Adelaide City councillor Eleanor Freeman is drawing attention online as she lobbies for more people sitting along our CBD thoroughfares rather than parked cars.

She claims on social media that two car parking spaces could seat about 15 people, or about 100 people over a seven-hour day if they arrived and left each hour.

“Alternatively, the same strip of asphalt can fit two parked cars – which usually seat just one person. In the same seven-hour period, that’s just 14 people, assuming an hour of parking,” she said.

Freeman pointed to a spot in Market Street where the same “temporary” outdoor dining tables had been operating across two car parking spaces for more than 10 years.

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“Back in 2015, it was just asphalt and car parking like any other street. But since 2016, with the addition of outdoor dining parklets, it’s been a “place” – where people want to spend time and money,” she said.

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Freeman told InDaily about a visit to the Market Street café over the weekend with a friend from interstate when she noticed that two car parking spaces immediately adjacent were the same size.

“It’s interesting to also reflect on other “temporary” outdoor dining spaces that are actually long-term, and have been installed for years, there’s quite a few on Pirie Street,” she said.

She named Oggi, Abbots and Kinney and Golden Wattle having been there since 2023, Cibo on the opposite side of the road had one for about 10 years.

“Reclaiming road space that only fits two parked cars, to instead fit at least 15 people spending time and money, is a gamechanger for a street and local businesses on it – and we can do it quickly and cheaply,” she said.

“I think we should incentivise more businesses to do it.”