Edith Cowan University’s inner-city campus, ECU City, is scheduled to open early 2026. Almost 10,000 students and staff will make the facility their base from day one. As CBD businesses gear up for the opportunities this will bring, residents also have a lot to look forward to.
The buildings themselves will transform the area around Yagan Square. Light and sound will play across and around the façade, creating an immersive experience in the heart of the city. Digital media will connect place with the people around it, creating new laneways, streetscapes and moments to bring residents, students and visitors together.
The public will gain access to the complex’s six WAAPA public performance venues, including a recital hall, playhouse theatre, flex theatre, a jazz and contemporary music venue, and dance spaces. There will be over 300 performances a year, giving residents and visitors ample chance to see the next Hugh Jackman, Tim Minchin or Lucy Durack.
Perth City residents aren’t exactly short of world-class venues – Perth Concert Hall, State Theatre Centre of WA, and His Majesty’s Theatre are all within the City’s boundary – but WAAPA’s southward incursion means there is barely an apartment without a stage less than a ten-minute walk away.
The flow of students and staff is set to transform Yagan Square and surrounds into an always-on crossroads and meeting place. ECU City will be the catalyst.
A proven boost for Perth’s night-time economy
The link between urban universities and the boost to their cities, day, night and weekends, is well established. University of Tasmania’s Jason Byrne, speaking in relation to the institution’s move into Hobart city centre on the university’s website, said:
“The revitalised night-time economy brings more entertainment options and major benefits for small business (...) Evidence shows that makes for a safer city precinct.”
Even in our statistically super-safe city, it’s a welcome benefit. More people out and about enjoying Perth and Northbridge’s late-night eateries and bars makes for more shared experiences and safer evenings. Stepping out from an apartment building into an evolving, exciting environment where endless choice of dining and entertainment is a short walk away is something you can’t find in the suburbs.
More options, more opportunity
As the student population grows, more people will come to study in Perth from all over the world, and more will visit the city to enjoy an atmosphere enhanced by creativity and commerce.
The university’s central connection to Perth’s transport network means easy access not only to Central Perth and Northbridge but also the rest of Perth.
ECU City is the first comprehensive university in the centre of Perth, and as such is expected to spur development, investment and a rise in property values. Citing a website focused on higher education policy, a House of Lords (UK) February 2024 report entitled Higher education: Contribution to the economy and levelling up is unequivocal about what a university brings to its surroundings:
“The very best way to level up a locality is to build a university in it. In one fell swoop you have skilled employment, a pool of graduates, an injection of money (student spending, salaries) into the local economy, research power, and (eventually) civic pride.”
ECU’s city arrival will bring new jobs and new opportunities to the CBD, creating a renewed buzz and a boost to the cultural landscape.
Living in the city puts this ever-evolving world on your doorstep. From your morning coffee to your nightcap of choice, you get to be part of this bold new phase for Perth city. It’s one thing to visit, and quite another to experience it firsthand.
Perth City is growing at a rapid pace, and you don’t need a degree to see this is the right time to join the glow-up.
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