SYDNEY

/
PUBLIC SPACES
/
PUBLIC LIFE
client
Sydney City Council
Town Hall House
456 Kent Street
Sydney
NSW 2000 Australia
Project Team:
Bridget Smyth
Laurence Johnson
Lei Liu
Pauline Chan
consultant
Gehl Architects ApS
Project Manager:
Jan Gehl, Professor, Dr. litt., architect MAA, FRIBA
Project Coordinator:
Henriette Mortensen, architect MAA
Project Team:
Sia Kirkns, architect MAA
Johanna Kaaman, stud.arch
Johanna Ferrer Guldager, stud.arch
Mariken Landstad Helle, stud.arch
GEHL ARCHITECTS ApS
Gl. Kongevej 1, 4. tv.
DK-1610 Copenhagen V
CVR-nr.: 25 30 95 29
Tel.: + 45 32 950 951
Fax: +45 32 950 958
mail@gehlarchitects.dk
www.gehlarchitects.dk
The following students from University of NSW,
have participated in collecting data for the public
life survey:
Maria Adriani
Jahnavi Ashar
Jillian Maree Bywater
Guru Prasanna Channa Basappa
Feng Hui
Feng Xiao
Gong Li
Liang Jin
Lin Zhi Jie
Kathleen Walsh McDowell
Rodrigo Ochoa Jurado
Thi Thu Huyen Pham
Fachri Dwi Rama
Wiranti Teddy
Wang Sheng
Wang Shu
Xie Qing Yi
Xu Pian Pian
Yue Jess
Zhou Yimin
Zhu Weijun
The following people from PPS - THE PEOPLE FOR
PLACES AND SPACES have participated in collect-
ing data for the public life survey:
Alison Hardacre
Renee Morrow
Heidi Willis
Luke Wilson
Disclaimer
The Public Spaces Public Life Sydney 2007 has been
commissioned by the City of Sydney for the purposes of
providing expert advice and opinion by Jan Gehl of Gehl
Architects on the opportunities for future public domain
planning in the CBD.
The recommendations and findings by Gehl Architects
have not been adopted or endorsed by Council in any
way.
The information presented has been compiled using a
variety of methods.
While care has been taken to ensure its accuracy the City
of Sydney does not warrant the information complete or
accurate.
3
FOREWORD BY LORD MAYOR CLOVER MOORE MP
In February, the City of Sydney commissioned world renowned Danish urban designer Jan Gehl of Gehl Architects to undertake
a Public Spaces Public Life Study of central Sydney.
The studys focus extended from Central Station in the south to Circular Quay in the north; Darling Harbour in the west to the
Domain in the east. This is the most intensely used area of Sydney, with over half a million people each day.
I am pleased to present Jan Gehls report, a blueprint to transform our CBD into a people friendly, public transport oriented,
green, connected, attractive and distinctive city heart.
The report considers reviews how people use our public spaces and streets in central Sydney. It assesses how they move
around and how our public spaces could better promote public life and outdoor leisure. Jans proposals to improve the
pedestrian and cycling potential of Sydney sit rmly with this Councils vision for a liveable city.
The report provides us with a useful benchmark to assess our city against others that have been studied by Gehl Architects,
including London, Copenhagen, Melbourne and Stockholm. A Public Spaces Public Life Study is now being done for New
York.
Central Sydney has wonderful foreshore, great landmarks such as the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, extensive parklands,
and distinctive topography. Much has been achieved through our heritage preservation, streetscape upgrades and tree
planting programs.
However, the city centre needs a major rearrangement to get the best from our natural assets and to rescue pedestrians. The
report challenges us to make the changes needed to unlock the full potential, particularly in respect to trafc and parking.
Jan Gehl found that Sydney is at breaking point, unable to cope with the trafc volumes and gradually being choked in fumes
and noise.
Transport is the critical issue to make our city work properly for its residents, businesses, workers and visitors. Future plans
must be fully integrated with wider transport solutions developed by State Government.
Jan Gehl has provided us with a timely and comprehensive set of ideas that are challenging and insightful. His recommendations
range from strategic to detailed; manageable to complex; and across the short, medium and long term. Many of the proposals
complement current City directions, while others present greater challenges. Most cannot be delivered by the City alone and
we will need partnerships with State and Federal Government, community and the business sector.
Jans work coincides with preparation of Sustainable Sydney 2030, the Citys long term strategic vision for the next 20
years and beyond. We will assess his recommendations for inclusion in Sustainable Sydney 2030 and to develop an
implementation strategy.
This exciting vision will help us transform the city centre and unlock our citys true potential as a liveable, pedestrian friendly,
vibrant and exciting city.
Clover Moore MP
INTRODUCTION 4
The report consist of 2 documents:
PUBLIC SPACES - PUBLIC LIFE SYDNEY 2007 containing
analysis of the study area including a summary of the
public life survey, and a set of overall recommendations.
PUBLIC LIFE DATA 2007 presents the public life survey in
detail.
