The success of these and other retailers stocking brand names, particularly sports clothing and shoes, presents a temptation for commercial property owners on The Parade to attract more national brand stores to the precinct and in the process alter the tenancy mix. However, the current appeal of the precinct is the contrasting yet complementary blend and balance of brand stores and independent stores. While brand stores will always enjoy strong customer loyalty, independent clothing retailers and fast-food stores targeting the youth market are also enjoying increasing popularity in the precinct.
A PLACE TO PLAY Children and young people who live in NPSP not only want to attend events and programs but also want more increased visibility when they are held( NPSP, 2025). They know they can expect a full calendar of events, activities and performances on The Parade, whether they are held on the street, Norwood Concert Hall or other venues. These include a stage start of the Tour Down Under and the Norwood Christmas Pageant, which both attract 20,000 people to the precinct for a single day event. In the case of the Norwood Christmas Pageant, children are given the opportunity to reclaim the street before it starts by playing games, drawing on the road with coloured chalk, and engaging with roving performers such as jugglers, magicians and puppeteers. The participation of local schools helps to foster a strong sense of community and reinforces the visceral connection young families have with The Parade, reinforcing its sphere of influence well beyond NPSP as a destination. Importantly, these events generate significant economic activity with young families arriving early to‘ reserve’ their place along the Pageant route, before heading off for breakfast, and then staying after the event for lunch and Christmas shopping.
The advent of the Australian Football League( AFL) Gather Round has been another drawcard for children and young people to The Parade. Since 2023, two matches have been played at Norwood Oval as part of each Gather Round, attracting crowds of 10,000 people. Socalled‘ Captain’ s runs’ give young football fans the opportunity to meet their heroes, get signatures, and watch them train, while designated‘ Kids Zones’ and other football activities ensure young families from interstate spend time and money in the precinct. The Norwood Food and Wine
Festival on The Parade was re-introduced for the 2024 edition of Gather Round, thus ensuring families that attended the match at Norwood Oval earlier in the day stayed on the street for a meal. The AFL has reinforced the family-friendly nature of Gather Round by scheduling the 2026 fixture to coincide with school holidays in all mainland states to enable as many interstate families as possible to travel to South Australia( AFL, 2025).
Norwood Oval is also a popular destination to watch the Norwood Football Club’ s men’ s and women’ s teams play, and the Adelaide Football Club’ s women’ s team play. These matches attract thousands of young girls, with many enjoying a meal or shopping on The Parade before or after the match. Kingpin Bowling located on adjoining Osmond Terrace, and the Hoyts Cinema Complex, help to complete the range of youth-friendly entertainment offerings. All these venues help give The Parade a strong sense of place where young people can spend hours with friends and family, thus making a significant contribution to the entertainment sector, as well as enhancing the street’ s cosmopolitan vibe and sense of fun.
STAKEHOLDERS IN THE STREET Young people’ s sense of ownership in the street manifests from their ability to influence its future. Connelly( 2024) highlights how spatial awareness and the physical environment children live in shape their identity and sense of inclusion. She suggests that in many cases, young people are“ marginalised in public spaces” which makes them feel“ excluded and unwelcome.”
Likewise, Kvashuk et al( 2023), suggest including children in the planning and development of projects opens them to their surroundings and triggers an increased sense of assertiveness to articulate their desires and aspirations. Ensuring children and young people have a say in the future design of where they live and participate in the decisionmaking process is therefore fundamental to their sense of belonging, community and ownership( Connelly, 2019 and 2025; Millard, 2015 and NPSP, 2025).
Thivant( 2018) acknowledges the“ growing trend of mayors and local governments to support and speak up” for children to ensure their voices are held when streets
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