Some lessons for Freo from the Show

My last post about my nephew's first visit to the Royal Show got me thinking about whether or not there were any lessons that could be gleaned for Freo. After thinking about it for a couple of days I've come up with a few, which I thought that I'd share with Freo Doctor Blog readers.

Lesson 1: Seeing Freo through the eyes of a child

The single best thing about hanging out with Byron at the Show was being able to get an appreciation of the world through his eyes.

I think that this is a great lesson for Freo. Happy and engaged kids means happy parents, which means memorable experiences. If families are having them in Freo then they're going to keep coming back. Lately my wife and I have noticed this very thing happening at the Fremantle Markets. Petting zoos, pianos, people walking around on stilts in costumes, entertainers making balloon shapes... They all have one thing in common. They invite kids (and adults) to engage and have a bit of fun.

Source: http://fremantlemarkets.com.au/

The other weekend my wife and I accompanied Byron to a pirate themed 5 year old birthday party. It was a hoot. All of the kids bar none all loved the bubble making toys that they received at the end of a treasure hunt. It got me thinking how cool it would be if word got out that there was some kind of bubble making device at Kings Square or the Esplanade or Bathers Beach.

Speaking of introducing fun, check out this cool website. I particularly like the world's deepest bin and the piano staircase ideas.

Lesson 2: Signage gives people an excuse to go to a destination

One thing that I did notice about the Show is that the signage could have been better. It probably meant that we missed out on certain activities and interesting places to visit.

It is a good thing that the City is launching Rea series of precinct focused signage. It'll also be important to think about a more micro approach as well. For example, little signs letting people know that the Round House is only a 2 minute walk in that direction. We are regularly approached by tourists looking for the Maritime Museum.

I like this approach that was sneakily tried in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Micro wayfinding at Raleigh via

I feel it gives people an excuse to check out a destination knowing that it isn't that far away.

Lesson 3: Food trucks

It's been a while since I last went to the Show and I'd forgotten the bevy of food options that were available. Freo Doctor Blog readers will appreciate that I enjoy my food. They'll also appreciate that food is probably the most crucial aspect of attracting people to an area. A classic example is how Gypsy Tapas has transformed its little part of Freo. All of the food vans at the Show got me thinking about how food trucks have become really popular around the United States.

Food trucks offer a great opportunity for Freo to expand on its array of food options. One of the benefits of Freo becoming food truck friendly is that they provide an opportunity for emerging food entrepreneurs to test themselves before committing to a more permanent arrangement.

A food truck in Sydney via

As well as providing an entry point into someone owning their business, Freo gets to maximise its awesomeness by creating a virtuous cycle. Foot traffic: tick. Active, festive streets: tick, tick. Economic vitality: Boom tick.

Evaluating Notre Dame's place in Freo (Part II)

My last post looked at the great Freo town-gown trade-off. In today's concluding post, I''ll shoot the breeze about what we can expect from Notre Dame and how the recently adopted MOU stacks up.

PART II

What can we expect from Notre Dame?

I'll come clean. I feel there's a tad too much emphasis on the City attempting to elicit a financial commitment from Notre Dame in the Memorandum of Understanding.

Yep, I've flipped my thinking on this one. I just don't think that it is the City's place to attempt to force Notre Dame into this kind of financial arrangement. Firstly, the City does not have the power to compel Notre Dame to do so. Secondly, I can imagine that it would be difficult for the City to have any credibility with Notre Dame if it isn't doing the same thing with other large not-for-profit organisations in Fremantle.

Rather than focusing on a dollars and cents contribution, I now believe that the opportunity presented by the Memorandum of Understanding is to focus on:

- mitigating what we're trading;

- maximising what we're gaining; and

- identifying what we should be gaining but not currently receiving.

Setting aside the diminished rates base for reasons I've already mentioned, it seems logical that the Memorandum of Understanding focuses on activating the West End, and how Notre Dame can help with managing the demand for parking. It also feels reasonable that the City and Notre Dame agree on maximising the benefits of economic development and heritage restoration.

Finally, something that I feel Freo should be gaining, but that Notre Dame isn't providing as well as it could be, is community development.

How does the MOU stack up?

Armed with a tasty mug of freshly brewed Yorkshire Gold tea, I decided to tackle the City's website in an attempt to download the MOU. After my fifteenth mug, I eventually discovered that only the old MOU could be downloaded. Not to be outdone and because I was over-stimulated, I made like the spy in Len Deighton's 'The Ipcress File' and deduced that, as Council had made the decision to adopt the new MOU, the document would have been included as an attachment as part of a Council Agenda. So after another series of clicks, I excitedly found the new MOU document.

(Maybe somebody at the City could update the website so that finding and downloading the new MOU doesn't require experience working for MI6? In the meantime, I won't link to the City's website.)

Now back to the MOU.

I finished reading the document and immediately concluded that 'encourage' must have been trendy at the time of its drafting.

My second reading left me thinking that this MOU is all about getting Notre Dame to figure out that street activation is a good thing. Great in theory... but I will be awarding a big cup of hot fat to both parties for agreeing to the two year timeframe for starting a street activation strategy.

A positive aspect of the document is that Notre Dame will look at expanding its academic activities to locations throughout the city centre. This'll free up space in the West End, which will allow for its activation, and reinforces the importance of the Stan Reilly site.

If you're looking for money don't expect too much. Notre Dame has agreed that it will contribute up to $75,000 per calendar year. Remembering that they don't have to pay anything, and that they will be expected to continue their heritage restoration and building upgrade programmes, I'm cool with this aspect of the MOU.

