Why kids and teenagers still love The Parade
Kids have long been important players in supporting The Parade and their economic impact should not be understated, writes Norwood Payneham & St Peters Mayor Robert Bria.
Main streets pride themselves of being places where people of all ages, cultural backgrounds and abilities can meet, shop, dine, do business and socialise.
According to Mainstreet Australia, there are five essential factors for a successful Main Street: diversity of businesses, walkability, community gathering places, partnerships, and council policies.
The Parade, Norwood ticks all five boxes.
Measuring 1.6km in length (between Portrush and Fullarton Roads), The Parade is home to more than 360 businesses, including retail, cafes and restaurants, banks, medical services, pharmacies, professional services, hotels, a cinema complex, a performing arts theatre, an art gallery, and a football stadium.
The Norwood Town Hall and Norwood Library help anchor the street as the civic heart of the local community.
In recent years, there has been a growing awareness and understanding amongst planners and economic developers about the role children and young people play in bringing vibrancy and dollars to main streets.
For The Parade, kids have long been important, but often forgotten, players in supporting the precinct’s economy.
In fact, it is their presence which contributes to the five factors which also make The Parade a family-friendly main street.
The first factor is safety, which Premier Retail Marketing describes as being “paramount” for any main street.
The City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters biennial Community survey shows that between 2009 and 2023, the question of ‘feeling safe during the day’ scored an average 4.6 out of 5, while ‘feeling safe at night’ averaged at 4.1 out of 5.
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This feeling of safety is evident on Friday and Saturday nights, when parents drop off their teenage children near the Norwood Town Hall for a night out without supervision.
The introduction of a ‘scramble’ pedestrian crossing at the intersection of the Parade and George Street has been a ‘game changer’ in terms of safety, and the introduction of a 40kph speed limit in Norwood in 2022 has helped to give pedestrians primacy over vehicles.
The second key factor is a large population of children and young people who either live or attend schools close to the precinct.
The 2021 Census recorded 7530 people up to the age of 19 living in the city, while almost 9000 primary and secondary school-aged children attend 10 schools within 1km (walking distance) of The Parade.
From an economic perspective, this critical mass of young people in a concentrated area cannot be overstated.
Nowhere else in South Australia – and perhaps Australia – are there so many schools clustered in such proximity to a main street.
On any school day after 3pm or after Saturday morning sport, there are hundreds of students buying food and drinks, books, clothes, jewellery, sports clothes and sports equipment, or visiting hair and beauty establishments.
This is where Main Street meets Sesame Street.
For teenagers The Parade is the place to be and to be seen; a place where youth culture can flourish and young people can be their authentic selves rather than as Gill Valentine argues, having to conform to adult values, expectations or perceptions of how they should behave in public places.
In the words of Karen Malone, for many young people, “the street is the stage for performance” – and there is certainly no shortage of young actors on The Parade.
The third factor is spending power, and brand awareness and loyalty, with many of the students visiting the street spending their own money to purchase products marketed to them through social media on their own phones.
In November 2023, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that almost 55 per cent of Australian teens aged 15-19 years had part-time jobs, significantly higher than the 38 per cent of their American counterparts.
Younger cohorts also have access to money. A Commonwealth Bank survey found almost four in every five parents give their children pocket money, with those aged four to nine years receiving between $7-9 a week.
And, with multiple studies also showing kids having a greater say in their parents spending habits – often referred to as ‘Kidfluence’ or ‘Pester power’ – it’s easy to see how The Parade continues to reap the economic benefits from a deep pool of young “learners and earners”.
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National brand clothing retailers such as Country Road, Seed, Peter Alexander all have adult and kids ranges, providing plenty of opportunities for Kidfluence to do its thing.
Helping this phenomenon is a 2023 report by National Australia Bank, which found many parents were reluctant to cut back spending on their children despite the cost-of-living crunch, instead opting to make personal sacrifices by giving up movies, takeaway coffee and holidays.
As an example of young people’s economic prowess, during the October 2024 school holidays, expenditure on dining on The Parade was $5.3million compared to $4.9million in the two weeks before the break.
The fourth factor is events and activities.
The Parade has a well-earned reputation for holding major family-friendly events, such as the Norwood Christmas Pageant, Tour Down Under, and AFL Gather Round, which draws tens of thousands of children to the precinct for several hours, benefitting retail and hospitality traders.
Norwood Oval, Hoyts Cinema, and Kingpin Bowling located on Osmond Terrace, are also major attractions for kids and teenagers on weekends.
These venues help give The Parade a strong sense of place where young people can linger for longer, contributing to the cosmopolitan street vibe and sense of fun.
The fifth and final factor is young people’s ownership in The Parade.
There is no question that kids are legitimate users of the precinct, but ensuring they have a stake in its future is fundamental to their sense of ownership and belonging.
As part of Phase 1 of the consultation process for The Parade Master Plan, the Council engaged students from six local schools close to the precinct with the view to capture their ideas from three key questions:
- What do you love most about the Parade?
- What are the things you value most/want to keep?
- What would you add to The Parade to make it better?
Unsurprisingly, the students want a safe street with wide footpaths, reduced traffic speeds and congestion, and more opportunities to meet and enjoy public spaces without feeling pressure to spend money.
While these five factors have positioned The Parade as arguably the most family-friendly main street in South Australia, there are challenges ahead.
Clearly, the schools aren’t going anywhere – they will continue to provide steady stream of customers for The Parade for years to come. However the council must work closely with property owners to ensure there is a well-balanced tenancy mix which caters for children and teenagers.
Similarly, the construction of more medium density apartments will require greater thought being given to provide a child-friendly environment that contributes to a safe, attractive and inclusive precinct where young families want to live.
Above all, implementation of The Parade Masterplan must start in the next year or two to not only meet the demands of young people for better public spaces but to also fend off competition from the revamped Burnside Village as the preferred destination to spend time and money.
Robert Bria is the Mayor of the City of Norwood, Payneham & St Peters and Chair of the Council’s Business and Economic Development Advisory Committee. He is currently serving as Deputy Chair of Mainstreet SA and is a member of Economic Development Australia. Robert is also an Australian Certified Economic Developer and is a passionate advocate for main streets. The views expressed in this article are the personal views of Mayor Robert and do not necessarily represent the official position the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters.
