Originally published on 28 November 2016 on www.boldface.com.au:
Town Hall, Sydney – 17th August 2016. The Central Sydney Planning Strategy Briefing was held in the Reception Room at Town Hall.
As a member of the City of Sydney’s Professional Writing Panel for the three years that it was in existence (they’ve now moved to getting bids from editors for each individual project…), I had the chance to work on a great many fantastic projects.
The largest of them was the Central Sydney Planning Strategy.
Here’s how they described it when it was released:
The City of Sydney has developed a strategic vision for Sydney’s future skyline with potential building heights in excess of 300 metres – 80 metres taller than Governor Phillip Tower – while still protecting sun access to the city’s important public places and parks.
In the most comprehensive urban planning strategy for Central Sydney in 45 years, the City has identified opportunities to unlock up to 2.9 million square metres of additional floor space for retail, hotel, cultural and office needs to meet long-term targets for the city centre’s growth… more
They also got some good press when it was released, a very supportive editorial and a great article accompanied by a very cool video.
It was exciting to see what they have planned for my adopted home city of Sydney, and the team who put it together are smart, dedicated people working to make Sydney a better place.
I learned lots of new stuff, about urban planning, about balancing residential and commercial interests, about regulations to protect heritage and the environment.
There are consultations and discussions on the document now, while it is in public exhibition. Tomorrow, there will be a strategy discussion. Stay tuned for more.