Economic development gets a guernsey. Freo businesses are expected to be Notre Dame's first port of call. It'll be interesting to see if this does in fact happen.

Two aspects that could have been given more attention are Notre Dame's community development, and its role in providing movement options for its students and employees. This neglect probably also deserves a cup of hot fat as well.

Another detail that is missing is any word on how the MOU will be implemented. Who will be responsible on the City's end, and who will be the point of contact at Notre Dame? How will groups like FICRA, the West End Traders Association and the Fremantle BID be involved?

Not withstanding the questionable implementation plan, I'm surprised to report that all in all the MOU gets a pass mark from me. ("I'm sure they'll be breathing huge sighs of relief in the Chancellor's office." - my wife.) Now it is down to implementation.

Now for some ideas

1. State Government subsidy to City of Freo for being so awesome?

Notre Dame, Fremantle Port, Fremantle Hospital are all subsidised by us taxpayers. They also all provide benefits to the wider Perth metropolitan region, let alone Freo. So why is it left to Fremantle ratepayers to bare a cost through losses in rates revenue?

I'd like to see the City of Fremantle, along with all of Fremantle's representatives in state parliament, advocating for the State Government to award the City a one off yearly subsidy. It happened in Connecticut - why can't it happen here?

2. Get cracking on the street activation strategy

This is a no brainer. There is no reason why the community must wait two years for work on preparing this document to begin.

3. Community development

I really like how the University of Western Australia provides its Extension Courses to the public. I'd like to see Notre Dame do something similar with a distinct Freo focus.

4. Heritage interpretation

Notre Dame does heritage restoration really well, but does it interpret the buildings well enough? I feel that there is room for improvement.

5. Courtyards open on weekends?

Notre Dame's courtyards are kick ass. Why can't they be open on weekends for the public to enjoy?

6. Reduce parking demand

What is Notre Dame doing to reduce the demand for parking by its employees and students? Does it offer public transport incentives to employees and students? Are enough bicycle racks being provided? Is it participating in any TravelSmart initiatives?

That's about it for Notre Dame.

I'm chuffed that Freo is a university town. I believe that there are a lot of benefits, which in many cases outweigh the costs. I think the MOU has the right focus - getting street activation, and I'm looking forward to seeing it implemented.

And for all those who made it to the end...

Last week I almost vomited on a group of toddlers during a Kiddieland ride at the Royal Show. After a long break and a bratwurst I regained my composure, but my nephew still refused to sit next to me on any rides more lively than the chair lift.

Evaluating Notre Dame's place in Freo (Part I)

My wife/editor told me that my next two posts were so dry (actually, she used a more colourful phrase that I won't repeat here), that I should share a piece of embarrassing personal information at the end as a kind of reward to anyone who finishes it still conscious. So if you make it to the end, there's a treat waiting. (No cheating.)
PART I

A couple of months ago now, Council adopted a new Memorandum of Understanding with Notre Dame University. Now that the dust has settled, I thought I'd evaluate the document, and Notre Dame's place in Freo.

Freo is not unique in having a university or college in its city centre, and that brings with it a set of inherent benefits and costs. The trick, of course, is to maximise the benefits and to mitigate, as best as possible, the costs.

I believe it's important to keep in mind that some of the most pleasant and liveable towns around the world are those with a university in their limits. Making the partnership work is clearly not impossible, or even all that difficult.

What is Freo currently gaining from Notre Dame?

1. Economic development

Notre Dame contributes significantly to Freo's economy. It is one Freo's largest employers and most consistent and biggest attractors. All those employees and students provide a solid base for sustaining local businesses in Freo's city centre. And if there was more affordable accomodation for students available in the city centre, the benefits would probably increase even more.

It would be great if somebody had managed to quantify the contribution that Notre Dame makes to Freo's local economy, but to date there are no figures available.

2. Parking revenue (either from paid parking or parking fines)

Again, there are no exact figures, but I'd imagine that during semester all those students also help to fill the City's coffers.

3. Heritage restoration plus tourism

Walking around the West End wouldn't be quite so enjoyable without the awesome heritage buildings, many of which have been restored by Notre Dame. These beautifully restored buildings represent a long-term benefit to all of Freo and attract tourists to the West End in droves.

During my research, I wondered out loud if private developers would have delivered the same outcome? I turned around to hear the sounds of my wife choking on her tofu. She clearly didn't think so and neither do I.

Now that I've covered what we're gaining, its time to think about what we're trading by having Notre Dame?

What is Freo currently trading by having Notre Dame?

1. Less revenue from rates

As a not-for-profit organisation, it is enshrined in legislation that Notre Dame, like other universities, does not pay rates. This also applies to the land occupied by Fremantle Port, Fremantle Hospital, St Patrick's Primary School, CBC Fremantle and other not-for-profit organisations littered around Freo's city centre.

It dawned on me that Freo's traditional role as Perth's second city has meant that it has naturally hosted important institutions. Notre Dame's presence in the West End reinforces Freo's second city tradition, but it also exacerbates the problem of sacrificing rateable land.

The problem is that local ratepayers (I'll get to taxpayers in my next post) are effectively subsidising, in part, the presence of these organisations.

2. The West End

The West End is becoming dominated by a single use. The issues of inactive ground floor frontages and the closure of many of the West End pubs have been well documented. Suffice to say the lack of diversity, especially in night time activities, subtracts from the precinct's vibrancy.