INTRODUCTION 5
introduction
Background for the study Page 8
The Sydney study in broad outline Page 9
Study area Page 10
Major landscape values Page 11
Major achievements Page 12
Major problems Page 14
CONTENTS
the city
City scale comparisons Page 18
Understanding the grid Page 19
Walking distances Page 20
Scale references Page 21
Open spaces Page 22
Lack of open space network Page 24
Lack of street distinction Page 25
The high city Page 26
A steep topography Page 27
Design codes Page 28
A uniform paving Page 29
Comprehensive tree planting Page 30
Incoherent public art Page 31
Heritage Page 32
Ground oor frontages Page 33
Active frontages Page 34
Inactive frontages Page 35
What is open at night Page 36
Mono-functional districts Page 37
the people
Living in the city centre Page 40
Students in the city centre Page 41
Driving in the city centre Page 42
A freeway environment Page 44
An introvert city Page 45
Parking in the city centre Page 46
Public transport Page 48
Cycling in the city centre Page 50
Walking in the city centre Page 51
Pedestrian trafc Page 52
Frequent interruptions Page 56
Cluttered streetscapes Page 58
Unnecessary interruptions Page 59
Low level of accessibility Page 60
Absent user groups Page 61
Stationary activities Page 62
Few facilities for children Page 63
Patterns of use Page 64
Few public benches Page 66
Outdoor caf seating Page 67
Microclimate Page 68
Split level recreation Page 69
Great for parties... Page 70

recommendations
Key recommendations Page 74
CAPITALISE ON THE AMENITIES
A waterfront city Page 78
A green connected city Page 82
A 21
ST
CENTURY TRAFFIC SYSTEM
A better city for walking Page 84
A better city for cycling Page 86
A strong public transport city Page 88
A trafc calmed city Page 90
AN ATTRACTIVE PUBLIC REALM
A strong identity Page 92
An inviting streetscape Page 102
A diverse, inclusive and lively city Page 106
INSPIRATION Page 108
REFLECTIONS Page 112

INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION 8
Gehl Architects work is based on the public space research conducted by Jan Gehl. With
the human dimension as a starting point Jan Gehl has through the last 30 years worked to
improve city environments in Denmark and abroad.
The book Life between buildings from 1971 has been translated to a number of languages and
is compulsory reading in numerous architecture schools worldwide. Life between buildings
describes the life that takes place in the spaces created by the buildings in both cities and
suburbs and advocates for a stronger effort from planners and architects to understand and
create the framework that provides for public life in the best possible way.
The objective for Gehl Architects is to create a stronger coherence between the life lived and
the planned or existing building structures. Public life is at the top of the agenda and great
care is needed to accommodate for the people populating our cities.
As part of a working tool Gehl Architects have developed the Public Spaces and Public Life studies
which can be used in several contexts. In Copenhagen, PSPL surveys have been conducted
every ten years throughout the past forty years. The surveys clearly and thoroughly document
the gradual change occurring in this time period and provide empirical evidence of the
signicant improvement of the quality of city life. Additionally follow-up surveys have enabled
the municipal government to gather information and inspiration for the further development of
the urban spaces and the general public has acquired a valuable understanding and interest
in the public realm.
This trend has spread to other cities as well, as Gehl Architects have performed follow-up
surveys in Stockholm in 2005 (follow-up to a 1990 survey) and Melbourne in 2004 (follow-up
to a 1994 survey). In both cases, PSPL studies have shown that public realm improvements
truly have had a large impact on the quality of public life in the city. Such evidence has proven
to be vital in maintaining public interest in further improvement projects, as well as general
satisfaction amongst citizens as residents can see quantiable evidence of improved quality
of life.
Problemoch potential 2005
Stadsrumoch stadsliv i Stockholms innerstad
september 2005
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CRL AkCRI1C15, 0rban uaIity ConsuIents Copenhaen
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SCOPE AND BUDGET, AUGUST 2007
Melbourne - 2004 - 3 mio. inhabitants Adelaide - 2002 - 1.3 mio. inhabitants Wellington - 2004 - 0.3 mio. inhabitants Perth - 1993 - 1.2 mio. inhabitants
Stockholm - 2005 - 1.2 mio. inhabitants Copenhagen - 2005 - 1.3 mio. inhabitants London - 2003 - 7.5 mio. inhabitants New York - 2007 - 8 mio. inhabitants
BACKGROUND FOR THE STUDY
public spaces and public life
INTRODUCTION 9
the city
the people
recommendations
THE SYDNEY STUDY IN BROAD OUTLINE
THE CITY is a presentation of the study area and an analysis of the
actual physical conditions provided for pedestrians. How are the
public spaces composed? How are the public spaces organised,
designed and equipped?
public life data PUBLIC LIFE DATA presents a survey of pedestrian activities on
summer and winter days in selected spaces.
How are the streets, squares and parks in the study area used?
