South Australia is slowly starting to open up again as COVID-19 restrictions ease in the state. The Adelaide City Council has called upon bright business leaders under the age of 40 to workshop the city’s vibrancy and livability.
It has been reported that roughly only 200,000 of the 320,000 people that work in the CBD are back after ‘work from home’ restrictions were introduced in late March.
The workshop was hosted by Adelaide Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor and invited alumni from the ‘40 under 40’ program. “You are the future and I need your help,” Verschoor said.
Ideas included revitalizing parklands and green spaces to reinforce South Australia’s vibrancy and picturesque scenery. Participants believed that this was a focal point in ensuring the attractiveness and contemporary feel to the city.
The council’s main concerns are the social, cultural and economic impacts of COVID-19 on the city and predict a vast generational shift in the population in the immediate future. Verschoor predicts that 75% of all city workers will be millennials within the next 10 years therefore calling on these bright young individuals to collaborate they aim to revitalize Adelaide’s innovative and creative city.
Sprout managing director Themis Chryssidis as one of the participants in the project said that one of the best ways Adelaide could gain popularity from other cities in Australia was by developing a strong culture. With business costs at a low due to the pandemic and a small level of infections in the state, he suggests this could be an opportunity for the city to capitalize on.
Another participant Katie Hulmes, Oz Minerals transformation general manager said that there needed to a strong focus on Adelaide’s unique characteristics, such as the abundance of greenery to engage visitors in a new experience.
One thing the participants can all agree on is the abundance of appeal Adelaide possesses and agree that the reboot will allow the City Council to shine a spotlight on the parts that make it special.
Looking state-wide regional South Australia will also under-go a reboot as restrictions continue to ease with the Federal Government to allocate $1.8 billion for Local Government infrastructure. The survival of small businesses will be paramount on the state boosting its attractiveness to interstate visitors in the coming months.
As one of the ‘better off’ Australian states at the movement for COVID-19 cases, South Australia is really looking to utilize this time and reemerge bigger and better than ever.
