IT can be said a city with a parking problem must be doing at least something right.
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But is Bendigo one of those cities?
A group of CBD businesses seems to think it has a problem, and what they want is better access for cars, just like at private shopping malls.
It's easy to see that this vision conflicts with the council's plan to create a user-friendly, modern city.
Last month, during a public forum for the formation of its Integrated Transport and Land Use Strategy, guest speakers put forward a number of lateral views for Bendigo.
Each centered on taking the car out of the city, turning Bendigo into a pedestrian and bicycle haven, and creating more public transport hubs.
Would a CBD free of roads and replaced entirely with pedestrian walkways help business? Or would you still rather just drive into a free underground car park and walk straight into a shopping mall?
It comes down to who we are as Bendigonians. Do we want a city designed just for consumers, or for us as a society?
The council can set the parameters in a public space like the CBD, but in the end it's us as consumers who determine whether a shopping strip sinks or swims.