Lead Story
Issue No. 44 - December/January 2008
Our City of Light
South Australia’s metropolis must make itself more liveable to take advantage of its opportunities.
The City of Adelaide’s economic history since World War II is typical of many Central Business Districts in the Western world. In the aftermath of the war, thanks to changes in transportation, particularly the spread of car ownership, suburbanisation of Western cities accelerated, leading to the suburbanisation of shopping and recreation - cinemas, dance halls, cafes, sporting venues and so on.
The CBD lost these functions and a great deal of its population. CBDs have been trying to revive themselves
ever since. The City of Adelaide’s population declined from a post-war high of 34,900 in 1947 to a low of 12, 656 in 1981. Since then it has recovered to 16,660 permanent residents and more than 20,000 in total including tourists, visitors, persons in hospital, and so on. The upward trend in population is accelerating
Size and structure of Adelaide’s Economy
I estimate the value of the City of Adelaide’s annual output - gross regional product - is about $10 billion1, representing about 15% of SA’s gross state product.
During the period 1991–2006, the City’s GRP has grown just a touch faster than South Australia’s GSP. Employment in the City also grew faster over this period than in SA as a whole.
According to the latest Census, only 4% of the
people employed in the City also live in it. However, 29% of the increase in employment in the City over the past five years has come from people who also live in it. Growth in the City’s population over the past five years has been faster than in any other SA local government area. It seems probable one reason why people are moving to the City of Adelaide to live is to be closer to their work.
The dominating economic sectors are finance and insurance, and property and business services. Together they comprise 38% of the City’s economy. These secto...