How many people are walking in the streets? How many activities
are going on? What goes on summer /winter and weekdays /
Saturdays? Which groups in the population use the spaces in
the City Centre?
The data is divided in observations regarding pedestrian trafc
and observations regarding staying activities.
Collected, the data gives information and detailed background
on the present state of public life in the city. The material is
presented in an independent report.
RECOMMENDATIONS are based on the above mentioned analysis
and user surveys . A set of simple and overall recommendations
are put forward covering the main problematic issues today.
These are followed by more detailed guidelines indicating
desirable improvements in selected spaces.
THE PEOPLE is a presentation of the people living and spending
time in the city. What are the major conicts with pedestrian
movements? What is the trafc situation like? Through qualitative
analysis the public spaces in Sydney are evaluated as to how
people are accomodated in the city today.
The analysis covers both the issues related to walking and
getting around in general, and the issues regarding spending
time in the city.
INTRODUCTION 10
STUDY AREA
DEFINITION OF THE STUDY AREA
The outline of the study area has been determined in close
cooperation with City of Sydney.
The main focus of the study is the City Centre with the
boundaries being Central Station (south), Circular Quay
(north), Darling Harbour (west) and the Domain (east).
These areas encompass the most intensely used areas in
the city. Having a coherent study area allows for a study
of network and coherence as well as connections to the
bordering areas. Thus the main feeders to the City Centre
have been studied in terms of pedestrian movement to and
from the city. These links are vital walking links and relate
very closely to what is going on in the City Centre.
The same approach for selecting the study area has been
used in a number of previous studies including the Australian
studies in Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne.
OUTLINE OF MAIN FINDINGS
In the following pages are displayed a number of ndings
on an overall level concerning both current problems and
potentials. The ndings relate to the following topics:
Major landscape values
Sydney enjoys a wonderful setting created by natural
landscape features. Much has changed since the early
settlement but the foresight of the First Colony is still present.
These landscape features create a setting for a world class
city, but may also be so challenging to relate to that the
development of the city has not received as much interest as
needed because of the bi-focus.
Major achievements
Sydney has experienced many great improvements and new
developments during times and especially some are worth
mentioning in terms of issues of overall importance for the
public realm.
Major problems
Although there are many positive things to mention, there
are also some major problems in the Sydney City Centre.
m
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Barangaroo
Walsh Bay
The Rocks
Dawes Point
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Circular Quay
Bridge Street
Botanic Gardens
The Domain
Bennelong Point
Darling
Harbour
Martin Place
Market Street
Park Street
King Street
Hunter Street
Town Hall
Hyde Park
William Street
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Belmore Park
Hay Street
Liverpool Street
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Central Station
0 100 200 300 400 500
The Domain
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2.200.000 m
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STUDY AREA
INTRODUCTION 11
MAJOR LANDSCAPE VALUES
vast park,lands a wonderful foreshore a characteristic topography

Sydney enjoys a wonderful setting at Port Jackson.
The water is a consistent feature which surrounds and
embraces the city. The fringed coastline offers multiple
opportunities for dwellings with a water view and with direct
access to a foreshore promenade.
The City of Sydney in collaboration with State Government
agencies such as Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority have
been progressively expanding the public access opportunities
along the foreshore. Completion of Barangaroo will result in
a continuous 11 km foreshore walk from Woolloomooloo to
the Anzac Bridge at Pyrmont. This possibility of experiencing
the city from the seaside has tremendous assets and
also encompasses the possibilities of placing outdoor,
recreational activities along the water inviting people to
make use of their fortunate setting.
The numerous harbour foreshore beaches, not all publicly
accessible, and the many villages add another layer to the
experience of a city with endless kilometres of foreshore.
The Domain, the Botanic Gardens, the Cook and Phillip
Park and Hyde Park are places in close proximity to the City
Centre.
These vast parklands offer a diversity of recreational
possibilties for the people of Sydney and hold the opposites
to a dense and busy City Centre - quietness, space for big
events or for space demanding activities, few sensual
impacts and a low noise and pollution level. As such the
qualities of these natural reserves are needed ingredients
in a busy city.
What is also offered from eg. Bennelong Point or Mrs.
Macquariess Chair are views of the city and the Harbour
allowing people to perceive a perspective of the city they are
using in their daily lives.
Sydney enjoys a distinctive topography.
The topography of Central Sydney is like no other major
Australian city. While Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne are
primarily situated on plains, Sydney is built upon landscape
contours providing a signicant character to the streets as
well as providing wonderful views to key destinations.
In certain places there tends to be a rather steep topography
(east /west streets) while other streets are left somewhat
untouched (north /south streets).
The topography strenghtens an image of a strong
landscape setting with a distinct prole offering signicant
characteristics to the city.
INTRODUCTION 12
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
creating open spaces great landmarks preserving heritage
ACHIEVEMENT
Sydney has succeeded in preserving a large part of the
heritage buildings in the city.
BENEFITS
The heritage buildings add character to streetscapes and
encompass the history and culture of the city.
