Perth shakes off reputation as oversized department store, according to a global urban planning expert Gehl

A world-renowned urban planning firm has praised Perth for its progress, its vibrant and lively events and its family-oriented areas but claims it still has “pockets of Dullsville”. Danish urban planning consultancy Gehl — considered the world’s foremost design authority— has commended the CBD for how far it’s come since 1994, when it was first commissioned by the State Government and the Perth City Council to assess it. Gehl partner Henriette Vamberg, in Perth this week to start a study that will form the basis of a masterplan for future growth, said the city no longer had the “character of an oversized department store”. The unflattering description was made in Gehl’s original report 30 years ago. Lonely Planet followed the insult six years later, in 2000, when it called Perth “Dullsville”, lumping it with a label that has haunted the city ever since. Ms Vamberg said Perth now has signs of vibrancy and “being lived in”, with a much stronger residential population and a welcome focus towards the Swan River. However, she said parts of the west end are tired and boring, and she was uncertain whether she would feel safe walking near train stations or bus depots at night. “I think Dullsville is probably a bit harsh — that was years ago and I would say no, I don’t think that is appropriate to say about Perth anymore,” she said. “But there are pockets of Dullsville at the western part of Hay, Murray and Milligan streets . . . at the very far end. “I think very few people go there and maybe there is not a lot to go there for.” Ms Vamberg suggested the city’s west end would be a good place to develop new apartment towers, to help inject some vibrancy into area. The original 1994 report was scathing in its view of Perth, claiming the city lacked much to write home about both during the day and at night. At the time, the city’s residential population was only 200 people. The report said the city had been rigidly subdivided into “mono-functional areas, aggravated by an almost total absence of residents and students.” It had also described Perth as feeling unsafe and even scary in parts, particularly for the elderly and those with a disability. While the initial report described Northbridge as “fun city” and praised the city’s historical buildings the Swan River and Kings Park, it had nothing nice to say of the CBD, describing St Georges Terrace as a “wall of office towers . . . with turbulent winds and overshadowed pavements.” “After working and shopping hours, the city centre becomes virtually lifeless, except for small pockets of activity,” said the 1994 report. The initial report made eight recommendations for improvements, including calls to attract students and a bigger residential population. The original report author, Jan Gehl, last visited Perth in 2015 when he noted Perth had made great improvements but still had some ways to go before reaching the heights of Melbourne. Ms Vamberg this week however said there had been strong progress since 2015, particularly with the creation of some exciting and vibrant new areas like Elizabeth Quay. She said the area attracted plenty of families and walkers who clearly enjoyed the EQ playground and the river. “I think I have potentially arrived at the time of year when a lot of stuff is going on,” she said. “I was quite pleasantly surprised to see many families were in the city doing things on Sunday afternoon and Sunday night.” She credited the Perth’s newfound vibrancy not just to its new infrastructure, but to the program of festivities and events created by the City of Perth Council, such as the Christmas lights trail. But she fell short of saying all of Perth was suitable for families, claiming some roads were difficult to cross or did not have broad appeal. “I think it has pockets that are for families and areas where it is harder to be with kids.” She again nominated the western end as an area that was difficult to navigate and not family-friendly. Ms Vamberg, who is Gehl’s managing director of the Asia Pacific region and Europe, is yet to assess Northbridge, which escaped heavy criticism in previous reports. She is also yet to consider the unfunded plans for the Swan River foreshore redevelopment next to Langley Park, spruiked by the Perth City Council. The area has been far better utilised in recent years and earlier this year some 35,000 people packed out the park to watch internationally renowned DJ Fred Again. However, she said she was pleased to see the city had picked up on the original recommendation to further link the city and the river. She said the biggest challenge for Perth now was to develop the city in a better way to accommodate its soaring summer temperatures. It was also important to branch out from the classic Australian city model which tended to separate retail, office and residential areas into distinct precincts. Lord mayor Basil Zempilas said the report, which will be delivered in full next year, would help guide the city’s future development. Mr Zempilas was not concerned Ms Vamberg had identified problems with the west end, claiming every city has parts that need improvement. “Dullsville is in Perth’s dark, distant past,” he said. He said Ms Vamberg’s initial thoughts showed Perth had come a long way in implementing many of the original recommendations, such as attracting a residential population. Perth now has 7,100 residents in the CBD, and 32,800 in the greater city area. “Bringing in a fresh set of eyes, an outside expert who is genuinely credentialled, is how you report growth and progress,” he said. He said the city will further make good on an initial recommendation to attract students when the new Edith Cowan University campus is completed in a year’s time.