Landscape architects look west for a greener, growing city
Transforming infill sites, razing the airport to accommodate thousands, and extending the tram lines into the western suburbs form part of ASPECT Studio’s ambitious ‘proposition’ to create a seaside city.
With plenty of attention being paid to the growth prospects of Adelaide’s northern suburbs, a landscape architecture studio believes there’s untapped potential in the west.
ASPECT Studios has released its third report in a series of propositions for rethinking the cities the national firm has offices in, with the Adelaide report – ‘Looking west: a proposition to repair our city’ – focused on the land between the St Vincent Gulf and West Terrace.
Authors Tim Conybeare and Peter Phillips admit the proposition is ambitious. It would involve moving the Adelaide Airport up to Parafield to take advantage of the “extraordinary” 800 hectares it sits on.
“It’s a pretty aspirational and speculative proposition,” said report co-author and ASPECT Studios Adelaide studio director Conybeare.
“We understand the logistics around it, but it has the potential to unlock what we see as being really valuable land.
“You’ve got a pretty major employment cluster that we know is associated with the Adelaide Airport but there is another way of us looking at that and thinking how could we look at it again.”
He said the western suburbs will be served greatly by the state government’s Torrens to Darlington (T2D) megaproject which, when completed, will enable better access to the north from the city and down south too.
Plus, as noted by the report, Parafield Airport is a “comparable distance from Adelaide as Heathrow Airport is to central London”.
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“You could move the airport to the north and free up this land that is in such close proximity to the city, still maintaining the economic core commercial sector but adding residential development and green corridors,” he said.
“It’s such a viable part of the city – so perfectly located between the city and the coast – it just screams to us that this could actually benefit a greater city.”
Render: ASPECT Studios
Conybeare emphasised his studio’s proposition wasn’t to build another Gold Coast on the city’s coastline, but rather to carefully redevelop the west with more green spaces and residential developments.
“When you look at the western suburbs, historically it’s been large tracts of industrial land. There are some really beautiful, well-established neighbourhoods without a doubt but it probably suffers the worst in terms of its tree canopy cover,” he said.
“As landscape architects, we’re looking at, and have always looked at, the western suburbs and thought: what’s the future vision for this? How can we look at the long-term sustainability and viability of this part of the city?
“How can we create a beautiful precinct that connects the city to the sea?”
The landscape architect said he hoped the proposition would bring more attention to the western suburbs. Under the state government’s Greater Adelaide Regional Plan (GARP), housing growth is proposed for the northern suburbs, though areas directly west of the city like the former West End Brewery site are core to the Plan.
Image: ASPECT Studios.
“Infill development has an enormous amount of potential in Adelaide. I’m originally from the East Coast, and I know how denser cities can be successful in terms of building strong, resilient communities,” he said.
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“If you look at the amount of potential land – obviously it needs a partnership of private and public investment – but there’s just such enormous potential there for integrated urban developments that has good transport connections, good access to facilities and community assets.”
Ideally, ASPECT wants to help solve the problem of the ‘missing middle’.
“The vision is not that we want to build a Gold Coast. That is not the intent,” Conybeare said.
“The proposition is very much about quality. The GARP talks about the missing middle a lot and that’s been a point of discussion for the planning scheme over the last 10-15 years. How do we get that medium-density development happening across our city?”
Keswick Creek would be transformed, under ASPECT’s proposal. Image: ASPECT Studios
The ‘repair’ element of ASPECT’s ‘Proposition to repair our city’ comes through proposed work on waterways.
ASPECT said Keswick Creek “could be transformed into a linear park”, while the Cowandilla drainage channel would help increase the urban tree canopy.
“These measures mitigate urban heat, improve air and water quality, and demonstrate a commitment to environmental stewardship,” the report reads.
“Restoring these waterways to a more natural state would improve stormwater management, reduce flood risk, and enhance the area’s ecological health.
“Creating linear parks along these waterways would provide attractive and functional green spaces for the community, encouraging biodiversity and offering residents access to nature.”
A refresh of Richmond Road would incorporate public transport, bike lanes, and medium-density housing developments. Image: ASPECT Studios.
Better connecting the west with public transport and bike tracks is another proposition, with ASPECT desiring a tram spur line down Henley Beach Road to the coast as well as along a re-imagined Richmond Road, through the centre of the airport site and to West Beach.
This would “improve accessibility and connectivity, reducing reliance on private vehicles and contributing to a reduction in traffic congestion and pollution,” the report said.
“Tram lines through the area would support denser, transit-oriented development, making it easier for residents to access services, employment and recreational activities.”
Essentially, reinstate the tram system to what it once was, said Conybeare.
“That would be a fantastic asset for that community,” he said.