CHALLENGES
Some heritage buildings appear to have been converted as
part of major developments. Some of these buildings now
form parts of awkward juxtapositions between the new and
the old as well as the low rise and the high rise.

ACHIEVEMENT
Sydney Opera House is an icon for the nation at an
international level. The building encompasses the spirit of
Australia. The Harbour Bridge is a signicant landmark at a
national level.
BENEFITS
The branding value is immense.
Citizens experience a sensation of pride and ownership.
CHALLENGES
To re-focus from the Harbour area and create new signicant
landmarks in the core of the City Centre through a distinct
public space plan.
ACHIEVEMENT
A coherent waterfront at Circular Quay.
A series of pedestrian spaces such as Martin Place.
BENEFITS
Important xed points in the city for public life and specic
events. Indication of what can be achieved when casting a
critical look at the use of public space.
CHALLENGES
Widening the public space network to encompass more and
new signicant public spaces and to develop strong walking
links in-between.
INTRODUCTION 13
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
introducing street trees introducing design codes the barangaroo site
ACHIEVEMENT
Turning trafc corridors into city streets.
BENEFITS
A beautiful street environment of high quality, durable
materials. Simplifying street layouts and raising pedestrian
priority.
CHALLENGES
Expanding the program to widen footpaths in selected
streets and to develop a public space plan for renewal of the
many needy public squares. Broaden the scope to include
funds for integrated public art.
ACHIEVEMENT
Installment of street trees in the majority of the City Centre.
BENEFITS
Greatly improved streetscapes in terms of the visual
expression and environmental amenity.
CHALLENGES
Making street trees have a signicant impact at street level
by avoiding invisible species. Creating a distinction between
streets by using different species. Introducing selected
indigenous trees.
Upgrading the number of street trees on George Street to
cover the street in its whole length.
ACHIEVEMENT
Freeing up a substantial harbour area from port activity.
Working towards a collected plan for the whole area in close
integration with the surrounding city.
BENEFITS
Possibilities of strong links between the city core and the
water. Possibilities of creating a succesful, well integrated,
multi-functional city area as a most positive resource for the
whole City Centre.
CHALLENGES
Difculties in creating strong, integrated links with the city
core caused by the topographical change as well as by the
Western Distributor.

INTRODUCTION 14
CULTURAL DISTRICT
BUSINESS DISTRICT
CONSUMER DISTRICT
FUN DISTRICT
MAJOR PROBLEMS
a mono-functional city a trafc dominated city an introverted city
A
B
CBD
PROBLEM
Massive infrastructure in the City Centre carrying 150.000
vehicles directly through the centre plus an additional
80.000 vehicles through the parklands.
CONSEQUENCES
The city is effectively cut off from the water. The walking links
to and from are of poor quality either in terms of the visual
quality or in terms of the walking quality.
Circular Quay where the city does access the water is
downgraded by a bulky ferry terminal and a likewise railway
embankment as well as low quality retail.
The Barangaroo site is confronted with huge difculties in
providing integrated links with the city and Walsh Bay is cut
off as a separate area.
Darling Harbour is isolated, not only by closed frontages but
also by an intersecting freeway.
PROBLEM
The Western Distributor is a heavy trafc artery having a
severe impact at street level in all of the western part of the
City Centre.
As a result of the large scale infrastructure surrounding the
city the majority of all city streets are lled with trafc.
CONSEQUENCES
The Western Distributor has a severe downgrading effect
on the western part of the City Centre. The streets here are
turned into service corridors for the freeway and generally
the public realm is under-developed compared to other
parts of the city. Effectively the City Centre is divided into two
separate city parts - a western and an eastern City Centre,
quite different in character and ambience.
PROBLEM
Various functions are conned to specic geographical areas
creating a number of precincts dominated either by ofces,
retail or entertainment.
CONSEQUENCES
The lack of diversity and mix in functions within specic
areas has a number of side effects. Generally there are fewer
experiences and fewer attractions in each area leading to
a lack of mixed user groups making the population more
uniform and the user patterns quite alike.
A number of areas appear overcrowded at nighttime while
others appear deserted. Both can be perceived as unsafe
areas to pass through either because of a lack of activities or
because of a concentrated precinct of bars etc.
INTRODUCTION 15
MAJOR PROBLEMS
a lack of street hierarchy a high city scattered open spaces
PROBLEM
Substantial parts of the City Centre are dominated by
buildings higher than 10 oors. The sun access planes
appear to be difcult to reinforce.
CONSEQUENCES
The streets are primarily dark and in shadow most of the day.
Wind velocities are high at certain points, eg. World Square
and Philip Lane /Spring Street where strong downwinds are
created making the public spaces undesirable places to be
and makes tree planting and establishment a challenge.
High buildings often pay too little attention to ground level,
where mirror glaced frontages and withdrawn private plazas
represent the interface with the city streets.
