We’ve commissioned Complete Streets, an independent planning and strategy firm, to conduct research into five cities that have a lot in common with the Greater Hobart region: Austin, Auckland, Ljubljana, Portland and Coffs Harbour. This research has focussed on what these places have done to improve their economies and the lives of their citizens, and how they’ve tapped into their regional advantages. Here, we’ve summarised some key themes that have come out of this work. It’s not about making recommendations or coming up with answers — it simply looks at what’s working for these other places, with the aim of starting conversations about what might work for us.
The first thing most of these cities have in common is how dense their populations are. One million people live in Austin, but they’re not very spread out — 1,200 people live in each square kilometre. Portland has a population 630,000, and their density is even higher at 1,890 per square kilometre. Ljubljana’s population is much closer to ours, at 300,000, with a density of 1,700 per square kilometre. Hobart’s population density is 146 people per square kilometre.
These cities are able to support these higher levels of densities through a diversity of housing — free-standing homes, apartments, townhouses and mixed-use areas. High population densities naturally bring diversity and vibrancy to the culture of these neighbourhoods, which attracts even more people. As a result, these areas become economic drivers of the wider city, as more people living and spending time in them equates to more money being spent.
These high population densities are supported by high levels of multi-modal transport, all designed around the aim of removing cars from the city centre. Austin has invested $1.7 billion in new light rail projects, a transit tunnel, expanded bus services, park and ride stops and an E-Bike fleet. Portland operates a streetcar system that loops around the downtown area, connecting people to all the major destinations of the city. It also has a more extensive light rail network, which covers the outer-lying suburbs, with fares starting at $2.50 per day. Ljubljana has created a culture of walking and deliveries via cargo bikes, with motorised vehicles needing to make bookings to enter the city centre. The public transport system delivers people to the edge of the city – from there, they largely walk to their destinations.
Another thing these cities have embraced is their relationship with the environment around them. Much like Greater Hobart, Auckland is renowned for its natural beauty, which it prioritises through its vision of Environmental and Culture Heritage. Urban sprawl is directly discouraged, which protect the beaches and hills that are important to both the tourism industry and the wellbeing of its citizens. Coffs Harbour has also worked hard to protect its natural environment — in its vision, the Council states that its environment ‘sustains us and future generations.’ It has also acknowledged that there aren’t enough urban green spaces in the city, and is actively looking for ways to increase them. In contrast to Coffs, 60% of Ljubljana is green space, and it prioritises low-rise buildings that don’t negatively impact the environment while maintaining its high population density. Surrounding the city is a green ring of vegetation known as the Path of Remembrance and Comradeship. It lies where a barbed-wire fence was previously constructed during wartime, and is a source of great pride to its citizens, as well as a tourism drawcard.
Portland is also known for its environment, with hills, mountains and rivers forming much of the natural architecture of the city. Fishing, hiking, skiing and other outdoor activities are core to its culture which, along along with its progressive values, make the city an appealing place for young people to both visit and live. It’s a hub for mountain biking, but is also committed to cycling as a form of transport, with pedestrian and cycling friendly streets, which has resulted in it being known as the bicycle capital of the United States. The city has also implemented a number of policies aimed at reducing its carbon footprint, which has attracted investment.
Most of these cities also have a culture of education at their centre, especially tertiary education. The University of Texas in Austin is one of the city’s key landmarks, and attracts thousands of students, many of whom study STEM courses. This high population of educated young people has, in turn, attracted the attention and investment of tech companies, many of which have set up offices and research facilities in the city. This allows many of the university’s graduates to stay in Austin and build their lives there, while contributing to the culture and economy of the city.
Auckland and Portland also have strong university cultures, with Portland in particular operating a very competitive tertiary education market, which attracts many young people to the city. Auckland’s several major universities are supported by a range of research institutions, both of which make significant contributions to the city’s economy.
Ljubljana is known throughout Europe as an educational centre, with a number of universities and technical institutes in the heart of the city, which have attracted the investment of tech companies and innovative organisations, as well as a high population of young professionals.
The most common denominator across all five of these cities, however, is their approach to their respective futures. Each of them has taken charge of how they will evolve and change, rather than letting change happen to them.
Auckland made the bold move to transform 22 individual councils into a single Auckland City Council, which has enabled the city to cohesively move towards creating urban renewal that benefits everyone, rather than having elements of the community competing over funding or resources. Part of this involved creating the role of Urban Design Champion — a person dedicated to putting Auckland on the world stage as a creator of great urban environments.
Austin is famous for its catchphrase, ‘Keep Austin Weird.’ This has formed the core of how the entire city sees itself and its future, and filters right up to the highest levels of planning. Not only has this resulted in a strong sense of community and collective values — it’s also led to a worldwide reputation as a place of innovation, which has attracted investment from organisations who share those values. It’s a huge part of why Austin is one of the top three performing economies in the United States.
Following years of communist rule, Ljubljana made a conscious decision to combine the preservation of its beautiful architecture with a mission to modernise the lifestyle of its citizens. As a result, it’s become famous for its cleanliness, diverse jobs and housing, and high quality of life. Much of this has come from the city making the brave decision to remove vehicles from its centre to help its spaces become people-centric.
Portland has a reputation in the United States for having progressive citizens, which has led to a secondary reputation of sustainability and green living. Its leadership has embraced this by embarking on a system of renewal, especially in the city’s Pearl District, which is now globally held up as an example of truly great city renewal. But this wasn’t just driven by Government — it was a collective effort between organisations, community groups, businesses and elected representatives. It was considered a risk at the time, but it’s paid off in a big way.
As a small city, Coffs Harbour is less advanced than these other places, but has set out on an ambitious plan of revitalisation by identifying its shortcomings and implementing serious reform. Key to this is their goal of boosting liveability in the region by increasing their housing diversity, transport infrastructure and the removal of old freight routes through its centre, which is turning a once-bleak streetscape into a vibrant, walkable hub.
