Kaya, Welcome to Issue 14 of Urban Scrawl – one final hurrah before the Christmas break!
This month, we share insights from the Perth 2050 report, featuring an All Saints' College student's thoughts on STEM shortages and the challenges of transforming work to meet the demands of the new economy by 2050. In Benchmarking Cities, discover Malmö, Sweden’s third-largest city, and a prime example of sustainable urban transformation, driven by a clear plan and vision. This month we are also grateful to have Ruah CEO Debra Zanella contribute her thoughts on Creating Safe Spaces: Why Dedicated Areas for Vulnerable Communities Are Essential for a Thriving City. Such an interesting perspective to read.
Are you travelling this holiday period? We would love to hear your ideas, experiences or insights about places you've visited, heard of or read about that could inspire and enhance the Perth region. Share your thoughts with us via email at francien.boom@committeeforperth.com.au.
The Committee for Perth team will be taking a break over the festive season, with the office closing from Tuesday afternoon 24 December and re-opening on Monday 6 January 2025. We would like to wish you a wonderful holiday season and hope you have a restful break with your family and friends, and look forward to working with you again in 2025. It will be a big year with ideas and working groups to plan for Perth 2050. Happy reading, Francien Boom Committee for Perth |
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Chapter 7 of the Perth 2050 report explores how Perth will transform work to meet the demands for our new diversified economy by 2050. To achieve our ambitious diversification targets, skilled migration will be essential. Integrating AI and automation will also play a key role in addressing worker shortages, especially given Perth’s ageing population.
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At the Perth 2050 Report launch event last month, Grace, a year 9 student from All Saints’ College, reflected on a key point from the report: the shortage of STEM and the fact that approximately 75 per cent of new jobs in Australia will require STEM skills, but only 36 per cent of 14-to-17-year-olds want a career in STEM.
Citing this, Grace said: “This leads me to a few questions: why is the percentage so low? How can we make this percentage higher? … How is the economy going to develop if we don’t have people pursuing those fields? How are we going to [encourage] people – not force them – into STEM?... I really hope that, in the future, we can delve deeper in that concern and find ways to bump up that percentage and get people more involved and interested in STEM pathways. And again, I truly believe this [Perth 2050] report and this presentation are the start of something really important.”
Institutions such as Scitech, who collaborated on the Perth 2050 report, are instrumental in playing a positive role for STEM careers in WA, with a Deloitte study finding 1 in 3 STEM workers in Western Australia attribute Scitech as influencing their choice of career.
Read the full report here. |
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Earlier this month, the Federal Government outlined its vision for the sustainable growth of Australian cities and suburbs with the release of its new National Urban Policy.
The policy focuses on three key pillars: 1) liveable and equitable cities, 2) productive and innovative cities, and 3) sustainable and resilient cities. Ultimately, this is expected to address housing affordability, improved public transport, more green spaces, and inclusive communities, which align with our Perth 2050 aspirations.
With Australia’s six largest cities accounting for nearly 70 per cent of the country’s economy and home to more than two third’s of the country’s population, we welcome the government's commitment to sustainable city development. |
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Urban Policy Forum Chair Emeritus Professor, Barbara Norman, said, “As our cities and urban centres develop, there is an increasing need for coordinated government action to provide for liveable, productive and sustainable urban communities." Read more here. |
Benchmarking Cities explores places around the world that have implemented ambitious and future focused plans to address challenges and seize opportunities. By drawing inspiration from these cities, we can ask: where is Perth's plan to create a more vibrant, sustainable, and liveable future? |
📍 Malmö, Sweden
Malmö, Sweden’s third-largest city, is a prime example of sustainable urban transformation. Its Western Harbour project has turned a former industrial site into Sweden's first climate-neutral urban area. A key part of this initiative is Bo01, a sub-area also known as the “City of Tomorrow,” which was launched in 2001 as part of the European Housing Expo.
This groundbreaking project marked the first step in regenerating 160 hectares of former industrial polluted land and port operations into a vibrant mixed-use urban precinct. The broader Western Harbour area is projected to eventually accommodate 25,000 residents and create 25,000 workplaces by 2031.
