Politics & Governance / Public Policy / Urban Planning & Governance
How a 21-Year Political Experiment Saved Adelaide from Highway Hell
Behind the Scenes: The Politics of Planning Adelaide
In the 1960s, Adelaide faced a crisis: a proposed 156 km highway network would slice through its iconic parklands and destroy inner-city communities. But what happened next was unprecedented. For 21 years, the city operated under a unique, independent planning system that pitted the City Council against the State Government in a constant power struggle. This video, based on Michael Llewellyn-Smith's book 'Behind the Scenes: The Politics of Planning Adelaide,' reveals the untold political drama behind the city's revival. You'll learn how a reformist Premier and a conservative Mayor forged an unlikely alliance, how a 'Red Book' of strategic plans replaced rigid zoning with flexible, design-led controls, and why the fight over a single hotel demolition nearly tore the system apart. Discover how Adelaide became a global case study in balancing development with livability—and why its lessons are more relevant than ever for cities facing growth pressures today.
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