by Shane Sody

Adelaide is the world's only City in a Park, but seems to be turning into a City in a car park.

There are tens of thousands of car parking spaces on your Park Lands. Don’t believe us? Here’s a sample of sites.

The multiple sites featured in the above video will soon be joined by others.

The State Government has just re-zoned part of Park 27 for a multi-storey car park, and now the North Adelaide Golf Club, controlled by the City Council has expanded car parking into Possum Park / Pirltawardli (Park 1) off Strangways Terrace, apparently without getting endorsement from the Park Lands Authority or the City Council.

Do you prefer a City in a Park? or a city inside a car park?

This area of compacted gravel near Calvary North Adelaide Hospital was constructed last month (December 2021). Before that date it was not a car park - merely a dirt track.

Nevertheless a spokesperson for the City of Adelaide told us:

"I’m advised there has been a two to three fold increase in use of the Golf Course and as a result, the area normally used for overflow parking is being used more frequently. It’s also being used for the associated increase in staff, deliveries and contractors. The area hasn’t increased in size and I’m told the fresh gravel is to restore the previous rubble surface damaged by storm events last year. There has been some misuse and parking ‘creep’ but the staff are on top of this. They are investigating a better gate system and signage but if this fails they will expiate offenders."

The City Council has a policy of gradually reducing the Park Lands area that's devoted to car parking. However in practice the opposite seems to be occurring.

Parking for temporary events is one thing but constructing a new car park is effectively removing that area from your Open Green Public Park Lands on a perpetual basis.

Car parking on Park Lands negates the purpose of a Park. The ground underneath every parked vehicle is effectively privatised - no longer Open Green and Public, so long as it hosts a parked car.

In 2022, APA is undertaking a small pilot project to reclaim and re-green just a small portion of Park Lands. We are planning to "UnPave Paradise" and we're offering cash prizes in a design competition. See the details here https://www.adelaide-parklands.asn.au/blog/2021/12/29/unpaving-paradise-poster-design-competition