Servicing the high buildings demands more roadspace for
trafc and additional lanes for service vehicles, as well as
adding extra demand on parking and increasing the number
of commuters to and from the city, adding extra pressure to
public transport at peak hours.
PROBLEM
Streets generally serve the same purpose as transport
corridors primarily for vehicular trafc, as service roads and
as parking spaces.
CONSEQUENCES
The city has been lled to its maximum capacity with
vehicular trafc. As a result the general conditions for other
transport modes have been downgraded.
Pedestrian priority is quite low and there is an obvious lack
of cycling facilities.
Supplementary many of the streets look very alike and the
distinction between them is weak. This makes the general
orientation hard and creates a sense of indifference towards
the individual streets. The streets are being perceived as
insignicant - it is what they connect that is important.
PROBLEM
There is a number of minor public spaces in the City Centre.
A substantial part appear to have the same layout, the same
functions and the same type of design /materials.
The spaces are scattered covering most of the City Centre,
the links in-between them are weak.
CONSEQUENCES
There are few dedicated routes for promenading and no
dedicated walking links between the various public spaces.
Thus the small squares and pocket parks are not frequently
visited
Subsequently the somewhat similar, smaller public spaces
appear under-utilised with only a limited number of users
during the day. Their is a general lack of a distinct, unique
character and a general lack of signicant landmarks.
THE CITY
THE CITY 18
COMPARISON WITH OTHER CITY AREAS
Studies of other cities will be used for comparison and will act as the frame of reference in this study. Comparisons will be based
on similar studies carried out in - Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Stockholm and Copenhagen. A comparison with these cities will
provide insight into the public life of other cities of comparable or somewhat smaller sizes.
Adelaide, Perth and Copenhagen have populations in the metropolitan area of approx. 1 million. Melbourne and Sydney have a
vast suburban sprawl and therefore a larger population of 3 - 4 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area.
Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth are new cities comparable with Sydney in scale, architecture and type of public space.
Stockholm was somewhat drastically reformed during the 60s and has undergone changes in humanizing the city ever since.
Copenhagen is a medieval city which serves as an inspiration for what can be achieved when leading a gradual urban renewal.
Copenhagen has done so for the last 40 years.
ADELAIDE
1.575.000 m
2
1.900 residents in the city centre (2002)
12 residents per hectare
(1.1 million residents in the metropolitan area)

MELBOURNE
2.300.000 m
2
12.000 residents in the city centre (2006)
52 residents per hectare
(3.5 million residents in the metropolitan area)
PERTH
1.200.000 m
2
Approx. 1000 residents in the city centre (2006)
8 residents per hectare
(1.4 million residents in the metropolitan area)
SYDNEY
2.200.000 m
2
15.000 residents in the city centre (2006)
68 residents per hectare
(4 million residents in the metropolitan area)
STOCKHOLM
1.250.000 m
2
1.700 residents in the city centre (2005)
14 residents per hectare
(1.9 million residents in the metropolitan area)
COPENHAGEN
1.150.000 m
2
7.600 residents in the city centre (2005)
66 residents per hectare
(1,2 million residents in the metropolitan area)
CITY SCALE COMPARISONS
australian and european cities
All maps are shown in 1:40.000
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UNDERSTANDING THE GRID
comparison of sydney and melbourne
Although Sydney and Melbourne share similar historical
backgrounds and date back to the same time period in urban
planning there are some signicant differences between the
two. These differences mainly has to do with how the city
grid was originally laid out and how that has formed the
urban development process and the inux of trafc.
MELBOURNE CHARACTERISTICS:
Generally generous street widths of 30-40 metres.
Large blocks (east /west) creating fewer streets running
north /south.
Height controls have been applied in the City Centre,
especially at Swanston Street.
Laneways running through the large blocks servicing the
high buildings.
Consecutive laneways creating continuous movement
patterns.
Compared to Melbourne, Sydneys grid structure is quite
different. Where Melbourne has a clear and legible geometry
the Sydney grid is inuenced by how the city was rst laid
out. The original landscape features can still be read in
certain places, eg. the Tank Stream, which runs underneath
Pitt Street, and in George Street which used to be the main
street and is the only street that connects the Central Station
with the Rocks and essentially the Harbour Bridge and Port
Jackson.
SYDNEY CHARACTERISTICS:
Generally narrow street widths of 20 metres.
Narrow blocks (east /west) creating more streets running
north /south.
Narrow streets lined by high buildings creating shadows
and highwind velocities at street level.
Few laneways in context of previous development patterns
- block amalgamations for ofce towers destroyed many of
Sydneys laneways servicing the high buildings. Service is
mainly done in the streets demanding more space for service
vehicles and for parking.
Peninsula situation; Everything ends at Circular Quay.
