The Thousands

After the mouthbreathers on Macquarie Street effectively dismissed Jan Gehl’s inspired plan for Sydney a few months back, and followed it up recently with a stunningly misguided freeze on our nascent bar scene, I assumed the foetal position and admitted cultural defeat.

Fortunately, others are stronger, and have been trying to make active change in this town. The not-for-profit GWI maintains the Dowling Street Container Garden on a former factory site opposite the Old Fitz. The garden’s quadrants have multiple uses: vegetable gardens, a decorative terrace, and an art area providing legal walls, being painted the day I visited by the local kids.

**While it may not be the High Line right now (it is winter right now…), it at least shows that a bit of community verve can have some lasting results.