A lesson that can be learnt from this experiment is that in such a small area as the West End, the implications of allowing one single dominant land use can be severe. This lesson is something to keep in mind when it comes to thinking about the much ballyhooed Arthurs Head Art Precinct.

3. Parking bays

Local retailers will feel a tad aggrieved that students (and maybe Notre Dame employees) tend to take up a lot of parking bays. Having said that, most parking in the West End is managed so that people do not get to hog a bay for 3, 4, or 5 plus hours without paying for that option.

Summary

The interesting thing about Freo's town-gown trade-off is that you can't get the benefits of economic development that Notre Dame brings without acknowledging that there will be less revenue from rates. For me, the key relates to extracting maximum value. Ensuring that the benefits outweigh the costs.

I think I'll leave it at this point and give Freo Doctor Blog readers a breather. I'll be back tomorrow with a post that focuses on what we can expect from Notre Dame and my assessment of how the MOU stacks up.

Shut up and Stop whining: A guide to being a better ratepayer

My wife has a curious fondness for trashy celebrity gossip magazines of the ilk of NW, whose journalistic calibre was exemplified in 2001 when it famously published a comprehensive article of a celebrity event, including quotes and photos, despite it having been cancelled at the last minute.

Why she reads these magazines is beyond me, because she seems to find every person within the pages exceptionally irritating. I know this because as she reads them she mutters to herself, along the lines of, "Oh Rachel McAdams, who told you you could pull off green satin?" and "Put it away, Tom. No one wants to see your annoying Scientologist face."

The thing that is most guaranteed to provoke a scornful laugh is a rich, entitled celebrity complaining about how difficult their life is now they're famous. Whether it's Kristen Stewart or Johnny Depp comparing being photographed to getting raped, or George Clooney moaning about how he might be forced to sell his huge castle in Lake Como because of a lack of privacy, nothing raises my wife's ire more.

"Here's a plan, Kristen/Johnny/George." She'll say. "If getting paid millions of dollars for doing hardly any work is that bad, let someone else have a go and become a nurse or a teacher instead. Problem solved."

A similar, muttered commentary, punctuated with the occasional snort, could be heard as she was skimming through last week's exceptionally whiny Thinking Allowed piece by Fremantle councillor Rachel Pemberton in the Herald.

"I love it when someone has a good whinge about how bad it is that everyone is always whinging, and they're not being ironic," was her neat summation upon finishing the article.
I told her the whole piece left me feeling a bit let down. It's not the first time a politician has levelled the blame at their public for the shortcomings of government, but it doesn't make it any nicer to read.

"You know what it sounds like, Swanman? A job for...Captain Translator!" She cried. At that instant, in a parallel dimension not far from our own, a handsome, mild-mannered blogger pricked up his ears. A second later he bounded up off the couch and ripped open his t-shirt, revealing a shiny red leotard and tights, washboard abs, and a cape that blew heroically in the wind.

"Wherever there is spin, I will be there! Whenever someone tries to shift the blame onto others, I will make it right! I am... CAPTAIN TRANSLATOR!"

(For the sake of brevity, the Captain didn't reproduce the original Thinking Allowed column in its entirety. If you haven't read the whole thing, you should. Click here to go to the Herald's electronic version and go to page 5 to read the actual piece. Only the bits below in italics are actual quotes; everything else is just the Captain's interpretation.)

1. You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.

Captain Translator: I'm heartily sick of putting up with idiot ratepayers who revolt like Russian peasants whenever Council "suggests" (ok, "approves") buildings over three storeys. (Actually we approved up to eleven, but rounding down, more like three.) And we did it soley for the community's own good, but of course they're too dumb to appreciate it. You can't get vibrancy without infill, morons!

If only ratepayers would just trust that I and everyone else on Council know much, much better than them about practically everything, it would make my life a lot easier.

2. A culture of negativity and whinging about the government.

Captain Translator: Tons of people think they are disillusioned with the government, but they're not really - they're just a bunch of dumbos who swallow whatever opinions the media and the blogosphere feed them without any kind of critical analysis. It's an epidemic, only the disease is being a whiny, annoying idiot.

Luckily I'm here to set everyone straight. If you feel disenfranchised, or find yourself being critical of something your government has done, it's just because you're too lazy to get involved in a more positive way.

Whaddya mean, I might be biased? Yeah, I work for a senator, and yeah I'm also a local councillor. I don't get your point.

Here's my advice: Instead of complaining about stuff, go and knit a colourful stocking for a street tree. No one wants to hear your opinions. Be part of the solution, whingers!

3. Talking Fremantle Down.

Captain Translator: (What do you mean, writing an article with the headline "Is Freo the new Dullsville?" is a tad hypocritical in the circumstances? Didn't you see the question mark at the end? Geez.)

I thought I'd show how bad it is to talk Freo down by talking, at great length, about all the ways in which people talk it down. You might not even have heard some of the things people have said about Freo, so I've helpfully listed all the ones I could remember for easy reference.

I'll start with locals saying that Freo is a disgrace.

Before you tell me that you're a local and have never told anyone that Freo's a disgrace, pay attention. You can be guilty of this in lots of different, subtle ways. The most obvious one is being mean about Council.

I bring this up not because I'm on Council and I take all criticism very, very personally, but because no one wants to visit a place where locals aren't constantly saying how great their Council is. It's the number one reason that influences people when they're deciding where to go shopping or eat out on the weekend.

And don't fool yourself that you're actually doing a good thing in discussing your concerns about local issues to raise awareness and to prompt your elected officials to take action. I mean, who's ever heard of that working? Politicians are never influenced by anything as sordid as public opinion.

