There weren't too many people to speak with, the central business district was sparse, devoid of those who should give it life. Granted, it is winter, and it wasn't lunchtime or after school when workers and students help fill the space, it was just a moment in the day.

Yet, businesses remained open - the lights on, employees searching for tasks, stock stacked or hanging, waiting to be sold. At these times, running a small business or a national chain store in a regional area must be tough.

One of the solutions to avoid downturn or quiet periods is ongoing population growth, which is essential for small cities like Launceston. Tasmania has seen decade population highs driven by interstate migration, mainly to Hobart. 1.15 per cent may not seem like a huge year on year increase, but positive population growth bucks the norm and trends.

In a couple of weeks, I will again head to Melbourne for work. Victoria's capital grows in raw numbers in one week as much as Tasmania's does in a year. It rarely misses out on being the world's most liveable city and the people felt disappointment when pipped at the post by Vienna for the title in 2018.

Melbourne feels packed but vibrant. Inner-city infill, particularly residential has boomed, but so has urban and regional sprawl simply to cater for population growth.

Infrastructure projects are extraordinary, with the notion of closing a road for 10 years to tunnel a new railway simply beyond comprehension for Tasmanians.

Topography assists - Melbourne is relatively flat, ensuring public transport and commuter options such as cycling to work are easier to plan and realistic. Catching the train, cycling or walking is also a necessity due to parking costs and time constraints.

Traffic congestion and long travel times to jobs is considered just part of life. To illustrate, sometimes, I am longer in a Melbourne taxi to the office than I am in a Dash 8 400 out of Launceston.

Early morning to late night activity is on offer, there are always people about.

A laneway like Degraves Street is buzzing on weekends with eateries overflowing in the quest for breakfast and an experience, no matter whether you are hungry or not. You ask for a seat, in hope rather than expectation. Rarely is a setting not found.

The tables wobble, often requiring a folded serviette to balance, or they are bolted to the floor as if theft of two-seater dining suites is an endemic problem. The chairs or crates either wobble in chorus with the table or can't be moved a little closer because, they too, are bolted down like a prison dining hall.

The paint is often peeling from the walls, showcasing the dull stains of brown and yellow that along with a comforting waft, result from a continuous regime of frying. The blackboard menu hasn't been changed for years and coffee scents emanate, demanding a caffeine hit that must be secured.

Poached eggs on sourdough is one of life's delicacies, but it's not likely to be deconstructed by a celebrity chef. It's not difficult, it's just right. Orders being written and placed with chef or cook, tension boiling in the overcrowded kitchen behind the counter; a hive of hectic. The food is not a patch on Tasmanian offerings, but the fare is plentiful, the choice wide-ranging and competitiveness driving an appropriate price-point the result. Yet, with all this organised chaos we love it and can't wait to return. It's the vibe of it.

Experience tells me people are the engine room of a thriving city. A beautiful, friendly place like Launceston; full to the brim with potential requires more residents.

Continuous and diverse housing supply options and infrastructure including basic services like sewage treatment and public transport are non-negotiables. But we must also make it easier for developers and investors to spend their cash.

Businesses are open, the lights are on, there is employment to be had and customers search for loyalty. One day, we may all stop because the impeccable service and high-quality offerings we are expert at delivering are underpinned by the 150,000 people of Launceston.