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Kaya Urbanists,
This month's mural takes us back to Grand Lane in the Perth CBD, home to some of the city's most striking street art. If you zoom in on the sign outside the shop, you'll find the words: 'Slow down, look around, soak in the sights, sound & smell. We hope this mural makes you smile.' It certainly made us smile and admire the beautiful pencil artwork by Yip Yew Chong and Leonardo Yuwono.
This edition takes us from Brisbane's dawn economy to the streets of Freiburg, with a stopover in Houston to explore what opportunities could be written in the stars for Perth's future.
In recent months we've explored the nocturnal economy; this edition turns its attention to Brisbane's dawn economy. We also explore how Houston transformed its space credentials into a broader innovation ecosystem, hear from James Fairbairn on talent, leadership and what our city looks like from the saddle of a bicycle, and examine what Perth can learn from Freiburg's remarkably consistent approach to urban planning. e also feature a guest contribution from our very own Francien Boom, reflecting on her recent trip to the Netherlands.
Happy reading,
Committee for Perth Team
CORRECTION: And finally, a correction from our last edition. The mural featured in Urban Scrawl 29 was painted by Kam (Kamsani Bin Salleh) and commissioned by Brookfield Place and West Australian Opera. The artwork celebrates Koolbardi wer Wardong, the acclaimed Noongar-language children's opera by Gina Williams and the late Guy Ghouse, which tells the traditional story of the magpie and crow.
And we would like to use this as a reminder to email us about what inspires you, made you stop and think or great articles you have come across, to help us shape future Urban Scrawl editions.
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| Most cities focus on what happens after dark. Brisbane is looking to the hours before breakfast – a time when Perth is at its sparkling best.
Recent research found almost one-third of Brisbane's food and drink venues are open between 6am and 7am, making it Australia's most active dawn economy and placing it ahead of cities including Perth (30%), Sydney (19%) and Melbourne (16%). The city is now exploring how to turn that early-morning culture into an economic advantage, with proposals ranging from dedicated morning activations, retail models and transport planning to the appointment of a Dawn Economy Commissioner.
As Brisbane prepares for the 2032 Olympic Games, civic leaders see the dawn economy as part of the city's identity. The trend extends beyond cafés and fitness, with early-morning "coffee raves" and alcohol-free dance events gaining popularity in cities around the world. Brisbane has embraced the movement, and Perth is beginning to see similar events emerge (like the Rave and Brunch next week), signalling growing demand for social, cultural and commercial activity before the traditional workday begins.
Some commentators believe Australia's early-rising culture could even become a tourism asset, with beachfront cafés, outdoor fitness communities and morning socialising increasingly forming part of the country's urban identity.
But Brisbane isn't just measuring its dawn economy; it's actively building on it. With early daylight hours, a strong outdoor culture and alignment with many of Asia's major business centres, Perth has many of the ingredients to do the same and perhaps an opportunity to turn an existing lifestyle advantage into an economic one if we choose to. After all, the early bird catches the worm! Read More
Perth’s dawn economy is similar to Brisbane’s, but different. Later this year Committee for Perth will be exploring the potential of the early hours on the west coast, so stay tuned. |
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48 teams will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Starting on 11 June, hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, it will be the largest football world cup in history - the previous six tournaments (1998–2022) all featured 32 teams. FIFA approved the change in 2017 to increase global participation and give more countries a pathway to football's biggest stage, or name it soccer if you must;) View all 104 matches and dates and check out Northbridge Piazza's live viewing schedule.
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LISTEN: New Horizons Webinar Tuesday, July 14, 9:00am: Committee for Capital Cities / Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Briefing — This is your chance to hear directly from the Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee about how the Games are being planned and delivered, and ask questions about how you can get involved. These will be ‘Australia’s Olympics’, with plenty of opportunities for Perth and WA organisations to get involved in everything from procurement to talent provision.
This briefing will be relevant for organisations seeking to understand how to engage with Games-related opportunities and for stakeholders interested in ensuring the benefits of Brisbane 2032 are shared more broadly across the country. This event is an exclusive benefit for all employees of Committee for Perth members. Register Here |
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We are delighted to sit down with James Fairbairn, executive search consultant at Lester Blades, author of Career Karma and Resume Karma, and a passionate advocate for road cycling safety. Through his work, James has spent decades helping leaders and organisations navigate the changing world of work, giving him a unique perspective on talent, opportunity, career-building in Perth and on what our city looks like from the saddle of a bicycle.
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You spend your professional life talking to leaders across industries. What are the qualities that make talented people choose Perth?