3(a) I have struggled to deal with the somewhat unfounded public denigration of this council, which is actually achieving some significant results.

Captain Translator: When I got elected, I expected a constant stream of congratulations just for doing the job that I freely volunteered for. Yes, there's evidence all around me that being a politician by definition means working in an adversarial environment and copping a fair amount of robust criticism, but I naturally assumed I would be an exception.

I'm a Gen Y, you know? It's how we roll.

But instead of accolades, I just get people giving me opinions that are different to my own and sometimes even outright criticism, or, as I like to call them, "swipes".

Council works hard, and has great intentions. That should be more than enough for any reasonable person. Sure, actual results might be thin on the ground, but if you managed your expectations better you'd be a lot more satisfied.

I mean, just look how Council transformed Bathers Beach. There's the boardwalk, the gazebo, and lots of other stuff that admittedly isn't 100% as aweseome, but seeing as we refuse to make any changes, you may as well learn to like it. There's even a moveable seat on railway tracks! Yeah, it broke after only a few days and we still haven't fixed it months later, but cut a person some slack! Look at all the people on the boardwalk!

And, of course, the new shower. I knew you'd bring that up. Yes, it had to be relocated immediately after being installed at needless expense, but it's local government, guys. These things happen. Like I said, manage those expectations.

3(b). Parking is not killing this town, attitudes are.
3(c). A city is only as interesting as its people (...).

Captain Translator: Parking is not the reason more people don't come to Freo, it's the locals being such whiny, boring, pains-in-the-backside who bitch and moan almost constantly.

A guy from another country came here for one afternoon and he told me Freo was fantastic, so that proves you're obviously all full of garbage.

And no, me saying that Freo is in the process of being killed is not talking it down or having a bad attitude. Nor is spending a whole Thinking Allowed piece musing about what's wrong with Freo locals. Don't be obtuse.

3(d). To all those people who think Freo is dull, I'm sorry.

Captain Translator: Yeah, sorry you're a bunch of lazy, negative whingers.

3(e). If you haven't found (how great Freo is) yet, that's ok. We'll welcome you when you do.

Captain Translator: When you're ready to become a worthwhile, positive person with all the right opinions like me, I promise my clique and I will welcome you into Freo. (I'm so nice like that.)

But until then, do me a favour: shut up and stay out.

3(f). Thanks to everyone who helps makes our city great. Now, time to put my head down and get back to work.

Captain Translator: I thought I'd include the penultimate sentence just in case anyone gets their nose put out of joint by me trash talking whiny Freo locals, in which case I can say, "Oh no, don't think I meant that you're one of the unconstructive whingers who's killing this town! I totally think you're one of the people who helps make Freo great, that I thanked at the end!".

Sneaky, eh?

And the last sentence is just to remind everyone that I'm super busy being important and making a difference and never (well, almost never) saying anything negative, even though none of you deserve me.

The Captain wiped his manly brow. Fremantle locals were no longer feeling like second-class citizens for making valid suggestions to their elected representatives about how grass at the beach might be nicer than tarmac and dust, or that overflowing bins perhaps weren't the best look for a city trying to attract visitors. His job, for now, was done.

Rooftop gardens

Second only to light rail, rooftop gardens rank high on my list of town planning obsessions. During my SimCity years, if there was an option to include rooftop gardens in my cities, I would have sourced the cheat code and run rampant.

A couple of years ago, I remember almost falling of my chair when I discovered that Vancouver had had the common sense to put a rooftop garden on their brand new convention centre. My wife wishes that I had never heard of Vancouver. Everytime I drive past our sorry excuse of a convention centre, I launch into an diatribe about how kick ass it would have been if they had put a rooftop garden on that darn building.

Vancouver Convention Centre rooftop garden via

Architizer recently published a slideshow of awesome rooftop gardens. Needless to say, I brewed myself a strong cup of tea and settled back to enjoy the greenery. I enjoyed myself so much I thought that Freo Doctor blog readers would also enjoy checking them out.

Click here to check out these deluctible rooftop gardens. Enjoy!

It would be great to see rooftop gardens feature as part of the Kings Square redevelopment and as part of redevelopment facilitated by Scheme Amendment 49.

Five ideas for Freo from...New York

Dean Cracknell is the author of this post. He is a Freo devotee dedicated to creating interesting, diverse places for people and is a guest contributor to The Fremantle Doctor blog. 

Dean can be followed on Twitter by checking out: @city_pragmatist

The hustle and bustle of New York’s streets is legendary. Cars, taxis and pedestrians compete for the limited space on the crowded streets.

The Big Apple is reimagining the way people use its public spaces. New York is shifting its thinking from roads for cars to streets for people. City Hall is redesigning streets to include mini parks, street vendors, moveable seating, potted plants, safe pedestrian crossings and bicycle lanes to attract more people. The program has been very successful and is being copied around the world.

The picture above shows the transformation of Madison Square on 5^th Avenue, which used to be a confusing, traffic-choked roadway. If you want to find out how the streetscape revolution was done, this 5 minute video clip is excellent.

As I was walking around Manhattan last year, I started thinking about William H. Whyte’s famous observation that:

“It is difficult to design a space that will not attract people. What is remarkable is how often this has been accomplished.”

Whyte noted that people vote with their feet – they use spaces that are interesting, safe and comfortable. The opposite also applies.

