The city of Adelaide is laid out as a a grid surrounded by parklands. Hence the city is situated within a park.

This conception of a city has a long history. The functional colonial template for Adelaide was an amalgam of town planning influences that can be traced as far back as Ancient Greece.

This park--known as the Adelaide Parklands--is contantly under threat from developers, City Councils and state governments of every political persuasion. The citizens have defended the park for the people of Adelaide against the pro-development lobby. It is an urban space that stands in opposition to the high volumes of through traffic in the city, and the acceptance of Victoria Square, a major public space, being gutted by bitumen to allow a huge volume of east-west through traffic.

Adelaide is a city stagnating. This is primarily because it has been given over to cars, and turning its back on the great potential of by building on the great legacy of its original city plan. Adelaide should celebrate its squares and parklands instead of allowing them to degrade. It remains trapped in a 1960s North American car city instead of redefining itself as a people-friendly city with lively public spaces.

A new battle is forming with the Rann Labor Government. The pro- developers want to build new buildings in the middle of Victoria Park racecourse to attract more motor sport and to secure major events. The draft bill--The Adelaide City Parklands Bill provides the legislative framework for managing the urban park.