Joondalup, Perth's northern satellite city, is celebrating 30 years since its town centre officially opened in June 1991. Master-planned from scratch, the city was designed to manage population growth in Perth's north-west, a trend first identified in the 1955 Perth metropolitan area plan. Today, residents like Bella Pihema and James Kewley praise its convenience, with big stores and amenities clustered together like in the city.
Urban geographer Paul Maginn from the University of Western Australia notes that Joondalup's success is tied to its diverse employment base, including retail, public administration, a university, and a hospital. This contrasts with other satellite cities like Elizabeth in South Australia, which struggled after its car industry collapsed. Joondalup's growth in housing and population has been a major success story, according to Maginn.
Original planner Bill Hames, who designed the city in the 1980s, likened Joondalup to Parramatta in Sydney, a major hub 25 kilometres west of the CBD. He envisioned a grand boulevard, which now exists as Grand Boulevard. Hames recalls the area was mostly bush when his firm won the bid, with no freeway or rail connection at the time.
Resident Regina Dixon moved to Edgewater in the late 1980s and recalls being told it would become a new city. Today, Joondalup continues to evolve, with Hames noting Parramatta's development of 50-storey buildings as a sign of what may come.