So, what can Freo learn from New York? Here are some ideas (also see the picture above) -

1. Provide more moveable seats

Firstly, well done to the City of Freo for including moveable seats as part of its placemaking efforts for Kings Square. I think it has been a real success. Why?

Seats are an invitation for people to stay in a place. A place can be created just by adding simple things like comfortable seats, especially where people can watch other people. A space becomes more meaningful when moveable chairs are available. The moveable chairs provide people with an option to arrange the chairs to suit their situation or mood. 

The success of the Kings Square trial suggests that moveable seats could also be provided in other places.

2. Encourage street vendors

People like food and drinks.

Encouraging street vendors is another invitation for people to use and stay in a space. Street vendors add life and interest to the street and are also another pair of eyes to monitor what’s going on around them. The assortment of street vendors at the back of this photo adds a market-like feel to what used to be a busy roadway.

3. Cars still have their place

The obvious objection to the streetscape revolution is that it would cause traffic chaos. But, as they explain in the Streetfilms video, traffic is still flowing down 5^th Avenue. Let’s be blunt, Fremantle doesn’t have a traffic problem when compared with New York, Toronto, London, San Francisco or other major cities where these ideas have been introduced. Cars are important and should still have the right to use the street. But cars should use the street on people’s terms in our town centres, not the other way around as it is currently.

4. It is difficult to design a space that won’t attract people

We need to provide a range of choices for people. Sitting next to two lanes of vehicle traffic isn’t the preference of some people. But, they do it here on 5^th Avenue. Why?

It feels welcoming and has a range of people-watching opportunities. It also looks as though someone gives a damn about the street. It looks cared for. The large potted plants and huge rocks provide a barrier between the people and cars and make it feel safe. People use the new public spaces even though the popular Madison Square Garden is just to the right of the picture. Parks are great, but don’t provide the alternative attractions that a street can provide – people, movement and colour.

5. More greenery

Greenery softens a place and makes it feel more welcoming. Human evolution has hard-wired us to appreciate green spaces. This street has 3 types – street trees, garden beds and large-potted plants. The more greenery the better!

Some more cool quotes about cities

A couple of months ago now, I shared some of my favourite quotes about cities. My post featured quotes by William H. Whyte, Richard Florida, Jane Jacobs and Jan Gehl. Since then, I've come across some more cool quotes about cities. I thought I'd share three more of my favourites:

Bill Bryson on getting our priorities for cities right:

“I have nothing  against novelty in buildings – I am quite taken with the glass pyramid at the Louvre and those buildings at La Defense that have the huge holes in the middle – but I just hate the way architects and city planners and everyone else responsible for urban life seems to have lost sight of what cities are for.

They are for people.

That seems obvious enough, but for half a century we have been building cities that are for almost anything else: for cars, for businesses, for developers, for people with money and bold visions who refuse to see cities from ground level, as places in which people must live and function and get around. Why should I have to walk through a damp tunnel and negotiate two sets of stairs to get across a busy street? Why should cars be given priority over me? How can we be so rich and so stupid at the same time?”

I really like this quote from one of my favourite writers, which is taken from his book 'Neither Here Nor There'. Bryson makes a very insightful point and it’s a salient one for the future of Freo.

I also believe that it's a particularly timely reminder for Fremantle's Councillors, who seem to be happy to saddle us with the heritage-friendly, people-unfriendly dustbowl at Bathers Beach. 

Sarah Goodyear on the benefits of multigenerational cities:

“So to me, at least, it makes all the sense in the world to raise a kid in the city. In the end, of course, it’s a profoundly personal choice, and it’s obviously not the right decision for every family. One thing is clear, though: The city benefits as much from having children as children do from having the city.

A city that is filled with children is a happier, more lively place than one that isn’t. More than that, it’s a place that is clearly headed toward the future, not stagnating in the past. A city that can keep its children engaged and stimulated is building a resource that will pay off big-time in years to come.”

I enjoy Sarah Goodyear's articles on Atlantic Cities and I'm definitely buying what she is selling in her 'Multigenerational Communities or Bust' article. A city that provides a range of people young or old, singles or families with options, be it for getting around, housing or just for kicking back and enjoying can only be a good one.

Hubert H. Humphrey on planning for active, vibrant cities:

“We are in danger of making our cities places where business goes on but where life, in its real sense, is lost.”

Thanks to Mum and Dad's inclination to give me an additional reason to stand out in the Karratha playground besides being tall, foreign and very skinny, I grew up a bit of a baseball nut. 1991 was a good year, as one of our family friends in Perth had taped the World Series between the Minnesota Twins and the Atlanta Braves. They mailed the video up to us in Karratha for our viewing pleasure. It was a classic World Series. The Twins (who I went for because the Braves had knocked out one of my teams the Pittsburgh Pirates) eventually won in seven drama filled games.

As a 12 year old, I was fascinated by the nomenclature of the Minnesota Twins home stadium - the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Being from a small country town in north-west Australia, I was already impressed with the fact that they played baseball in an indoor stadium, but the fact that they had given their stadium such a strong sounding name lifted my appreciation to new levels. Suffice it to say that the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome inspired many a strong named stadium for my Sim City games.

Humphrey's quote is more than likely from the 1950s and 1960s (he was an American politician during this time, being elected Vice President in 1964). Its context was during the period of American suburban expansion. I like Humphrey's quote because it is still relevant in 2012, especially for Freo.

Chewing the fat with...the family guy

The family guy performs a juggling act being a dad, local author, fitness fanatic and town planner.

