Community building and waist-line thinning

I will preface this by saying I didn't ride my bike to the Campbelltown Moonlight Markets. I was out dropping one son to Joeys before taking the other shopping where I saw the flyer.

Campbelltown's Moonlight Markets were held tonight at Thorndon Park. It's a gem of a place in Adelaide's crown of parks, really great. So when I saw the promo for the Moonlight Markets being held there tonight I thought I'd take my 4 yr old and kill the hour before picking up son 7 from Joeys. I I could not believe the scene when I got there. Cars everywhere, car park overflowing, cars parking up and down the approach roads and side streets, parked in the hotel car park and other local businesses. For a Friday night I was quite blown away.

As I wrote on Jeremy's post in the week I am quite into the idea of placemaking - turning under used spaces into community hubs by doing things like hosting markets, arts spaces or pop up cafes so to see the place teeming with families it was great. There is a 'save Thorndon Park' movement. I'm not sure what they need to save, it's not going anywhere. The market stall holders were selling the usual stuff like jewellery, hand made baby items, t-shirts, bags - not the cheap import rubbish. And there was wine tasting and other food. Nice warm evening made it just right but I in the back of my mind I was thinking....

So many people and so many cars, did anyone do something to encourage the community to walk or ride a bike to the markets and leave the car at home?

By the size of the majority of the waistlines walking about most could afford to do some incidental exercise and with many enjoying a glass of wine or beer leaving the car at home would have extended the enjoyment. I'm not sure but I would has it a guess that the population of Campbelltown area is a fairly sedentary one (albeit aging too).

I was also thinking about this article I read today in the Fairfax media - Fitness facination stretches the truth. Which is summary says if you want to get fitter don't try and run marathons, just move more.

So what to do? How can we expect a community to leave the car at home and use a bike for both health and traffic reasons? How can a council provide leadership?. At the gates stood a series of bike locking hoops with no bikes. (The strange thing about Thorndon Park is riding of bikes is banned which I find really strange). To add insult to the scene the council parking inspectors were out noting illegal parking offenders - I hope they were just issuing warnings, not fines, as they are known to do.

Off the top of my head what about promoting leaving the car at home, provide more temporary bike parking such as 'valet' parking like at Womad. I sometimes think it's not the 'H' word that stops people riding, or traffic but just that getting all the stuff together like locks to go out and park a bike at the destination. Then there is the promoting of safe cycling routes and bike lanes (which are on Gorge Rd and others nearby). Maybe known local walking and cycling groups could be invited to ride and walk there to set an example.

But overall this sort of change in car use can't be expected to happen just for one event, it has to come down to greater leadership from government, council and cyclists like us.

Tags: advocacy, council

3 members like this

Comment by Tiny Avenger on February 4, 2012 at 8:47: Nice post Gus. I wonder if you would need carrots and sticks for an event like this. If the people attending were mainly local then it might be easier to consider walking or cycling if you knew there wouldn't be much parking available. Then some things to make it easier to walk or cycle like you suggest. But the tension is always going to be between encouraging people to be more active and discouraging them from coming at all - this is of course what retailers and traders fear - that if we remove car parks trade will go down. I attended a Health in All in Planning symposium last year and one of the speakers from the UK quoted a number of examples where local trade actually increased when they removed parking spaces. Retailers thought that over 70% of their customers arrived by car but when they actually checked it was only about 30-40% - once they knew this traders actually asked the council to remove the car parking! So anything is possible :)

Comment by Gus K on February 4, 2012 at 12:23: Thanks TA. I've been thinking about this a bit more and considering the question 'would I have ridden there with the family if I knew about the parking and attendance' and that is a tough one to answer. I really, really would like to. I think if I was new about the parking and there was a mention in the publicity along the lines of 'make it a special night and ride a bike' then yes, I would try harder.

The other thing I've been thinking about is Campbelltown area and how there is little bike parking and end of trip facilities. Campbelltown shops is really bad (no toilets but that is a sore point being addressed), the library has a few spots I think. Last time I went to the council chambers there wasn't any. Busy cross routes like Forest Ave don't have lanes or much signage to warn drivers cyclists use this route (to go to Stradbroke Schools which is why we pulled out kids out of there to somewhere closer to home and the Linear Park.

I feel that more council pressure on businesses to consider that cyclists would like to cycle there to shop a culture would grow.

Comment by heather on February 4, 2012 at 23:42: Angus, as a resident and ratepayer of Campbelltown, it will be up to you (and Mike Brisco?) to encourage your council to be more supportive of cycling.

The Cycling Promotion Fund has some excellent data sheets at www.cyclingpromotion.com.au. Ask me if you want info on how to design bicycle parking to meet Austroads and Australian Standards. Email this with a request to all of elected council, plus some pertinent staff. Along with your ideas for Thorndon Park.

P.S. waist for a body measurement.

Comment by Kara T on February 6, 2012 at 8:27: I should really read my messenger more often because I didn't even know the markets were on! Possible better advertising of this event in the council area could have been done, and promote it as a cycling/family atmopshere/environmentally friendly event without putting off those who are turned off by the 'environmental' culture?

Comment by Gus K on February 6, 2012 at 8:31: True. A balance is what's needed. But maybe pushing the 'environmental' angle wouldn't be too damaging to trade.

I will also add this post has been read and acknowledged by C'town Council and Mayor.

Comment by Giles Ramsey Chapman on February 27, 2012 at 13:06: I see that there are Community Grants to encourage cycling.

www.dpti.sa.gov.au/communityprograms

I'd be happy to help a group to utilise this opportunity.

Giles.

Community building and waist-line thinning

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