I think if the people of Freo can come up with a fairly tight architectural vision, that includes 5 or 6 storey limits on building heights in certain areas, then people might feel a bit more relaxed about developera coking in.
*edit: ‘developers coming in.’
Unfortunately developers give themselves a shit name by building the same cookie cutter buildings as cheaply as legally required. Then they get butthurt when people aren’t interested in their tired vision to make their suburb look exactly like every single other suburb in this monotonous town.
The last time I visited Freo, it was a shadow of its former self. 20 years ago, it was a place worth visiting. Now frankly, it’s sad. I don’t know how much is the pandemic, or just decay from other areas making themselves more attractive. Whatever it is, if I didn’t have family in Freo I would have no reason to go there any more.
Is that the vision for Freo? To no longer be a place to go? To only service its local population? I can’t think of anything that would make it more like every other suburb in this town than that.
“Is that the vision for Freo? To no longer be a place to go? To only service its local population? I can’t think of anything that would make it more like every other suburb in this town than that.”
Hahaha! I can think of something! Cutting back on public transport! Oh… wait, they already started that last year with CAT buses.
I love Fremantle, every time i go there, which is unfortunately rare, i find a new place that has its own unique characteristic. But i’m only refering to bar/bistro places. I go there even less for things like shopping, cafes, beach.
It feels like Freo and most suburbs are stuck between a rock and a hard place. We desperately need more places to live in, and NIMBYs are usually blamed for opposing this. But when you look at the absolute shite that developers are building for people to live in, I find it hard not to empathise with them somewhat. Once heritage is destroyed and replaced by a concrete jungle, that cannot be undone.
I couldn’t agree more with your sentiment.
I usually come down feeling its the LGA’s failure to have an ongoing coherent neighbourhood plan that developers are held to. Of course the argument bback is always one of cost, and apparently thats the end of the conversation for most people. We’re never gona have our Gaudi moment with that attitude though.
