The Greater Sydney Commission has released a draft report outlining the vision for Sydney’s future for the next four decades which involves dividing Greater Sydney into three distinct cities.
The three cities envisaged by the Greater Sydney Commission are the established Eastern City, the developing Central City and emerging Western City, in and around the new airport. Each of these three cities will have their own unique identity and each must be planned to maximise liveability, productivity and sustainability.
The three cities concept aims to address Greater Sydney’s population growth from its current level of 4.6 million to six million in 20 years, to eight million in 2056 with most of the growth taking place in the west. If current trends continue, by 2036 over 50 per cent of Sydney’s population will live west of Parramatta.
Chief Commissioner of the Greater Sydney Commission, Lucy Turnbull, said the establishment of three cities in the Greater Sydney Region is emerging as the central and core organising principle of the Commission’s work.
“This gives a clear picture of how people can realistically achieve the goal of being able to live within 30 minutes of where they work, study and play,” Ms Turnbull said.
“This makes life more liveable and way more productive and sustainable for everyone. These three cities within Greater Sydney are – the Eastern City, the Central City and the Western City.
“It is a change of perspective, for sure, but it does reflect how we need to think if we are going to create a liveable and loveable city as our population grows from 4.6 million now to 6.2 million in 20 years to 8 million in 2056.”
The Eastern City includes the traditional Sydney CBD and stretches from Macquarie Park in the north to Kogarah in the south.
Referred to as the Central City, the Greater Parramatta area will see a total investment from the public and private sectors of over $10 billion over the next five years.
The third city planned for Sydney known as the Western City will be centred around the new Western City Airport and the existing areas of Camden, Campbelltown, Liverpool and Penrith.
“There can be no limit to our ambition right now. History has shown the capacity for Sydney to be the crucible of global progress and innovation – in business, culture, design and sustainability,” Ms Turnbull said.
