Central Park and Spice Alley
SMH 20 Nov 2020
“There’s the permeability of the thing: the suite of new roads and laneways opening up this great thrombosis in the heart of Sydney so that anyone can walk or drive through in a way that has been impossible for more than a century. There’s the shift in feel, dignifying Chippendale without massive gentrification.
Above all, though, there are the streets. A good street is a thing of magic, a place of public ownership where every citizen, however eccentric or troublesome, has a right to be. Good streets give people respect. It’s not just about pleasure. Streets aren’t just for eating and shopping, much as these, such as Central Park’s Spice Alley, enhance their delight. A city’s public realm is also – critically – a space for politics and a theatre for dissent.”