We are blessed in that we can offer a very compelling mix of professional opportunity and the best quality of life in the world (in my humble opinion). Talented people are attracted by the scale and complexity of the work here, across so many sectors. It is often a surprise to outsiders that there are many vibrant sectors here, not just resources. Most of all though they value the ability to build a meaningful career without compromising their lifestyle.
Perth is often described as a city built on relationships. How can people who have just moved here develop relationships and community?
I arrived twenty years ago, and very soon realised that Perth rewards people who make the effort to get involved. My advice is to be proactive - say yes early and often: attend industry events, join community groups, volunteer, play sport and follow up properly. Relationships here are built through consistency and contribution, not just introductions or what school you attended. From an executive recruitment perspective, how has Perth's story changed over the past decade, and what will define its next chapter?
Perth’s story is continuing to become more sophisticated. A decade ago, it was so often viewed through a resources lens. Today, the conversation includes energy transition, defence, infrastructure, health, education and human services. I believe that our next chapter will be defined by whether we can attract and retain the leadership talent needed to convert these opportunities into long-term civic and economic momentum. You've described yourself as a road cycling safety advocate. What does riding a bike mean to you personally, and what has it taught you about experiencing Perth as a city?
In the words of the immortal Robin Williams, "My favourite thing to do is ride a bicycle.... for me, it's mobile meditation." Riding a bike gives me fitness, headspace and a very direct connection to my city. It also reminds me that good cities are experienced at human scale. From a bike, you notice road design, courtesy, risk and the small choices that either make people feel welcome and safe or that discourage them from participating.
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When you compare Perth to other cities you've visited, where do you see the biggest opportunities for improvement?
Perth has enormous natural advantages, not least one of the sunniest cities on earth and relatively flat, but we need to be bolder in how we activate the city and connect people to it. Just look at what London and Paris have recently been able to achieve in encouraging a huge uptake in active transport (people walking, people riding bikes, people on e-scooters etc) without these natural advantages! Better transport integration, safer active transport, better road design that protects vulnerable road users (hint: it isn’t just green road paint) and more awareness by decision makers on how many people this could benefit. About 1.1 million West Aussies ride a bike at least once a year. Most of these are not Lycra wearers on expensive bikes. They are people commuting to and from work, they are kids riding to school, they are parents heading to the local shops, and they are families enjoying life on two wheels together at the weekend. The opportunity is not to become another city, but to become a more ambitious version of Perth.
Riding a bike gives people a very different experience of a city than driving. What do you notice about Perth from a bike saddle that others might miss?
You notice just how beautiful Perth is, far more than you do from a car. A short ride can take you past the river, through parks and quiet suburbs, and out to Australia’s best city beaches. We are so lucky. You also notice gaps in infrastructure, moments of impatience, and a lack of respect at times — and that goes both ways; bike riders need to be respectful of other road users too. Small improvements would make the city safer, more connected and ultimately more enjoyable for everyone.
People who ride road bikes regularly all seem to have a favourite cafe destination, what's yours in Perth?
For weekend rides, Little Picture café in Bayswater and during the week, Mount Street Breakfast Bar in the city. |
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INTERNATIONAL INSPIRATION |
HOUSTON — FROM SPACE CITY TO INNOVATION HUB |
When most people think of Houston, they think of astronauts and mission control, or maybe oil and gas. But the city's greatest success may not be what it launched into space or sourced from the Earth, it may be the innovation ecosystem it built back on Earth.
Anchored by NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston has spent decades growing an economy that extends far beyond space exploration. Research institutions, advanced manufacturers, robotics companies, aerospace firms and start-ups have clustered around the sector, creating high-value jobs and attracting global talent. More recently, the city has doubled down on this identity through the development of the Houston Spaceport as well as the Space Research Centre, positioning itself as a hub for commercial space activity, research and advanced manufacturing.
Houston demonstrates that space can be an ecosystem strategy rather than a standalone industry. The city used its space sector to attract research institutions, engineers, software developers, robotics specialists and advanced manufacturers, creating innovation spillovers that extend well beyond aerospace itself. Today, Houston's metropolitan economy, home to 7.8 million people, exceeds US$758 billion and ranks among the fastest-growing major economies in the United States (Perth's metropolitan economy is valued at A$186 billion).
And there is a reason we are looking at the space industry for economic diversification today. When Australian of the Year 2026 and astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg joined Committee for Perth's Future Ready Forum last month, she highlighted that Western Australia is already an important contributor to the modern space sector, with strengths in robotics, autonomous systems, communications, engineering and world-leading scientific research.
Unlike many emerging industries, WA already possesses many of the capabilities that underpin the modern space sector, from robotics and autonomous systems to engineering, communications and research.