I don't move in particularly exalted circles, even for Perth, and I don't know many people who have accomplished something significant enough to put them in the public eye. The magnificent Village Kid, until his recent passing, would have topped the list, and he was a horse.

The one exception in my (otherwise sadly lacking in celebrity) friend group is Will Schaefer, who's garnered media attention for both his fiction writing and his lack of road sense.* His debut novel, 'The Wolf Letters’, is a fantastic, pacey historical thriller/adventure novel set in 1930s England and medieval Germany, which has deservedly netted him recommendations from fellow celebs such as Susannah Carr and a spread in Men's Health magazine. There's not much more I can say, except that you should read it immediately and here's the link for the e-book.

(I raced through the book in a single sitting on a long-haul flight, and enjoyed it so much that I asked my wife to take a photo of me reading the book for Will (to use in publicity shots, future Men's Health spreads, etc, you understand). My wife, being my wife, neglected to mention that the airline seat had made my shirt gape in such a way that I was revealing a hefty slab of side-boob. I wondered at the time why she a) cackled to herself as she took the photo and b) didn’t show me the photo. Setting aside the fact that there is a R rated photo of me floating around, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Will has a particular talent for cool chase scenes and in making sure the action comes thick and fast.)

Today Will and I are on one of our bro-dates. We’re having one of our half yearly summits where we catch up and celebrate our successes: on his part, having his first novel published and then sell out, plus a new gig as a strategic planner; me, making it a year into blogging without any defamation suits. This time we’ve decided to check out the sumptuous and exotic sounding food at Lapa Brazilian BBQ in Subiaco.

Quick aside

Here is an insight into how the first part of the day went:

5:00am
Will wakes up and does 1067 push ups and chin ups listening to ‘Eye of the Tiger’.

5:15am
Will does some skipping. Daughters Lucy and Maya alternate sitting on his shoulders, swapping every 5 minutes. They each get two turns.

5:45am
Will sits down for a hearty breakfast of 6 sausages, 5 hashbrowns, 12 eggs (a combo of fried, poached and scrambled), baked beans (two cans if wanting to clear the system) and a pack of old school English smoked bacon; crispy style.

6:00am
Play with the kiddies. Generally involves impersonating male and female cartoon characters, having kiddies jump on belly, impersonating more cartoon characters.

7:30am
Quick massage for wife (if requested).

7:45am
Change into super sexy pink lycra cycle pants and equally sexy tight fitting (three sizes too small) cycle top that emphasise massively pumped, granite figure.

7:50am
Mirror time.

8:00am
Hop on the BMX and wheelie down the street on the way to Swaney’s joint. Wave to wife.

8:05am
Stops off at the local deli for a couple of cheese sausages and a sausage roll (you never know).

8:30am
Arrive at Swaney’s joint. A bit whiffy. Asks for a quick shower. Gets knocked back.

9:00am
Walk down to Freo train station. Swaney smelling really good. Will is a bit stinky.

9:25am
Arrive Subiaco. Swaney sits with crisply dressed and nice smelling Freo businessmen and Will hangs out with (to be honest, 'attracts') Freo’s more “interesting” types.

9:45am
Will arrives back in Subiaco. He missed the stop off because he was too busy conversing with Freo locals and had to get off at West Leederville. Probably showing off about running from Freo to Perth dressed up as a medieval monk.

10:00am
Coffee.

10:10am
Power saluting, lots of power saluting. Another coffee.

10:15am
Tour of Subiaco. Swaney gets “cramp” 20 metres in and returns to the café complaining of “sweating up” and not wanting to smell like Will. Will goes on by himself.

10:45am
Will returns. Swaney having drunk another 15 coffees is having a heated argument with his alter egos, the Fremantle Doctor and Captain Translator. Will sits in the corner pretending not to know his overexcited and very animated nice smelling friend with a hint of coffee breath.

11:00am
Will smacks his pal whilst yelling “snap out of it Swaney”. Smacks his pal again and once more for good effect…and then one more time (for not letting him have a shower).

11:05am
Presentation of new plans and consideration of different strategies. More power saluting.

Midday
Will and Swaney arrive at Brazilian restaurant to stuff themselves senseless.

12:05pm
Swaney does first prank phone call of his wife for the afternoon.

Back to the business at hand

Will and I enjoyed a merry afternoon of chowing down on some awesome food, power saluting and shooting the breeze about Freo. A big part of Will’s successes revolved around his running stunts to promote his book. They even led to an article on the back page of Men’s Health magazine.

We couldn’t avoid chatting about Freo and in between chomping away on some succulent and tender beef we moved onto this delicate topic. Will, who takes some time to collect his thoughts about what Freo means to him (and to knock off another piece of beautifully cooked morsel of chicken) begins with:

"The place is like a smorgasbord of potential good times. Just help yourself! Sure, you can shop or have a meal, just like you can in the city or at Hillarys, but you can also visit galleries, beaches, bars of all shapes and sizes, cinemas, quiet side streets with hundred-year-old cottages; there are museums, bookshops, lovely old civic buildings, grand residences perched on the hills, a famous Arts Centre, footy ovals, even a university and thriving harbours full of ships. Culture flourishes here. The number of good bands/musos around Fremantle is astonishing. Recently I read that Fremantle has the one of highest concentrations of artists in the entire country. Nowhere else in the state can boast of having anywhere near as much in the one place."

Gathering his thoughts, a slight grimace emerges on his face and I begin to guess where he is headed.

