The City of Adelaide (CoA) is a vibrant centre that hosts numerous major events and also must support significant construction activities, both of which are critical to economic vitality.

Although events and works are important economic contributors to the CoA, they often cause disruption to transport networks; impacting the daily lives of residents, visitors and businesses.

The CoA is actively working to enhance its transport strategy to address these challenges, aiming to minimise disruption while maximising economic and social benefits.


Major Adelaide events

Major events draw upwards to hundreds of thousands of visitors to Adelaide. Many major events in Adelaide are governed by the Major Events Act 20131. This means many local regulations do not apply to their operation or impacts.

These events typically require substantial road closures and rerouting of public transport. They also provide wide-scale economic impact, add to the activation and vibrancy of the city, and draw in visitors through a multitude of transport options.

Some of these events include the Adelaide Fringe2, Adelaide 5003 and Santos Tour Down Under4, pictured below.

1 major Events Act 2013. (2024). South Australian Legislation. Retrieved from https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au

2 Adelaide Fringe, 2024

Some events in Adelaide, such as the AFL, include free public transport for access to and from locations like the Adelaide Oval5. Initiatives like this help to incentivise the use of sustainable modes such as public transport. The impact this can have goes beyond event travel; helping people to consider their broader transport choices.


City of Adelaide events: Events organised directly by the CoA follow specific guidelines to minimise disruption. The CoA requires that events include effective communication and the provision of detours for pedestrians and bicycles. The aim is to ensure smooth operations and minimal inconvenience to the public.

CoA promotes sustainable events, with the Sustainable Events Guideline and Sustainable Transport Checklist used in organisation to encourage more walking/wheeling, cycling and public transport use for travel to and from events.

City works guidelines: CoA has comprehensive guidelines to manage construction and maintenance activities in public spaces, ensuring minimal disruption and maintaining safety, including City Works Guides and City Works Permits.




3 Adelaide 500, 2023

4 Tour Down Under, 2024
5 Adelaide Oval, 2024


Benefits

The benefits events and construction works brings to Adelaide are significant. However, the CoA must balance the benefits of these activities with the costs and disruptions to communities and the need to maintain efficient transport networks / accessibility for people of all ages and abilities. Benefits include:

Events

  • Local spending and boost to business activity
  • Attract visitors who spend on accommodation, food etc.
  • Enhance the profile of Adelaide


    • Construction and works

  • Improving infrastructure, increasing property values, and fostering business growth
  • Stimulate investment: public and private sectors
  • Job creation
  • City of Adelaide revenue to support infrastructure improvements and public space maintenance


    • Public space improvements

  • Support small businesses
  • Revitalising activity centres


    • Example of the impact from events to Adelaide: 2024 Adelaide Fringe


    6 Mules, T. (2015). Estimating the Economic Impacts of Festivals and Events. PATA
    7 Turner & Townsend. (2024). COVID-19: The impact on Australian construction projects. Retrieved from Turner & Townsend

    8 Adelaide Fringe (2024). 2024 Impact Report. Retrieved from https://adelaidefringe.com.au/adelaide-fringe-impa...

    The role the CoA plays varies between different types of events and works, from direct management to limited oversight. Through input from community and key stakeholders we know that there are a number of challenges present for this city function in Adelaide:


    Managing major events and construction with local coordination. The State has special event legislative powers that can limit the City's ability to impose conditions and minimise disruptions to the transport network.

    Crowd safety during events. During some major events in the city, the experience of women, children and gender diverse people can be impacted9. Crowded and noisy environments can be intimidating and unsafe. Many may choose to avoid walking or using public transport, missing out on activities.

    Not all disruptions are felt equally by everyone.

  • Research10 indicates that delays of unknown duration are more stressful and frustrating than known delays.
  • Unplanned disruptions tend to exacerbate the negative perception compared to planned but unexpected events.
  • Disruptions that deter use of public transport, walking or cycling can undermine objectives for sustainable transport.

    • Disruptions affect walking and cycling more due to:

    Fewer standards and requirements, leading to their needs being overlooked in planning and execution stages

  • Typically use the side of road / park areas that are more susceptible to occupation and obstruction
  • Pedestrians and bicycles disappear from disruptions quickly, making the impact less noticeable. This invisibility can lead to underestimations of the extent of impact and a lack of prioritisation in mitigation efforts




    • 9 City of Adelaide (2023), Gender & Safety Focus Groups Summary Report

    10 Fan, Y., Guthrie, A., & Levinson, D. (2016). Waiting time perceptions at transit stops and stations: Effects of basic amenities, gender, and security. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 88, 251-264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2016.04.012

    Opportunities

    Currently, disruptions disproportionately impact people walking, wheeling and cycling and their mobility. But several opportunities arise from the challenges above. Six key strategic moves have been identified to support sustainable transport outcomes during events and disruptions which include:

    Implement comprehensive communication strategies, including providing detailed information well in advance, real-time updates through social media and apps, effective public awareness campaigns, and ongoing community engagement.

    Develop and enforce tailored detour guidelines that prioritise pedestrian and cycling safety, ensuring clear signage, well-signposted detours, and maintaining accessibility for people with disabilities.

    Leverage major events for sustainable transport promotion. Use events as opportunities to promote sustainable transport options. Community engagement and education campaigns can further encourage residents and visitors to adopt these modes, leading to long-term travel behaviour change and reducing reliance on vehicles.

    Redesign streets for improved urban planning. Capitalise on prolonged road closures as opportunities to redesign streetscapes. Implementing designs that prioritise pedestrian and cycling safety and enhance public spaces can create more liveable and resilient places.

    Establish clear guidelines and revenue structures. Review and standardise permit processes and fee structures for public space occupation by developers and event organisers to determine fair contributions to the maintenance and improvement of public spaces.

    Develop a resilient network for active travel. Develop a network of walking/wheeling and cycling routes that allows for network resilience during disruptions.


    [11] Tanase, T. (2016). European best practices: Ljubljana - The European Green Capital 2016. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/european-best-pract...