantial distances. The result has been challenges to their budgets,the environment through motor vehicle pollution, and their familyrelationships by having to spend so much time in travel. These choicesto spread out have been driven by affordability as well as a perceptionthat this lifestyle produces a higher quality of life.The questions facing Adelaide are not only how to ensure that thequality of life people enjoy today can be maintained, but also howthat quality can be enhanced. The need to answer this vital questionis urgent, particularly in the face of a projected population growthof 560,000 people by 2030. For as we all know, once created, thebuilt environment is very difficult to alter or retrofit, and it is the builtenvironment that is the greatest determinant of our travel patterns– patterns that over the past 70-odd years have meant that we drivefurther and further to activities and places when previous generationswould walk or bike. The result has been a degradation of our qualityof life, more pollution and more time away from family and friends.Health effectsRecent research also shows another, and perhaps more critical byproductof this development pattern: record obesity rates. Whendriving is the only option for travel then walking and biking areabandoned. This has been particularly acute among school-agedchildren, where the spike in obesity rates has been most pronounced.FRED HANSEN: ALL ON BOARD FRED HANSEN: ALL ON BOARD 1