Adolescent urbanism: the Gold Coast comes of age? Paul Burton Urban Research Program Griffith University
ICTC Conference: Cities in transition
Outriggers Surfers Paradise 17-19 October 2012
Cities are born...
and die
in between times they grow up
the city of the Gold Coast is a young city, growing up fast
perhaps an adolescent city?
what does this mean?
growth spurts
identity experiments... & sometimes crises
ego centrism
emerging sexuality
and periods of creativity
what does the Gold Coast need to be creative about?
strong leadership + effective community engagement
our identity... who shall we be today
knowledge city?
can we become a post-bikini city?
how best to connect with the rest of the world?
learning as well as trading
will the adolescent city do things that it later comes to regret..?
we need spaces & places for: debate argument investigation experimentation
universities are well placed to fill this role
but also other spaces and places
paul burton urban research program griffith university
p.burton@griffith.edu.au 0431 564 403