The Sydney Daily Telegraph had an interesting story (page 10, Tuesday January 29, 2007 entitled "Canberra out of control") about 40 people rampaging through a shopping centre smashing things here and there.
I often wondered about Canberra and its amazing youth suburban crime and what appears to me to be absolutely dumb design.
Did its suburb designs, from day one, contribute to a future high crime rate? Id say yes.
Everywhere the eye looks, out in the burbs, its houses. Mile after mile.
Just houses.
No post boxes in the streets (wasnt the last time I looked). No telephones and these pokie little shopping centres. Where could the teenagers go but other peoples houses. They would be forced to mill or flock in bored out of their brain mobs.
Could anything be done about this design flaw...or is it too late for the next generation of kids?

Dear Gibo,

We must be talking about two different cities... The Canberra I know and love has much to offer. To me it's a city in a park, a landscaped capital carefully designed to transform with the four distinct seasons. There's a hot, dry summer, a temperate spring, a very crisp winter, and an autumn that is considered to be the state's main event.

To me its a special place famous for its attractions - places like the Australian War Memorial, Old Parliament House, and the National Museum of Australia - symbolising who we are, where we came from, and where we are going. Its a journey everyone should make, and not just once, because like the nation, Canberra's attractions are evolving.

Then there's the Australian Institute of Sport, visit Parliament House
and the National Gallery of Australia. Experience the Australian character through sound and film, books and exhibitions at the National Library of Australia, the National Archives, ScreenSound Australia and the National Sound and Film Archive.

There are other features - take a ride on the lake, visit Namadgi National Park, which covers 40 per cent of the area. There are many
trails to ride a bike on - have a picnic, local swimming pools.
Many dozy country towns and the peaks and rivers of nearby parks.

Being bored is a state of mind. It's up to you to do something about it!

Yeah. Why would teenagers go on a rampage when they could be visiting a war memorial or parliament house? If only they could learn to appreciate art museums and long walks in the park.

Dear Freediver,

The problems lies with the type of upbringing and family orientation they've received. We ensured that our kids were kept busy - through sports (basketball, cricket, tennis, martial arts) youth clubs and organisations (scouts et cetera), as well as family get togethers -
holidays, barbeques, movies, theatre and so on... They didn't have the time to "get bored." They were too busy. They made life-long friends through these activities - and we made sure that they knew we were there for them if they needed us. We were involved in their lives.

If by the time they are teenagers - they don't know how to amuse themselves - then something is very wrong. All I was trying to point out was that Canberra, like any place - has enough on offer - if you bother to look. There are enough sporting clubs and youth organisations around... it doesn't have to be visits to museums, or walks in the park. But the attitude "I need to be entertained because
I'm bored" won't solve their problem.

Join a club or get on a bike ...

They could always start by getting a haircut I suppose.

You seem to be contradicting yourself. You say you structured your children's entertainment for them, but that they should have learnt to entertain themselves? You don't teach a person how to do something for themselves by doing it for them.

Canberra is a very pretty place mostly so. The town center is quite attractive and I like all of the important museums etc.
I gringe when I go out in the burbs though (my sister-in-law has had property there). My heart sees it very similar to Sydneys far west. Houses upon houses and wandering youth.
Actually Canberra has been regarded as a mission area by some christian churches in Sydney, as a place in need. One of my old christian churches in Sydney trained up a young couple on "word" from The Lord to go there specifically to establish a new church and to preach because there was so much youth unrest. I got the impression the burbs were going third world. Ive been watching Canberra with interest since 1995, or so, ever since I heard a prophecy from a group of pentecostal pastors. It was back around about then that a group of pastors and prophets from the Sydney christian churches got a "Word" from The Lord to pray over the city and subsequently they went down to Black Mountain tower and prayed as The Lord had asked. One of the major pastors in the group got a further "Word" saying that if Canberra did not turn back to christian revival that the City would become a "dark place of very high crime and with wild animals in the streets". Ive seen the crime creeping up all these years to current levels. All of these years Ive kept an interest in the city. What was prophesied all of those years ago seems to be happening...as far as the media presents it. Poor suburb design burdening youth with isolation, no christian revival and little prayer could mean a bleak future. Its the same out Mt Druitt way in Sydney.