"Of course, you can make a case for Fremantle being a bit of an underperformer right now, despite the bajillions of good things it’s got going for it. I sympathise to some degree. Wouldn’t it be so much better if the place were several shades safer, especially at night? People who step off the train are greeted with a mess of buses and snarling cars. Businesses look like they’re having a tough time. There are vacant shops all over the place, which, like it or not, makes Fremantle feel like a wheatbelt town that’s long past its best days."

He doesn't linger too long on the negatives before he begins moving back to what he believes can be done to help Freo.

"But it’s people that are players in our memories and our futures.  Places are just the stage. And while the stage needs much work to bring it to its full potential – for example some extra greenery; some free, family-friendly, Council sponsored activities to brighten up the tired squares; and how about a major facelift to the train station to town hall route that guides visitors into the heart of town – the people you can meet in Freo are amazing. That’s why Fremantle means a lot to me and my family."

It's time for a little dessert and before we know it we’ve moved onto the topic of Will’s next promotional event for his book and the latest favourite cartoon character of his two young daughters.

Afterword

To find out more and to enjoy reading about his different stunts check out his website.
* Whilst holidaying in Germany with his wife's family, Will enjoyed a brief moment of notoriety as 'Autobahn Mann', when he found himself asked by several policemen to please stop cycling on the autobahn. Unluckily for both Will and Australia's international reputation as sophisticated cosmopolitans, there was a news crew close by who captured the whole thing on camera, and the German media had a happy twenty four hours chuckling into their beer steins. This is the sort of thing that seems to happen routinely to Will; I'm hoping that in between the next few installments of The Wolf Letters, he might write a few of them down for The Fremantle Doctor.

Thwaites & Wilberforce III: The Fremantle Football Club to Cockburn Chronicles

SCENE SETTING: an office in a football club administration building, early on a winter’s day in 2012. A crisply dressed man in his forties is seated at a large desk, reading on his iPad 3. A frown gradually deepens on his brow as he scans the screen.

BOSS, calling loudly: "Thwaites. THWAITES. In here now."

A baby-faced man in a shirt and tie sitting in the open plan area outside the boss' office minimises the minesweeper game on his computer and races in.

BOSS, still frowning and staring at the iPad: "I need you to to draft a media release, Thwaites."

THWAITES: "Another incident already, sir? I only just finished the last one..."

BOSS, looking up, suddenly attentive: "Ah yes, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. It needs redoing. I know you’re a new arrival, but when a player stuffs up there's a procedure to follow, do you understand? Get him in front of some cameras, cue puppy dog eyes, cue sincere apologies, and spread a rumour about possible internal suspension. (Pauses.) Hold that thought, make sure they don’t actually suspend him. I’m running out of trades for my dream team. (Settling back in his chair.) No, this is something else. The fans are getting restless about this move to Cockburn. Hit them with some soft soap."

THWAITES, raising his eyebrows: "So this move could really go ahead?"

BOSS: "Of course. Why would that surprise you?"

THWAITES, looking incredulous: "I would've thought the name alone...I mean, Cockburn? The Cockburn Dockers? (Gives a snorty laugh.) It sounds like something from Wilberforce's video collection. Especially if we went one step further and alliterated it."

BOSS, growing red: "It's pronounced COE-BURN, you ignoramous! Good lord. Anyway, we won't be changing the name. We'll still be 100% the Fremantle Dockers."

THWAITES: "I see, sir. So the first key message in the media release will be that we're still 100% Fremantle...except for our location."

BOSS: "That's right."

THWAITES: "Right. (Hesitates.) So how might I explain..."

BOSS, sighing wearily: "The Dockers will always be 100% Freo in spirit. It's our heritage, our heartland, yada yada yada. (Rubs eyes.) I simply do not understand the antagonism to this move. I mean, St Kilda did exactly the same thing. It's not like we're the first."

THWAITES, breaking into a smile: "Ah, so there's a precedent! Phew, that's a relief. So, St Kilda changed sites and then went from strength to strength? (Jotting into a notepad.) And I expect broke the drought of decades and won a premiership? (Looks up, beaming.) Gosh, all those nay-sayers who talked about their fans getting disenfranchised sure must have egg on their faces now."

BOSS, shifting uncomfortably: "Pretty much, pretty much. Don't reference the Saints in the media release, though. Just focus on those key words - heartland, spirit, fans."

THWAITES: "All for the fans...(Muttering to himself as he scribbles.) And the site itself, sir? Should I put in some photos, or a map?"

BOSS, stiffening as though an electric current has suddenly passed through his body: "Are you bloody insane? NO maps, DEFINITELY no photos. (Wipes a sudden bead of sweat from his brow.) For goodness sake."

THWAITES: "Oh. So I guess mentioning the masterplan is also a no-no."

BOSS: "What masterplan?"

THWAITES: "Ummm, the one that the club worked on for about two years with the AFL, the South Freo Bulldogs, and the City of Fremantle?"

BOSS: "Where on earth did you find that?"

THWAITES: "I stumbled on it the other day when I was hiding...I mean, "filing". Veee-ry dusty. It's just that it seemed to suggest that remaining in Fremantle would be the preferred option."

BOSS, exasperatedly: "Greater Fremantle, Thwaites...Greater Fremantle. Anyway, it's just a masterplan. What about that one you were telling me about the other day, from your old job? The Phillimore Street Integrated Master Plan, I think it was? And you said nothing had been done on it since it was finalised in 2004?"

THWAITES: "Oh, it's that kind of masterplan. Now I'm with you. (More scribbling.) And should we address the loyalty angle?"

BOSS, exasperated: "What loyalty angle?"

