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ISSUE 25

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BENCHMARKING CITIES

A CITY PLAN WITH CLARITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

With the 2050 Summit connecting the themes shaping Perth as a liveable city, we turned to Minneapolis 2040 for this edition — one of the United States’ most comprehensive city plans.

Setting a clear, city-wide framework for how their city will grow, densify and decarbonise over the coming decades, Minneapolis 2040 integrates housing, transport, climate resilience, neighbourhood design and economic opportunity into a single, enforceable plan.

What makes it distinctive is how directly policy translates into action. Minneapolis 2040 rewrote the city’s zoning code to match its long-term goals — including allowing duplexes and triplexes city-wide, focusing new density around frequent public transport, and removing parking minimums in many areas. Land-use decisions are explicitly linked to outcomes for climate, mobility and housing access, rather than assessed in isolation. The plan also defines what success looks like. Progress is tracked through measurable indicators such as:

• housing supply and affordability by neighbourhood
• access to frequent transit, jobs and daily services
• greenhouse-gas emissions and tree canopy coverage
• disparities in outcomes across race, income and geography

Crucially, Minneapolis made all of this public. The Minneapolis 2040 website houses every policy, map, zoning rule and progress update in one place, allowing residents, businesses and investors to see not just the vision, but how it is being implemented over time. See: Minneapolis 2040

RESEARCH BITES

RETHINKING THE SHOPPING CENTRE

For decades, shopping centres were built around transactions but research shows: their greatest potential lies in connection, not consumption.

Studies across Australia, the US and Europe now show that when they introduce libraries, co-working spaces, youth hubs, health services, community kitchens or art studios, dwell times rise, local engagement improves and neighbourhood resilience strengthens. A landmark mobility-data study in Chile even found that malls act as “open, safe, and socially mixed public spaces,” sometimes bringing together a more diverse cross-section of the city than parks or civic squares.

As Perth explores neighbourhood-scale wellbeing and invests in future-proofing shopping centres, shopping centres are already expanding their community role. Urbis’ Shopping Centre Benchmarks 2025 shows food, services and community-focused uses growing across all centre types — a shift that positions centres as anchors of local connection, health and everyday resilience.

GUEST COLUMN

TURNING DOWN THE NOISE TO BALANCE CULTURE AND COMFORT - BY SCOTT ADAM

Cities are living, breathing ecosystems. They thrive on creativity, connection, and the collective hum of people coming together — often quite literally, through music. Yet in Perth, this natural energy is increasingly under threat from noise complaints.

Across the city, we have seen many popular live music venues completely change their format or battle the complaints with costly solutions. Over the last 25 years beloved venues such as The Grosvenor Hotel, The Backroom, The Hyde Park Hotel, Norfolk Basement, Freo Social, The Civic, Mojos and Honky Tonk Blues have all faced the problem at one point or another and most recently Palace Arcade Fremantle had to close its doors due to the complaints.

With the move to build and promote the vibrancy of Perth through tourism, events, entertainment, arts, creativity and culture these venues are not just bars or stages, they are a cornerstone of the vibrancy building. They’re meeting places, where young artists, students, and communities gather, connect and grow. If we look back over the last 30 years, the ecosystem of live venues is where some of WA’s biggest music exports, from Jebediah, John Butler, The Waifs and Little Birdy to Eskimo Joe, Birds of Tokyo, and Tame Impala — first took the stage.

As higher-density housing continues to reshape Perth’s inner suburbs, I would champion the need for smarter planning that protects both residents’ comfort and our city’s cultural heartbeat. Recent research demonstrates that creative pursuits are important factors in connection and nurturing mentally healthy culture and community.  Around the world, solutions already exist and some locations even proudly brand themselves as a Music City. One interesting example of innovative thinking from Tokyo, where developers are creating soundproofed apartments specifically for musicians — allowing creativity to thrive without conflict.

In my personal opinion, for Perth to grow towards 2050, remaining vibrant and liveable, we must make room for noise — the kind that builds community, sparks creativity and defines our cultural identity. Because a silent city isn’t a peaceful one; it’s an empty one.

Scott Adam is an advocate for Perth’s creative industries and is Portfolio Director for Media Music Tourism and Events at North Metropolitan TAFE.

Do you have opinions that might help Perth's future? We would love to hear from you: enquiries@committeeforperth.com.au

TURNING INTO NEW IDEAS

RIDING HOME TOGETHER

At Amsterdam’s DGTL Festival, Dutch bike-subscription brand Swapfiets took nightlife safety beyond the dance floor.

Its Bike Buddies initiative paired festival-goers with crew members for late-night group rides to the ferry between midnight and 7 AM — offering reassurance, visibility and connection on the journey home.