NARROW STREETS AND NARROW BLOCKS
= MORE STREETS + MORE TRAFFIC
+ MORE SHADOW + STRAY WINDS
S
w
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s
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tre
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GEORGE STREET
/KING STREET
SWANSTON STREET
/BOURKE STREET
WIDE STREETS AND LARGE BLOCKS
= LESS TRAFFIC + MORE SUN
+ WIDER PAVEMENTS + STREET TREES
+ LIVELY LANEWAYS
THE CITY 20
WALKING DISTANCES
a viable mode of transport
SHORT DISTANCES
The illustration to the right pinpoints how easily accessible
destinations are by foot within Sydney. The illustration shows
that just 12 minutes of walking can bring you to central locations
and as such walking is a realistic mode of transportation.
Most city centres have a size of approximately 1 km as one
kilometer is considered a reasonable walking distance when
using the city facilities.
THE SUSTAINABLE CITY
Emphasizing walking as a viable mode of transportation with a
strong impact on health is leading towards a more sustainable
city where energy consumption and focus on a lively city - also
at night - are part of the new city strategies.
Walking sets eyes on the streets, it enhances public life and
increases the local ownership and knowledge of the city.
There is more to walking than walking: Walking is the rst
step - making invitations to stop, to linger, to talk, to watch, to
participate and to perform are the others.
HOW BIG IS THE CITY?
The illustration shows walking distances within the City
Centre. Within 12 minutes walking time one can cross the
City Centre from east to west. 30 minutes walking time is
what it takes to walk from Central Station to Circular Quay.
Alas the east/west distances are short while the north/south
distances are more challenging.
On the opposite page is shown comparisons between main
streets in Sydney, Melbourne and London.
What is signicant for Sydneys streets is the narrow layout
and the length of its main street, George Street.
Few cities have a 2 km main street and few cities have one as
narrow as George Street. What comes closest is Oxford Street
in London which is 500 m shorter than George Street. Oxford
Street is celebrated as the main street in London and its course
is broken by the characteristic circuses.
500 m 1 km
6 min. 12 min.
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
Barangaroo
Circular Quay
Darling
Harbour
MartinPlace
Market Street
Town Hall
Hyde Park
William Street
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Belmore Park
Central Station
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Bridge Street
The Domain
Hay Street
B
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Hunter Street
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WALKING DISTANCES IN THE CITY CENTRE
THE CITY 21

SCALE REFERENCES
comparison of key city streets
Total length: zyye m
Street width: zz-ye m
Footpath width: -6 m
Status: Main street with
shopping and heavy
trafc.
Broadway
Circular Quay
Bridge Street
Martin Place
Market Street
Liverpool Street
Central Station
GEORGE STREET
Bourke Street
S
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r
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Flinders Street
Victoria Street
SWANSTON STREET
Total length: :ze m
Street width: ye m
Footpath width: 8 m
Status: Main street
dominated by shopping.
Trams, taxis and bicycles.
Macquarie Street
George Street
Castlereagh Street
martin place
Total length: ye m
Street width: ye m
Status: Pedestrian
street dominated by
ofce buildings.
Piccadilly
Circus
All Souls
Oxford Circus
R
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t
S
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REGENT STREET
Total length: :zee m
Street width: zy-z8 m
Footpath width: - m
Status: Shopping street
dominated by classic
architecture and a curved
course. Heavy trafc.
BOURKE STREET MALL
Total length: z:y m
Street width: ye m
Footpath width: 8 m
Status: Shopping street
for pedestrians and
public transportation.
Swanston Street
Elizabeth Street King Street
Market Street
PITT STREET MALL
Total length: :86 m
Footpath width: :8.y m
Status: Pedestrian street
dominated by retail.
George Street, Sydney Swanston Street, Melbourne
Oxford Circus
Sct. Giles
Marble Arch
O
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OXFORD STREET
Total length: zeee m
Street width: z6 m
Footpath width: 6- m
Status: Main shopping
street. Pedestrians and
public transportation.
Oxford Street, London
sydney melbourne london
0 m
500 m
1000 m
1500 m
2000 m
2500 m
THE CITY 22
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
Hyde Park
First Fleet Park
The Domain
The Royal
Botanical
Gardens
Chinese
Garden
Tumbalong
Park
Belmore Park
Wynyard
Park
Lang
Park
Macquarie
Place Park
Jessie Street
Gardens
OPEN SPACES
waterfront, parks and car free streets and squares
WATERFRONT AND PARKS CAR FREE STREETS AND SQUARES
Coastline: 9 km
Maximum distance to waterfront: 1000 m (Central Station - Darling Harbour)
Parkland in total: approx. 860.000 m
2
(incl. Royal Botanical Gardens, Cook and Phillip Park and Domain)
Maximun distance to parks: 500 m
Number of parks within study area: 7
Number of carfree streets: 5
Total length of carfree streets: 750 m
Number of carfree squares: 17
Total area of carfree squares: 57.000 m
2
Coastline
Parks
Carfree streets
Carfree squares
THE CITY 23
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
LANEWAYS
Number of laneways: 47
Total length: 3100 m
Number of private squares: 11
Total area: 18.050 m
2

Number of underground arcades: 10
Total length: 2600 m
Laneways
OPEN SPACES
laneways and privately owned spaces
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
plazas inside blocks or at upper level
private arcades
underground arcades
ARCADES
THE CITY 24
MISSING LINKS IN THE PEDESTRIAN NETWORK
The map to the right clearly depicts one of the main issues in
Sydney. Although there is a fair amount of open space in the
City Centre (74.000 m
2
) there tends to be weak connections
in-between.
