{"id":16262,"date":"2026-04-10T23:17:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T13:17:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rationalemagazine.com\/?p=16262"},"modified":"2026-04-10T23:18:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T13:18:06","slug":"test-the-city-before-the-torch-arrives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rationalemagazine.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/10\/test-the-city-before-the-torch-arrives\/","title":{"rendered":"Test the city before the torch arrives"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mp_wrapper\">\n  <div class=\"mepr-unauthorized-excerpt\">\n    <p>Editor\u2019s note: If you would like to submit a letter for possible publication, please email it to editor@rationalist.com.au. See our Publishing Guideline\n&nbsp;\nAs Brisbane moves into the six-year lead-up to the 2032 Olympics, public attention has focused on stadiums, transport corridors and urban redevelopment.\nYet, the more consequential opportunity lies not in infrastructure but in behaviour \u2014 how people travel through the city in their daily lives.\nMega events create rare policy windows in which governments can trial reforms that would otherwise be politically difficult. The critical question is timing. Should policies be introduced years in advance, shortly before the event, or after it concludes?\nA considered reading of past experience suggests that early, deliberate experimentation offers the greatest chance of lasting change.\nAustralia\u2019s urban form presents structural constraints. Cities such as Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne are defined by suburban sprawl, dispersed employment and complex travel patterns. For many households, car use is not simply a preference but a necessity, shaped by school drop-offs, shopping logistics and multi-stop commuting.\u00a0\nInfrastructure investment alone \u2013 as seen in the lead-up to the Sydney 2000 Olympics \u2013 does not reliably shift this dependence. This makes behavioural incentives critical.\u00a0\nBrisbane\u2019s recent low-cost public transport fares provide a striking example. By removing price as a barrier, such policies encourage residents to expe...<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"mepr-unauthorized-message\">\n    <hr style=\"width: 100%;max-width: 1000px !important;height: 5px;border-width: 0;color: red;background-color: red\" \/>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\n<h3><em>You're part way through this article. Want to keep reading?<\/em><\/h3>\n<h4><em>Only members of the Rationalist Society of Australia can read our Premium articles.\u00a0<\/em><\/h4>\n<h3 style=\"height: 20px\"><span style=\"color: #c83200\"><em><a style=\"color: #c83200\" href=\"https:\/\/rationalist.com.au\/membership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Become a member today.<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n<h4><em>Already a member? 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