Chris Johnson calls for 100 storey towers in Sydney

[Brizer]

It's not annoying, just selective, for if you count GC and Sunshine Co into Brisbane, then you have to factor in similarly located centres to Sydney and Melbourne which would put them further ahead. Elsewhere on this forum? thread? figures have been considered that put Sydney at c.5.5m and Melbourne c.4.5m or more (can't remember exactly.)

Of course things change but not so radically as you suggest.

It's still a pointless argument as all cities have their value and, as you point out, things change but not at a regularly sustained rate over time. Sydney and Melbourne have jockeyed for position since the mid C.19th and maybe Brisbane will gain significant increases, but who knows.

You are, whether you are from NSW or not, not the only person making claims for Brisbane. If you are from Bega I'll be impressed; if you are living in Brisbane or northern NSW I won't be so impressed with your championing of Brisbane & challenge to the allegation of parochialism.

Also a factor is Brisbane's geographical location within Qld so the number of MPs for the state is irrelevant; who knows what might happen in Townsville as an example, or Cairns, or whatever, during the next century or two.

Turning it into a A Versus B Versus C, etc., situation is pointless and just detracts from the relative charms of each city.

[brianc68]

I generally find people who cry parochialism, are usually the most parochial.

[Brizer]

What a funny, mumsy remark!

Obviously you haven't read what I wrote at all. If you did you would realise that your last post is illogical & just plain silly.

***

Now might be a good time to stop the juvenile mine's bigger than yours posturing and consider the actual topic of the thread which is about Chris Johnson's remarks about 100 storey buildings.
I would suspect, given the character of the Sydney Council and the contenders (bloody unbelievable load of rejects!!!) in the next election that Melbourne, Brisbane & GC and Perth, maybe even Dubbo!, are more likely to get a 100 storey tower in the foreseeable future while Sydney councillors continue to have vapours about anything over 2 storeys and bang on about our city of villages.
It would make a grown man weep.

Please let me be wrong, not because I don't want any other cities to have them - I'd be happy for them to do so - but because the current 'philosophy' of Sydney planners is completely inappropriate for a city the size & prosperity of Sydney.

[Fabian]

The problem is many of those running planning in Sydney were the ones that were behind the green bans and anti highrise sentiment of the 1960's and 1970's or grew up under that influence. Sadly it has been breed into Generation X and Y.

They emphaise that society needs to change, yet they will not change their attitudes to planning to accomodate changes to city planning that has stemmed from changes in society. Also Sydney isn't the Sydney of the 1950's and 1960's. It has evolved from a provinical capital into a World City with totally different needs and responsibilites. City planning must reflect this.

[Avatar]

Originally Posted by brianc68

In a region of 3.2 million. Face it, You can't simply look at Brisbane without factoring in the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, both an hour in either direction. The 3rd and 6th largest cities in Australia are an hour apart. I know many find this annoying. But facts are facts.

Whooptiedo.

Other facts that come to light ... Sydney as the largest city also has as part if it's greater conurbation 3 of Australias top 10 cities. I know some people find this annoying, but facts are facts.

1. Sydney
7. Newcastle
9. Central Coast
10. Wollongong

[Avatar]

Originally Posted by Mornnb

In Sydney there is a valid reason for 100 story buildings, beyond the benefits to the city of landmark buildings and adding to the skyline. The CBD is getting so dense that there is a shortage of sites and some new developments have seen skyscrapers as high as 80m destroyed for taller buildings. Soon the 103m waterboard building is to be destroyed to make way for the 236m 115 Bathurst Street.
100 story buildings would allow the CBD to accommodate more of the cities demand for offices, rather than having to send them to places like Parramatta and North Ryde.

Our cities are rapidly growing and are going to change a lot, that is unavoidable. Sydney and Melbourne are both heading for being well over 6 million people. The question is do we want to emulate high density cities like New York and Hong Kong, or low density cities like Dallas and Los Angeles? I'd argue that higher density cities have better amenities, more active shopping and night lives and much higher quality of life.

Sydney having a global brand, doesn't take anything away from Brisbane.
It's good for Australia as a whole to have a well known global city.

100% agree. No more needs to be said other than of course we should emulate Hong Kong and New York ... it's either that or we cap population growth and halt any growth this city might have. Manhattanisation provides many varied benefits that include massive social gains to such things as reduced infrastructure costs.

[mic]

Have any of you travelled to truely large world cities?? Australian cities are nice and all but lack the true diversity, excitment and intensity of cities abroad, they're nice enough places to live and raise a family, these delusions or grandeur from all sides need to stop our cities are all realitivley the same, very homogenous and quite boring in many ways when compared to whats on offer overseas. Yes job security and wages are good in Australia but there is a lack of cultural depth, diveristy and an evident brain drain of many forward thinking creative young adults, sorry buts its true.

