Discussion - Adelaide CBD Height Restrictions

It is good news, but us crew over at SenAdel have known about this for months now.

Though height restrictions have already become pretty irrelevant since the State Government has taken over major projects.


Council to push for higher city buildings
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...r-city-buildings/story-e6frea83-1225934557796

THE city skyline is set for significant change now that Adelaide City Council wants to increase maximum building heights in the city centre.

Lord Mayor Michael Harbison confirmed the council had been looking to increase CBD building heights but a backlog of other changes to its development plan had slowed progress. The issue will be put on the agenda for the new council, which will be elected in November.

Each of the three frontrunners in the council's lord mayoral race - Ralph Clarke, Francis Wong and Stephen Yarwood - said they would support increasing building heights and believed changes would pass through the future council.

This confirmation follows council chief executive Peter Smith's submission to a review of the planning system by the Productivity Commission, where the council's willingness to look at increasing building heights was identified.

The statement said the council had flagged its intention to investigate amending its development plan to increase development potential, including raising maximum building heights, with the State Government.

"As this change may involve increasing the height by which builders can build, the investigations will also consider impacts from additional overshadowing on pedestrian amenity, implications for demand for additional movement, and the interaction of additional height with airport operations associated with Adelaide Airport," the submission said.

Property Council of Australia SA executive director Nathan Paine said the discussions were a welcome signal from the council, which he said had presided over contradictory population and building height-restriction policies.

"If you want to get more people to live in and work in the city you need to allow developers and investors to build the buildings that people are going to live in and work in," he said.

"I would expect to see building heights in critical areas go up around the squares and terraces."

Todd Brown, chief executive of Urban Construct, responsible for the development of the Balfours site, said the height review was "long overdue".

A spokesman for Urban Development and Planning Minister Paul Holloway said discussions on the council's proposed rezoning were at a preliminary stage.

"Before any Council DPA can be initiated, agreement must be first reached with the Minister on the subject matter and the scope," he said.

- with Miles Kemp

some interesting points of view from adelaidians..most want tall buildings.

Chris of Collinswood Posted at 5:01 PM October 06, 2010

Good news. This is however, around 20 years too late. Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane have all been developing their skylines whilst Adelaide has remained visually frozen in time since the late 80's (despite the odd smaller building). A city skyline is not just something to look at, but gives the world something to associate with you’re city. It shows the world you are "up to date" Seeing as Adelaide CBD is so commonly joked about, and is seriously dull visually (in terms of high rise) we NEED innovative buildings. I have visited many cities around the world, including Hong Kong, London, Paris, Rome, Berlin etc etc. I was surprised that virtually EVERY European city I visited had an ultra modern CBD to accompany the historical buildings. E.g. Amsterdam, Brussells, Paris etc. In addition the modern parts of these cities THRASHED Adelaides, as well as having the old historical sections. To put simply, Adelaide could do with some taller/interesting buildings with interesting architecture because we have such a short & uninteresting history. Rome does NOT need tall buildings because it has AMAZING history & heritage.
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Rhonda of Adelaide Posted at 10:10 AM October 07, 2010

If you dont like the height of Adelaide's skyline then go and live in the skyscraping cities you so desire. We simply do not need them. They are ugly and make the city cold and aweful. Personally I hate Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth city centres for this very reason. At least in Adelaide you can get some sunshine in the city limits which you wont be able to do if these ugly skyscrapers are allowed in....Height restrictions should STAY as they are ...

Realist of Salisbury Posted at 11:10 PM October 07, 2010

Nothing has changed in Adelaide in the over 40 years I have been working so do not get your hopes up folks. This is just an idea not even a plan and I have lost count of the plans that have been made for Victoria Square for the last 30 plus years that have not materialised and will not for at least another 30 years. At best this will be to allow 3 story buildings to go maybe to 5 or 6 stories, but a real skyscraper like many cities had a century ago - not bloody likely before hell freezes over I think. Nothing will change in this backwater for at least another half century - if anyone is left here apart from the pensioners and unemployed. I am one that when I retire I will be getting to hell out of here as it is too slow for me when retired, I want to actually do and enjoy things in an exciting State and luckily with my work I do get to see other States regularly to make the comparison - this is really a boring, expensive and slow backwater.

Ecko of Semaphore Posted at 2:01 PM October 06, 2010

Funny that a simple issue like this generates so much rabid negativity about Adelaide. Adelaide is simply unpopular. Who cares? Whats popular rarely equates to quality. In fact, it usually corresponds to something thats grossly undervalued. Adelaide is quite a funky, classy little city.