As a NSW statutory authority, the Greater Sydney Commission (GSC) has visions for the harbour city. Known as ‘Greater Sydney 2036’, a major focus of this vision is to better manage sustainability with the city’s growth, as well as increasing the liveability and productivity of Sydney and its residents.

Part of this vision also includes transforming Sydney into six districts that are themselves bounded by three metros: the Eastern City, the Central City and the Western City as a way to better manage the coming changes.

According to Lippmann Architects, who have been involved in the consultation process on the Greater Sydney Commission, there are a number of interesting findings from a recent event they sponsored called ‘Sydney 2036: the hotspots & no-go zones.’

The findings from the Sydney 2036 presentation included recommendations such as:

  • The area known as Greater Parramatta and the Olympic Peninsula (GPOP) will sit at the Greater Sydney’s heart.
  • The GPOP will consolidate its place with better public transport, cultural and sporting facilities and a knowledge-intensive, services oriented economy. It will be supported by the growth centres of Blacktown, Liverpool and Campbelltown.
  • Sydney Olympic Park will be transformed into a healthy lifestyle education and innovation centre based on its sports heritage with vital education, commercial and residential hubs, while Parramatta’s CBD will emerge on the banks of the Parramatta River, with a combined education and medical super precinct and one of the largest national bio-medical complex as its anchor.

According to Lippmann Architects partner Ed Lippmann, the planning for the next 20 years of Sydney’s growth is crucial since the city is growing at 85,000 people per year.

“It’s possible to have a city that grows to be also liveable and sustainable,” says Lippmann.

A large part of this planning needs to include better management of the infrastructure growth as well as a change in thinking, says Lippmann.

“We should be open to growth along the transport hubs,” he says adding that, “vertical growth should be the template - we should build above the major train stations,” he says.

“We should also be open to growth outside the transport hubs,” says Lippmann.

“People should be able to get to work in under 30 minutes.”

“Ideally”, he says, “they should be able to walk to work, if possible.”

“Our role is to coordinate and align the planning that will shape the future of Greater Sydney. We’re taking a collaborative "one government" approach to this, so we can lead and guide the planning for development, transport and housing so that Greater Sydney will be a productive, liveable and sustainable city for all,” according to a statement from the GCS.