What Melbourne will look like in 20, 30, 50 years’ time
ANYONE who has ever been to Melbourne knows it is a great city; the most liveable on the planet, in fact. But what will it take for us to keep that title?
Future Victoria
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Collect your Future Melbourne 8-page wrap in your Sunday Herald Sun this weekend
A GREAT city is defined by its livability, but what does that really mean?
It’s about access not just to homes and jobs, but also about access to sports facilities, libraries, open spaces and activity and entertainment hubs, which attract communities and allow them to thrive.
It is about where and how we live, work AND play.
The next iteration of the Herald Sun’s Future Melbourne series examines the needs of our fantastic city, and the challenges, through this prism.
What will the great game of footy look like in 10, 20 or 50 years?
Or racing?
Which suburbs perform best for living, working and playing?
Will smashed avo still be a breakfast staple?
What exciting projects could transform the metropolis and create jobs?
How will we provide secure and affordable housing for all and combat the gridlock?
What opportunities are there to rethink how we use our increasingly in-demand sports facilities?
How will the $30 billion Australian Education City Plan transform the west?
The Future Melbourne campaign will kick off in tomorrow’s Sunday Herald Sun with a special eight-page investigation into the importance of preserving Victoria’s sporting spirit, across professional, local and community levels.
We explore whether stem cell technology could be used to create AFL players who are genetically modified to excel at football, if a merger between traditional AFL and AFLX codes could create a global game that overtakes soccer, or if wearable technology or even microchips implanted into athletes could help stamp out the use of performance-enhancing drugs?
To find out what that future of Melbourne — and Victoria — could look like, follow the Herald Sun in print and online as we explore the opportunities that could make this city unstoppable and the challenges that could threaten its most livable city status.
We’re for Victoria. We’re for you.
MELBOURNE FAST FACTS
— Melbourne is Australia’s fastest growing capital city.
— One in five jobs are located in and around the Melbourne CBD.
— Melbourne’s population is forecast to reach 6 million by 2031.
— More than 20 per cent of Melbourne’s population will be aged over 65.
— Annual passenger trips at Melbourne Airport are projected to double to 60 million by 2032.
— An additional 1.6 million houses will be needed by 2051.
— Buyers are paying up to 20 per cent more for homes in areas that offer lifestyle and convenience.
KEY STATISTICS IN SPORT
— A Sunday Herald Sun audit of Melbourne councils has revealed our suburbs are struggling to keep up with demand for recreation areas considered crucial to a healthy life.
— Some councils have less space for sport than they did 10 years ago.
— The average metropolitan sports facility is used by 33,000 people a year.
— Physical inactivity costs the Australian economy an estimated $12 billion a year.
— A $62 million plan to redevelop the State Netball and Hockey Centre at Parkville would cement Melbourne’s status as the capital of women’s sport, netball and hockey.
— esports, a $1.5 billion global industry, is projected to grow as much as 50 per cent by 2020 and could take over the $13 billion sporting juggernaut that is America’s NFL by 20150.
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Melbourne has nearly matched Silicon Valley in a list of the world’s most innovative cities, boosting the city’s status as an innovation hub. This is where we ranked.
Local shopping strips that Melburnians love
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