Prompted by recent attacks on women in the Netherlands, Bike Buddies reframes safety as a shared community act rather than an individual responsibility. The message: hospitality doesn’t end at the gate. As Perth’s own nightlife precincts evolve, this model offers an interesting thought: sometimes, it’s not new infrastructure we need, but new care in how we move together. 

QUICK DATA

JAKARTA IS THE BIGGEST CITY

Jakarta has overtaken Tokyo as the world’s most populous city, with 41.9 million residents counted in its broader metropolitan area. Updated UN modelling now incorporates previously excluded urban districts — pushing Jakarta ahead of Dhaka and Tokyo on global rankings.

Globally, the number of megacities (10m+ people) has climbed from eight in 1975 to 33 today, with more forecast to emerge by 2050, especially across Africa and Southeast Asia.

With Perth being Australia’s closest capital to Indonesia, our proximity strengthens potential in education, tourism, trade and city-to-city collaboration.

INTERNATIONAL INSPIRATION

HOW SANTA MONICA MEASURES WHAT PEOPLE VALUE

When Santa Monica set out to improve quality of life for its residents in 2013, it didn’t start with infrastructure or branding — it started with data.

In partnership with the BBC and leading researchers, the city created one of the world’s first local Wellbeing Indexes, combining hard data (health, mobility, economic security) with community sentiment (belonging, trust, safety, connection).

The index revealed patterns the city hadn’t seen before — from pockets of social isolation to gaps in access to green space — and became a practical tool for action, not just analysis. Santa Monica now uses the index to direct investment, shape neighbourhood improvements, evaluate programs and, critically, measure progress over time.

Santa Monica led a growing global movement of cities redefining success through wellbeing: London, Helsinki, New Zealand, Bhutan and Canada have since implemented similar programs to plan and track liveability. Each approach is different, but the principle is the same: what gets measured gets improved. 

ON THE GROUND INTEL

This month we go on the ground with Damien Tapley, CEO of the Western Australian Aboriginal Leadership Institute (WAALI). Damien works at the intersection of leadership, culture and community — supporting Aboriginal leaders to build capability, confidence and long-term impact across WA. We spoke with Damien about leadership lessons, learnings from other cities, and where he finds inspiration and downtime.

What does WAALI do?

WAALI provides leadership courses for Aboriginal people, designed and delivered by Aboriginal people. We create a space of belonging where cultural ways are honoured, enabling Aboriginal people to progress confidently in their leadership journey. As a result, our graduates stand tall, breath deep, and step forward with clear direction.

What’s one leadership lesson you return to again and again?

Healthy self-awareness as leader is rare, so allowing and inviting people to keep you honest is a high value return process.

Which city or culture around the world is successfully doing what you believe Perth should be doing, and what lessons can we take from them?

Two cities I have loved spending time in because they feel refreshing and foster community are Portland and Vancouver.

Portland, Oregon USA has worked to counter the spread of concrete and bitumen by prioritising human-scaled walkable developments that connect people with each other and with nature.

Vancouver, British Columbia CA is full of friendly Canadians and makes a more explicit effort to embrace local First Nations ways than most cities. For me, this creates a more grounded narrative of the land.

Paying attention to these approaches in Perth could help create a city that feels more connected to Country, with walkable communities. Walkable communities are a win for everyone.

Do you have a book/podcast or playlist recommendation for the holidays, either to wind down or to keep busy?

My Top Podcasts: Conversations, What’s Your Problem, How to do Everything, Hamish & Andy, Short Wave, God Forbid.

My Top Book: ‘Right Story, Wrong Story’ - Tyson Yunkaporta, makes me think and laugh, as do my collection of Podcasts.

What's the most 'Perth thing' you've done this month?

Sailing on Guage Roads.

If you could choose one thing to change or improve in Perth in 2026, what would that be?

Reduce the footprint development has on boodja by reducing the amount of concrete and bitumen that are capping the earth. This can be achieved through cultural collaboration and thoughtful design that respects Country. The Boorloo Bridge is a good example of this.

If you were to take the entire family out for dinner, where would you choose to go?

‘South Freo Continental’ is a family favourite. Very relaxed local feel with a simple but great menu. The fungi brie pizza is a must eat.

WHAT'S INSPIRING YOU RIGHT NOW?

Urban Scrawl is shaped by ideas and actions from around the world. If you’ve seen something while travelling, read an article that stuck with you, heard a great conversation, or are working on a project that’s reshaping how cities work and grow, we’d love to hear about it. Share it with us and help shape future editions: enquiries@committeeforperth.com.au

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