THWAITES, chuckling: "Ha, exactly sir. Good one. (Boss looks bemused.) You know, sir, the angle that fans are being unrealistic expecting loyalty, because the idea that loyalty exists in football clubs is just a wrongheaded outside perception. This is a businessplace like any other. I mean, if Coles changes sites or its CEO moves to Woolies, their customers don't get all bent out of shape, do they? So why are we any different? I mean, yes we ask for volunteers. And get people to buy raffle tickets. And memorabilia, and uniforms. But why does loyalty need to be introduced into the equation?"

BOSS, shaking a stern finger: "Stop right there, boyo. I thought I told you to keep away from the coaching box! (Sits back, thinking.) Now, I think what's missing is a focus on just what kind of training facility we could build..I want people thinking elite, worldclass..."

THWAITES: "Back in the old days in LG we would start with having a good name."

BOSS: "Now you're onto something. Let's hear some ideas."

THWAITES, after a long pause: "How about Cockb-, I mean 'Coeburn' Regional... Administration... Purpose-built facility?"

BOSS, shaking his head: "I want something with World Class or Elite in it."

THWAITES: quickly writing something on a paper: "Ok then, this one will blow your socks off...World class Awesome New Kickass Elite Recreation Super facility?"

BOSS, shakes his head, still not convinced.

THWAITES: "Well, we could start with a military sounding acronym and work backwards. I don't know...something like ETAF or SFORCE."

BOSS: "Now you're talking."

THWAITES, scribbling: "What about Elite... Training... Administration... Facility?"

BOSS: "Not bad. It does sound a little like a secretarial training college...but if it puts this issue to bed I can live with it. Now, off you pop and start your first draft." (Thwaites nods happily and makes for the door.)

BOSS: "Oh, and Thwaites? Send someone from I.T. in. There's something wrong with facebook - it keeps saying Harvey's blocked me."
__________________

DISCLAIMER: I've spent a bit of time pondering any potential move that the Dockers may make to Cockburn. It's a bit rich to suck out the life of the place you purport to be from. It smacks of cynicism to me. I do hope that those in the know at the Fremantle Football Club come to their senses and make the right move by staying in Freo.

Below is some additional reading on this topic:

The orginal Fremantle Football Club media release on this topic.

City of Fremantle's plans to house the Dockers at the Stan Reilly site (looks pretty good to me).

Caroline Wilson's article describing the some of the post-relocation problems faced by the St Kilda Football Club.

Roel Loopers' blog 'Freo's View' is keeping all of us in the loop.

How would an algorithm data mine Freo's visual identity?

There is an interesting article on Atlantic Cities about data mining a city’s visual identity. It got me thinking about Freo’s visual identity.

It is generally accepted that there is no city quite like Paris.  For me, the allure of Paris isn’t so much its great monuments and awesome museums and art galleries. What I'm fascinated by is that I can take a stroll down any residential street in one of the twenty arrondisements and there is no escaping the fact that I’m in Paris. I agree with Emily Badger, the author of the article, who opens with her view that Paris looks like, well, Paris and like nowhere else on earth.

(Upon editing this article, my wife started chuckling and prodding my tummy. In between jiggling my man boobs, she also claimed that a big part of why I like Paris so much has a lot to do with bistros, butter and pastries. I don’t know what she is talking about.)

Cool algorithm that data mines the visual identity of cities

Emily points out that people who have been to Paris become adept at identifying the place. In a recent study, researchers showed participants a sampling of images of Paris as well as decoys from eleven other cities. The results showed that the participants nailed Paris 79 percent of the time. (Check out the game here.)

The study allowed the researchers to conclude that people are remarkably sensitive to the geographically informative features within the visual environment. I reckon that this statement characterises the majority of us Freoites.

The findings of the study has led to an algorithm being developed that attempts to data mine the visual identity of cities. Below are some results from Emily’s article:

Random and Extracted visual elements from Paris via

Random and Extracted visual elements from Boston via

Random and Extracted visual elements from San Francisco via

Interesting stuff. The researchers found that the algorithm had problems data mining the visual identity of American cities. They concluded that this may have been because many American cities are not all that unique. 

So what does this mean for Freo?

1. The Local Identity & Design Code: Central Fremantle

Freo’s visual identity has kind of been mapped. A couple of years ago, ratepayers funded a study of Fremantle’s identity. This study produced a very, very, very comprehensive Local Identity & Design Code: Central Fremantle document.

If we all agree that Freoites are remarkably sensitive to Freo’s geographically informative features within the visual environment, then what do we think about this document?

And how is the City using it to inform the design guidelines that will support Scheme Amendment 49?

(Click here to check out this document.)

2. A problem with car and road dominance

The researchers discovered that one of the main reasons that American cities lacked uniqueness was the car. In fact, they found that the prevalence of car brands and road features contributed to the overall blandness of these cities.

This is something that we should all be aware of when planning for the future of Freo. I’d hate to think that future algorithms that data mine Freo’s visual identity come up with cars brands and road features rather than awesome West End architecture.

3. Freo’s a lot like Paris

To paraphrase Emily Badger: compared to Perth, Freo looks like, well, Freo and like nowhere else. That is really important! (Note to wife: first exclamation point in general text of one of my posts for a really long time.)

I firmly believe that Freo’s redevelopment doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

But it will be crucial that new development is built up to a standard and not down to a price. I want to be able to walk through Scheme Amendment 49 territory and feel like I’m walking in Freo and not a clone town. That means having an idea of Freo’s visual identity and insisting that these elements are reinforced.