The existing open spaces are scattered across the city and
although they cover most of the City Centre they do not
constitute a connected network for users to enjoy. The size
of the various squares and street closures are somewhat the
same offering many spaces of the same scale and for the same
kind of events /uses.
The most important spaces are Martin Place, Pitt Street Mall,
Sydney Square and Circular Quay. These make up the spine of
Sydneys open spaces. Still all of them have their limitations;
Martin Place consists of 5 individual parts, Pitt Street Mall is
only a 200 metre stretch, Sydney Square is a limited sized space
and is partly sunken, while Circular Quay has an outstanding
setting, it suffers from weak connections to the city.
LACK OF PUBLIC SPACE HIERARCHY
As mentioned Sydneys City Centre has a number of quite similar
open spaces, not only in size but also in function and layout.
There tends to be an overload of smaller, more or less anonymous
lunchtime plazas equiped with four benches, three palm trees
and a kiosk, eg. Richard Johnston Square or Farrer Place.
COMPARISON: COPENHAGEN
Copenhagen has turned a car oriented city into a people
oriented city in a step by step proces through 40 years. The
development has involved stopping the through trafc,
reducing the number of car parking spaces in the centre
and increasing the amount of space set aside for pedestrian
activities from 15.000 m
2
, when the rst pedestrian scheme
was introduced in 1962, to the present day 100,000 m
2
of car
free streets and squares. These streets and squares now form
a coherent network of high quality walking links and public
squares for recreation, all of individual quality and character.
LACK OF OPEN SPACE NETWORK
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
OPEN SPACES
Public pedestrianised streets and squares
Private plazas
Public parks
The network of car-free streets and squares in Copenhagen comprises
100.000 m
2
(2005).
THE CITY 25
LACK OF STREET DISTINCTION
ALL STREETS ARE USED FOR THE SAME PURPOSE
The streets of Sydney primarily serve as trafc corridors. Over
time their obligation to make trafc run smoothly has been
more and more dominant, thus eliminating a number of other
functions which streets are also used for, such as recreation,
trading, the informal meeting place etc. The general tendency
has also been that a number of user groups have disappeared
from the footpaths as conditions for being there grew worse.
The streets now work as part of a big trafc machinery, where
their main purpose is to deal with as much trafc as possible.
This has had a tremendous effect on the atmosphere in the
streets and the gradual anonymisation process leading to an
unclear distinction between various streets which all serve
the same purpose.
Because of this the general attractiveness of walking in the
streets is low, since it tends to be difcult to orientate and the
general experience of walking is low.
NO CLEAR VISUAL DISTINCTIONS
Because of the functional limitations to the use of streets
there has been a gradual visual downgrading of the individual
streets. Streets tend to look too much alike, and visitors as
well as locals have a tendency of mixing up streets as they
cannot tell which one is eg. Clarence, York or Kent Street.
With the Design Codes it is planned to give these streets a
serious upgrade in order to acknowledge their importance in
the city structure. But still more could be done to individualise
the streets in terms of their specic amenities, in terms of
street trees or in terms of an extensive art program.
SUMMARY
The north /south running streets
primarily serve the same purpose as
trafc corridors for vehicular trafc.
No distinct visual distinction of the
streets is present.
Clarence Street
Kent Street
THE CITY 26
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
SEVERE IMPACT ON TRAFFIC
Sydney is a high city with narrow streets. The combination
is unfortunate as high buildings demand more service than
smaller ones in terms of delivery of goods, collection of
rubbish, transport needs for people in the buildings etc.
By their sheer size the tall buildings create problems at street
level were heavy trafc is the result.
POOR MICRO-CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
Another problem is the micro-climatic conditions created at the
base of high-rise. When strong winds meet a tall free-standing
building turbulence and fast down winds will sweep the nearby
streets in unpredictable ways. Fast winds lower the temperature
of streets and public spaces, minimizing the comfort for people
walking or staying nearby and effectively preventing public
life. Additionally, high-rise casts long shadows limiting the
recreational values of city streets and squares.
CONFLICTS WITH PUBLIC LIFE
However grand it may appear as both skyline and from within
its apartments or ofces, poorly placed and designed high-
rise can render public space useless as a place for public life
activities. Unfortunately, Sydney is rich in examples of conicts
between high-rise and public space eg. World Square and
Governor Macquarie Tower next to Phillip Lane. The inevitable
result is public space with an absence of public life. A new
sensitivity towards this issue is needed.
