Scot Bathgate: “It’s amazing how most of the biggest moves in Urban Design come from simply changing the city bylaws.”
Since July 2008, when the council approved the Small Bars and Restaurants Bill, which was then incorporated into the NSW Liquor Act, nearly 40 small bars have opened up in Sydney CBD laneways.
“The change in laws has been great,” says Martin O’Sullivan, co-owner of the Grasshopper bar in Temperance Lane. …
“Not everyone wants to go to a bar and have sport televised in the background. They want something more intimate. Sydney people have been starved of diversity in the bar scene since the city was created. Now they have a choice. We have brought life back into the city.” …
The new laws have a positive flow-on effect to commercial property with landlords being able to rent previously unwanted space. “It will definitely increase the value of commercial buildings with more tenants moving in and landlords will benefit,” Colliers International senior executive of retail Alex Berentsen says.
“Rates for laneway space also vary from $500 per square metre to more than $1000 per square metre depending on proximity to main thoroughfares and access to other amenities. It definitely makes your building more attractive.” …
Melbourne has had spectacular success with introducing bars, restaurants and cafes in its 177 laneways. Accessible and active laneways in the city centre were increased from 300m in 1994 to 3.43km by 2004 according to City of Melbourne 2008 statistics. There are now 138 bars, restaurants and cafes situated in the laneways, a far cry from back in 1997 where there was only 57.
More than 1100 people are employed in the small businesses.
This sounds like a great innovative idea that treats the citizens like adults. I hope that we see some mature alcohol laws in BC before 2100.
No way, people might want to go to a bar without a TV in every sightline? What a novel idea.
This would be GREAT for Vancouver.