[PD]

Originally Posted by mic

Have any of you travelled to truely large world cities?? Australian cities are nice and all but lack the true diversity, excitment and intensity of cities abroad, they're nice enough places to live and raise a family, these delusions or grandeur from all sides need to stop our cities are all realitivley the same, very homogenous and quite boring in many ways when compared to whats on offer overseas. Yes job security and wages are good in Australia but there is a lack of cultural depth, diveristy and an evident brain drain of many forward thinking creative young adults, sorry buts its true.

Would agree with a lot of what you said except I don't think Australian Cities lack diversity or are suffering a brain drain.

Diversity: AUS cities are definitely culturally/ethnically diverse.

Brain Drain: I would say AUS cities 'drain the brains' from other cities around the world.
Sure we do lose some to London etc but by and large AUS cities really do benefit from an immigration of professionals.

[Sky_Is_The_Limit]

Perhaps we can house our brains in 100 storey towers in Sydney that the thread was created to discuss

[PD]

A thread is really just a potential opportunity for Brisbane to try and sneak its nose past Melbourne.

[whizz_pat]

My experience of Australian cities is limited to SEQ, Sydney, and Melbourne. By any standards, Sydney and Melbourne are culturally diverse cities. Brisbane and the Gold Coast on the other hand...

[Avatar]

Originally Posted by PD

Would agree with a lot of what you said except I don't think Australian Cities lack diversity or are suffering a brain drain.

Diversity: AUS cities are definitely culturally/ethnically diverse.

Brain Drain: I would say AUS cities 'drain the brains' from other cities around the world.
Sure we do lose some to London etc but by and large AUS cities really do benefit from an immigration of professionals.

I disagree, Australia continually loses brilliant scientific and entrepreneurial types. The recent media attention of our lack of venture capital providers compared with silicon valley simply highlights the problem, and this is only in a single field. Australia simply doesn't have what it takes to secure the most brilliant minds. What do we have to offer the best in the world? We don't have the best scientific wages, research facilities, educational sector or the best living conditions. We have few of the world's top companies so you wouldn't expect the best and brightest to come here or even stay here.

[Fabian]

Originally Posted by Avatar

100% agree. No more needs to be said other than of course we should emulate Hong Kong and New York ... it's either that or we cap population growth and halt any growth this city might have. Manhattanisation provides many varied benefits that include massive social gains to such things as reduced infrastructure costs.

Even Parramatta knows this, and its only a suburban centre. We only need to turn our necks west.

[Brizer]

Originally Posted by mic

Have any of you travelled to truely large world cities?? Australian cities are nice and all but lack the true diversity, excitment and intensity of cities abroad, they're nice enough places to live and raise a family, these delusions or grandeur from all sides need to stop our cities are all realitivley the same, very homogenous and quite boring in many ways when compared to whats on offer overseas. Yes job security and wages are good in Australia but there is a lack of cultural depth, diveristy and an evident brain drain of many forward thinking creative young adults, sorry buts its true.

Would you count HK, Paris, London, NY, Boston, Houston, New Orleans, LA, San Francisco, Moscow, St Petersburg, Vienna, Cairo, Athens, Rome, Budapest, Prague, Frankfurt, Cologne, Brussels, Singapore, Istanbul, etc. count?

Would living in Paris for a year, London for 6 months, Boston for 2 months, Houston for 2 months, count?

[PD]

Originally Posted by Avatar

I disagree, Australia continually loses brilliant scientific and entrepreneurial types. The recent media attention of our lack of venture capital providers compared with silicon valley simply highlights the problem, and this is only in a single field. Australia simply doesn't have what it takes to secure the most brilliant minds. What do we have to offer the best in the world? We don't have the best scientific wages, research facilities, educational sector or the best living conditions. We have few of the world's top companies so you wouldn't expect the best and brightest to come here or even stay here.

Yes, so we do lose young australians to places like London and LA.
But to call that a brain drain is a bit sensationalist.
There are countries out there who are truly experiencing brain drains.
Australia is gaining asian and African proffessionals for every Aussie it loses.

Being involved in school and uni programs I can tell you the vast majority of these foreign students that I talk to are studying with the intention of also wanting to secure rrsidency

[PD]

In Perth this tends to be singaporeans, Chinese malaysians, Chinese indonesians, zambians, zimbabeans etc
And I'm sure it would be the same for all AUS cities.

I know those of you who are true ethnic aussies have been raised to self-loathe but sometimes it gets a little bit extreme on here.

[asdfg]

I agree with PD. Australia is definitely a drainer of brains, rather than somewhere that particularly suffers in this regard.

Yes, it may lose to London, NY and LA, however these are pretty much top of the English-speaking world tree. But Australia wouldn't be ranked that far behind these places in terms of appealing to skilled professionals. This is evident in the number of skilled workers that come here on 457s and PRs.

[Fabian]

Were straying off topic again...