Bo01's masterplan emphasizes layout, self-sufficiency, landscape and biodiversity, and mobility, with 100 per cent renewable energy as its guiding principle. Key innovations include soil recovery, waste and water management, and mixed-use development, all powered by a combination of solar, wind, and biogas systems. It is a city of pioneering urban development with the largest biogas plant in Europe (recycling solid waste to fuel for buses and cars), mass use of roof gardens (the Botanical Roof Garden of Augustenborg has 9500 sqm of green roofing) and 515 kilometres cycling network – resulting in 30 per cent of all trips made by bicycle. All this adds up to Malmö’s plans to comply with the Paris Agreement by 2030 and becoming Sweden’s first climate-neutral urban area.
Imagine the lessons we could learn for Perth? |
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The immersive entertainment market size is estimated at USD 116.82 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 334.32 billion by 2029. That’s a lot of zeroes. Advancements in technology coupled with consumer demand for unique and engaging experiences are propelling the growth. | |
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Immersive technology encapsulates many industries including gaming, movies, music, sports and live events. Netflix House, which lets you experience your favourite TV shows and movies in real life is a prime example, where you can attend a Bridgerton Ball or participate in Squid Games. Closer to home, we have member WA Museum’s VR Experience, as part of the Perth Festival, 'The Great Kimberley Wilderness' a 35-minute virtual reality documentary that transports you to Western Australia's remote north. Book your tickets today!
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Creating Safe Spaces: Why Dedicated Areas for Vulnerable Communities Are Essential for a Thriving City
Safe spaces in a community or city are environments, intentionally created so individuals feel secure, respected, and free from discrimination or harassment. These spaces are designed to foster inclusivity and support for marginalised or vulnerable groups, allowing them to express themselves without fear of judgment or harm. Safe spaces can take many forms, such as community centres, support groups or designated areas where people can gather. The goal is to create a supportive atmosphere where everyone can engage and participate fully, contributing to a more cohesive and resilient community.
Our cities should be safe spaces for everyone because cities are gathering places for all people. Cities are places that create environments to promote inclusivity of diversity, places of support, places of beauty and places that are accessible to all. This should be the feature of all our cities and most importantly our capital city, Perth on the Derbal Yerrigan (Swan River). Cities provide the environment for individuals physical and psychological safety through aesthetics, social connection, nature, interactive and engagement opportunities. They are so critical to our wellbeing both individually and collectively - without them, it would be equivalent to living in war torn, damaged and destroyed environments. We are so fortunate in Perth to have abundant natural beauty (think Kings Park) and increasingly we see wonderful engagement activities (music, festivals etc.) to "activate" these beautiful spaces.
Located on the traditional lands of the Noongar people, Perth is rich in stories, songlines and cultural practices passed down through generations. These narratives connect the Noongar people to the land, water and natural environment. Many sites within and around Perth are sacred and have deep spiritual meanings integral to Noongar beliefs and practices. The landscape itself is viewed as a living entity, embodying ancestral connections. The arrival of settlers dramatically, and for the worst, changed their way of life, leading to dispossession and cultural disruption. Acknowledging this history is crucial for reconciliation and understanding. The City of Perth's commitment with the State Government for a Cultural Heritage Centre is crucial, although a bit overdue! The need for cities such as Perth to tell the truth about "this place", for us whadjella's (westerners) to listen, and to learn from the traditional custodians of the depth, richness and healing this city can bring to the people that call it home. It is the only way we as individuals and communities within this city can truly flourish.
There are many examples from around the world that have integrated past and present into the fabric of their cities. Consider New Zealand, where the Māori language is used alongside English, with many streets and places having Māori names. The Sámi peoples from Norway, Sweden and Finland have done this through the creation of their own Sámi Parliaments to represent the interests of the Sámi people. Whilst we have started this process in WA there is much more that needs be done.
It is the role of Cities to create environments where everyone feels valued and protected, ultimately contributing to the overall health and well-being of the community. This is the Perth I want others to live in, because I know I do. Debra Zanella, CEO Ruah and Co-Chair of Reconciliation WA |
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FROM THE COMMITTEE FOR PERTH LIBRARY |
Committee for Perth’s Perth 2050 report (2024) builds on the foundation laid by Towards a Bright Future, released in 2012. Culminating four years of comprehensive research, it was, at the time, the most significant and detailed report about Perth’s future. This landmark report presented the first forecast projecting Perth’s population would reach 3.5 million by 2050 – a milestone we are still on track to achieve. With this in mind, the Perth 2050 report poses critical questions: Will Perth be ready? How can we adapt to a 50 per cent increase in our population over the next 25 years?
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Committee for Perth conducts its work on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar. We recognise their peoples' ongoing connection to land, culture and community and in doing so, pay our respects to Elders past and present. |
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