Its been about 15 years since the beginning of the economic crisis that changed everything. In hindsight, some of the changes that felt gradual at the time resulted in a landslide of behavioural adaptation. But let me rewind, and tell you the whole story...
It was 2012 and Campbell Newman's liberal government had just come into power. Queensland's unemployment rate shot up to 25% and those who did have jobs were under immense pressure to support their families. The momentum of sustainability initiatives came to a crashing halt as programs were axed as they were deemed elaborate and unnecessary. Developers began excessive land clearing and shotty residential developments increasing urban sprawl. Anger and frustration amongst the community built to phenomenal highs as scientific bodies heightened warnings of climate change and resource shortages. The real impacts of these issues began creeping into everyday life and coupled with the economic stress people began to look for solutions. Fresh produce in supermarkets was becoming sparse as increased demand and destructive natural disasters continually reduced farming capabilities. Retail spaces in the city were empty; 'for lease' signs littering the malls. Technology was developing in attempts to adapt to the economic climate and resource boundaries. In 2016 a new clothing initiative was released by Apple. They had honed 3D printing and nano technology to a point where they could offer an entirely new business model to all clothing retailers. The apple store expanded from offering entertainment files to clothing files, starting with 5 major clothing brands - American Apparel, Sportsgirl, Nike, Levi's & Raulph Lauren Polo. People could purchase a 'clothing assembler', an allocation of atoms, and an unlimited number of clothing items - in the form of a digital file. Their entire wardrobe could be stored digitally - only requiring the embodied energy of one item of clothing but having the opportunity to reassemble and customise it to any style they wanted. The technology took off like wildfire - and not unlike the Ipod revolution soon everyone could not imagine life without it. The economic crisis stretched well into the next decade, however behaviours did start to adapt. Businesses began to reassess the need to rent office space - with virtual/augmented reality being a viable alternative to staying connected with their business teams & customers. People were able to have an entirely 3D experience from home that could rival the customer service they would receive in a physical store. Sharing and collaboration began to change entire business models - freelancing in professions increased and major advancements were made due to new cultures forming regarding ownership of intellectual property and research. People were more open to sharing and feeding off each others ideas than ever before. Across the globe petrol prices became unsustainable for the large majority of society leading to a rapid decline in the use of cars. This left the car orientated cities of the world faced with new opportunities and challenges to solve in terms of infrastructure. The Brisbane CBD underwent dramatic change in its architectural typologies. With the steep decline of retail & office space, the city became increasingly a space for residential occupancy, local produce farming and for experiences that people were less willing to give up to the virtual realm - restaurants, physical activity, arts etc. The 'real' experience for people became increasingly profound - not unlike the almost spiritual experience people relate to live music. This is the compounding story of how the "Brisbane Festival of Experience" came to exist.
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