This makes space an intriguing opportunity. Not because Perth needs to become a city of rocket launches, but because the sector can help attract talent, commercialise research and strengthen adjacent industries. |
GUEST COLUMN: FRANCIEN BOOM |
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| The Netherlands
Since commencing my role at Committee for Perth in 2024, the way I experience cities has fundamentally changed. It has rewired how I think, feel and travel. Last month, I went back to my home country – the Netherlands.
An innovative, vibrant and beautiful country with world-class infrastructure, well-designed urban cities and sustainability policies – no bias here! It is an abundant source of inspiration, and I wonder how we could take note of some of these things here in Perth? |
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The Letters of Utrecht
Firstly, as a tour guide touted, Dutch people are innovative, smart and creative (it’s hard to be impartial!) Take the city of Utrecht — home to Nijntje (that’s Miffy to you), where WiFi was co-invented, The Fish Doorbell (yes, really), the world’s largest bicycle parking facility (13,500 spaces), and the Letters of Utrecht.
Spotting letters carved into the pavement along the Oudegracht, what I initially mistook for a love of Scrabble turned out to be something far more meaningful: De Letters Van Utrecht – a never-ending poem carved into the city’s streets. Every Saturday between 2 and 3pm, a stonemason adds a new letter. The project was developed by the Million Generations Foundation, a Dutch think tank devoted to developing knowledge for the good of the future, in collaboration with a local poet’s guild. The poem advances by about seven metres each year; it takes roughly three years to complete a single sentence. Along the ‘future’ route, markers indicate where the poem will reach in decades and even centuries to come. It’s anticipated to be completed in 2350.
A city-wide project, with a future lens. How poetic! |
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Rotterdam, make it happen
Ask a Dutch person why you should visit Rotterdam, and they will likely say something among the lines of ‘because it’s different’. After the city was destroyed in WWII, the city reinvented itself, becoming Amsterdam’s modern, edgy, younger sibling. The Markthal, Cube Houses, Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen and Fenix Museum of Migration (see pictures) are all testaments to a city that embraced experimental modern architecture, full of diverse styles.
What piqued my interest most was the Maritime District, where water, history, and the modern city come together. |
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Centred around the Maritime Museum – part of which is an open-air harbour where visitors can step aboard historic vessels, many of which are still fully operational – the district is also home to Harbour Wellness (think sauna, hot tubs, water sports, hotel), Vessell 11 (a gastro pub with live music), a water taxi service, the iconic Erasmus Bridge and more.
Back home, with planning underway to relocate Perth’s container port to Kwinana, Fremantle has an ambitious plan to transform the port into a harbour precinct. What better city to take inspiration from than one of Europe’s largest seaports? Imagine a bustling harbour, where visitors can explore and enjoy waterfront dining, learn about Maritime history and port culture and experience the vibrant atmosphere! keep reading online
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FREIBURG'S 30-YEAR PLANNING EXPERIMENT |
When people talk about Freiburg in Germany, they often focus on its reputation as benchmark for cycling culture or low car use. But the city's success may stem from something simpler: consistency. Over the past three decades, Freiburg has followed a handful of planning principles with remarkable discipline: No home should be more than 400m from a tram stop
Freiburg deliberately planned neighbourhoods around public transport. In Vauban, homes were built along the tram corridor and the city adopted the rule of thumb that residents should be within about 400 metres of a stop.
Parking is not banned — it's inconvenient
This is probably the smartest part. Residents can own cars, but parking is generally located in large garages at the edge of the neighbourhood rather than outside homes. If you want a car, you pay separately for parking. If you don't own a car, you don't subsidise those who do. The city removed parking before it removed cars
Most residential streets are "parking-free" rather than car-free. Vehicles can enter for deliveries or moving house, but cannot park there. That seemingly small distinction dramatically changes how streets feel and how much space is available for people and trees.
Growth and transport were planned together One of Freiburg's biggest planning principles was that new development should follow transport infrastructure, not the other way around. Tram extensions were treated as the backbone of urban growth. They didn't rely on restrictions alone
The city paired car restrictions with excellent alternatives: frequent trams, cycling infrastructure, car-sharing, schools, shops and services within walking distance. Researchers describe it as a "push and pull" strategy rather than a war on cars.
The result is a city known for its leafy streets, high-quality public spaces and lower car dependence. Rather than treating transport, housing and public realm as separate challenges, Freiburg considered them together over time. Read Research |
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WHAT INSPIRES YOU RIGHT NOW? |
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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: nathalie.heppeler@committeeforperth.com.au
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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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