Former New York mayor Bill de Blasio asked a room of Melburnians whether they believed the city had a clearly articulated strategic vision for the future. A tiny cluster of hands went up, three belonging to Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece and former premier Steve Bracks, while hundreds more remained in their owners’ laps.
The question was posed at The Edge in Federation Square during the Melbourne Assembly, a three-day event presented by The Age in partnership with the University of Melbourne. After an awkward pause, Reece raised both hands and Bracks raised one, but few others followed. 'I'm glad there are some,' de Blasio said. 'If they know it, that's a start.'
The Melbourne Assembly featured a range of speakers including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Premier Ben Carroll and Opposition Leader Jess Wilson, as well as Carlos Moreno. The Age editor Patrick Elligett wrote that discussions about the city's strategic direction are seldom heard outside council chambers, cabinet confabs and corporate conferences, and are rarely debated in the open. He also wrote that the lacklustre show of hands suggested efforts such as Reece and the City of Melbourne’s M2050 Summit to seek community input had not yet resulted in widespread public engagement.
The Age now plans to devote a huge portion of its reporting resources to the Victorian state election, which officially begins next week, keeping readers informed on the competing visions for the state.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The low show of hands suggests a significant gap between political leaders and the broader community on Melbourne's future direction, raising questions about public engagement in city planning.
- With the state election imminent, the incident puts pressure on political parties to articulate a compelling and widely understood vision for the state.
- The Melbourne Assembly model represents a push for more inclusive civic discussion, with potential to influence how urban planning debates are conducted.
Background
The Melbourne Assembly was a three-day public forum presented by The Age and the University of Melbourne, held at Federation Square. It aimed to broaden the conversation about Melbourne's future, inviting contributions from political leaders, international experts and audience members. A prior effort at community input, the City of Melbourne's M2050 Summit, had not resulted in widespread awareness of a strategic vision.
What to Watch
- The Victorian state election campaign beginning next week, which will reveal how each party frames its vision for Melbourne and whether the public engages with it.
- Whether the Melbourne Assembly continues as an annual event and leads to a sustained civic dialogue.
- The extent to which local media continues to facilitate public involvement in strategic urban discussions.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedDe Blasio’s question at the Melbourne Assembly drew only a few hands.The Age - Latest News: “The ‘blunt and straightforward’ question that stumped a room full of Melburnians.”
- SupportedFormer New York mayor Bill de Blasio stumped a crowd at a Melbourne Assembly event.The Age - Latest News: “That was the “blunt and straightforward” question former New York mayor Bill de Blasio asked a packed room full of Melburnians ... as part of the Melbourne Assembly”
- Partly supportedDe Blasio asked whether Melburnians believed Melbourne had a clearly articulated strategic vision for the future.The Age - Latest News: ““How many of you believe today there is a clearly articulated, broadly understood, strategic vision for the future of Melbourne?””
- SupportedThree raised hands belonged to Lord Mayor Nick Reece and former premier Steve Bracks, while hundreds more hands stayed in laps.The Age - Latest News: “Three of them belonged to two people: Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece (both hands) and former premier Steve Bracks. Hundreds more hands remained in their owners’ laps.”
- SupportedThe question was posed at The Edge in Federation Square.The Age - Latest News: “That was the “blunt and straightforward” question former New York mayor Bill de Blasio asked a packed room full of Melburnians at The Edge in Federation Square last week.”
- SupportedThe Melbourne Assembly was a three-day event presented by The Age in partnership with the University of Melbourne.The Age - Latest News: “as part of the Melbourne Assembly, a special event presented by The Age in partnership with the University of Melbourne.”
- SupportedAfter an awkward pause, Reece raised both hands and Bracks raised one, with few others following.The Age - Latest News: “After an awkward pause, a tiny cluster of hands shot up near the front of the room. Three of them belonged to two people: Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece (both hands) and former premier Steve Bracks.”
- SupportedDe Blasio said, “I'm glad there are some,” and, “If they know it, that’s a start.”The Age - Latest News: ““I’m glad there are some,” de Blasio smiled over a chorus of laughter. “If they know it, that’s a start.””
- SupportedPatrick Elligett wrote that discussions about Melbourne’s strategic direction are seldom heard outside council chambers, cabinet confabs and corporate conferences.The Age - Latest News: “Discussions about strategic visions for Melbourne are seldom heard outside the “three Cs” of council chambers, cabinet confabs and corporate conferences.”
- SupportedElligett wrote that the lacklustre show of hands suggested Reece and the City of Melbourne’s M2050 Summit effort had not yet led to widespread public engagement.The Age - Latest News: “But it was clear from the lacklustre show of hands at the Melbourne Assembly that such efforts haven’t yet resulted in widespread public engagement.”
- SupportedThe Victorian state election will officially begin next week.The Age - Latest News: “the state election, which will officially begin next week.”
- SupportedThe Age plans to devote a huge portion of its reporting resources to the election to keep readers informed about competing visions for Victoria’s future.The Age - Latest News: “During that campaign, a huge portion of our reporting resources will be devoted to keeping you informed on the competing visions for the future of Victoria.”