by Shane Sody

When is a Square not a Square? When it has a six-lane highway running through it.

The City of Adelaide is developing a “Master Plan” for Light Square / Wauwi.

This is your opportunity to advise the City of Adelaide that it should reclaim Light Square for people, not traffic.

The six squares of your Adelaide Park Lands

Each one of Adelaide’s six Squares are essential parts of your Open, Green, Public Adelaide Park Lands.

However four of the six Squares have at least partially lost their character as places of rest and recreation.

Over the years, roadways have taken priority, bisecting or quadrisecting some of the Squares.

• Light Square / Wauwi is bisected by the six-lane Currie Street;

• Victoria Square / Tarndanyangga is bisected by the six-lane Grote St / Wakefield Street;

• Hindmarsh Square / Mukata is quadrisected by Grenfell Street and Pulteney Street; and

• Hurtle Square / Tangkaira is quadrisected by Halifax Street and Pulteney Street.

• Only Whitmore Square / Iparrityi and Wellington Square/Kudnartu are still intact Squares.

Some people might say that the smooth flow of traffic should remain more important than re-instating an entire Open, Green, Public Square within the City.

Some might argue that a busy city needs to have roads cutting directly through public spaces.

However world cities that value their own open green public spaces have no difficulty with diverting traffic around those public spaces.

In the heart of London, the prestigious Belgrave Square (a similar size to Adelaide's Squares) has not been attacked with a road through it.

Nor has St James Park, next to Buckingham Palace.

In Paris, the famous Jardin des Tuileries alongside the River Seine (much larger than any of Adelaide's six Squares) has many pedestrian walkways, but no traffic driven through.

Within Adelaide, there is proof that this choice is possible:

Respond to the Council here: https://yoursay.cityofadelaide.com.au/light-square-wauwi-master-plan

Submissions close at 9:00am on Monday, 15 April.