We used to have pet shops in town – in cities, in the walkable catchments near our homes, services and other businesses – and that’s the way a lot of cities want to keep it.
Really, deep down inside, many, many city planners, bureaucrats and elected people want a rich, diverse and walkable parade of retail and professional services in the centre of the city.
It’s very doable and I’m sure they’ll get what they want.
Today I went shopping at Perth Aquariums & Display Centre. It’s a great place.
Unfortunately, it’s in the middle of the bush so that involved driving to Booragoon. I would have walked but given the heat I would have melted two pairs of shoes to get there.
Perth Aquariums is in an industrial zone – or a former industrial zone, I don’t know – some boffin from the City of Melville will tell me…
However, what’s happening is that general retail is slipping into industrial areas because planners are being a bit ‘cool’ about permissions. The City of Melville may want it that way and may have a planning scheme that reflects that – it didn’t last time I looked, though. Should Perth Aquariums have the advantage of cheaper rent and carparking over pet shops in city centres that are building the dream-city of diversity that everybody wants? No.