THE HIGH CITY
BUILDING HEIGHTS IN THE CITY CENTRE
1-2 storeys
1-6 storeys
6-10 storeys
More than 10 storeys
SUMMARY
Areas troubled by strong winds and
extensive shadow.
THE CITY 27
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
Signicant views
Streets with steep grades
A STEEP TOPOGRAPHY
STREETS WITH STEEP GRADES IN THE CITY CENTRE
INTERESTING STREETSCAPES
The lively topography in certain streets create a strong sense
of character and distinction. Bridge Street is one of the most
distinct streets regarding topography and certainly a street that
everyone remembers. Spring Street has a curved course as well
as steep changes in level making it interesting to walk here as
you walk towards what is just around the corner. Pitt Street,
which runs all the way through the City Centre, is the lowest
part of the valley. Here used to be the Tank Stream which was
a water supply for the rst colony. Today the stream has been
piped and runs underneath Pitt Street.
BEAUTIFUL VIEWS
The topography also offers spectacular views to eg. the Harbour
Bridge and the Harbour through a selected number of streets.
These views are important in terms of understanding distances,
creating a sense of place and in signicantly characterising the
individual streets. Thus it is unfortunate that some of these
views are effectively blocked by the Western Distributor or by
the Cahill Expressway.
ACCESSIBILITY CHALLENGES
The topographical challenge is especially present in the northern
part of the City Centre where the most steep streets run east /
west. All the north /south bound streets are primarily unaffected
by any grades decreasing problems created by topography. The
City Centre is easily accessible by eg. bicycle and any steep east
/west grades are short distances.
SUMMARY
Streets affected by a step
topography.
C
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SECTION A 0
T
CENTRAL STATION
S
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CAHILL EXPRESSWAY
ALBERT STREET
CIRCULAR QUAY
SPRING STREET
HUNTER STREET
KING STREET
GOULBURN STREET
HAY STREET
BELMORE PARK
EDDY AVENUE
MARKET STREET
PARK STREET
BATHURST STREET
LIVERPOOL STREET
MARTIN PLACE
BRIDGE STREET
0
THE CITY 28
SUMMARY
Area where the Design Codes for
Sydney are being implemented.
A PALETTE OF MATERIALS
The City of Sydney has developed a Public Domain Policy
which sets out guiding principles for the range of policies,
guidelines and codes which apply to the City public domain.
To ensure these principles inform work in the public
domain, and are applied consistently, an Interim Sydney
Streets Guideline and Design Code has been made.
The Design Code for Sydney contains a palette of materials
(lights, paving, street furniture) to be used throughout the
public domain. The Design Codes for Street, Parks, Lights,
and Signs (the Codes) are indicating where opportunities
exist to express the unique character of particular places,
while providing legibility and avoiding visual clutter. It is a
tool that can be used in the design and planning process,
but goes further and is more regulatory than other forms of
guidance commonly used in the planning system.
DESIGN CODES
SIGNAGE
Council produced a policy and manual on Signage in 1993. The manual includes a developed family of signs that
have been designed in a cohesive manner. It treads in the right direction in providing a cohesive signage manual for
the city, focusing on the City Centre and major places of interests. A survey of signs from 2006 concludes that Sydney
has some issues with signage and suggest to prepare a signage and waynding strategy.
LIGHTING
In 1997 the City commenced a program to upgrade lighting in the public domain in order to improve visibility
for trafc and pedestrians, increase public safety and enhance the aesthetic look of the City. The Smartpole
was designed to provide the new infrastructure, capable of delivering pedestrian and street lighting, and
performing a multi-functional role for audio /visual equipment, trafc signals, signage and banners.
A comprehensive lighting strategy (City of Sydney Exterior Lighting Strategy) is being implemented throughout
the City Centre. The Smartpoles have been adapted as Councils standard lighting pole in the City Centre. The
Design Codes describe design and location of the Smartpole.
PAVING
The city is constantly working with the upgrading of the paving in the City Centre. The Design Codes describe
materials and the nish of new paving.
THE CITY 29
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
PAVING AS PART OF THE NEW QUALITY PROGRAM
Since early 2000 a paving program has been installed as part of
the Design Codes. The new paving program has been designed
to both overcome some of the current functional difculties and
to enhance the visual quality of the various streetscapes. The
result has been remarkable and is a strong example on how
quality materials and a skillful design can enhance the whole
atmosphere of the city at street level.
The current upgraded paving covers somewhat half of the
City Centre but is envisioned to encompass all of it with time.
This will be achieved through a staged capital works program
funding and public domain contribution works arising from the
development process and as such it is a gradual process.
Visiting streets outside the newly paved areas it is evident that
help is badly needed. The old footpaths are characterised by
frequent unnecessary interruptions, lack of kerbs, poor level of
maintenance and a variety of materials. Apart from aesthetic
problems, this creates severe difculties for the elderly, people
with disabilities and people with prams.
A UNIFORM PAVING
Existing upgrade of paving
PAVING PROGRAM IN THE CITY CENTRE SUMMARY
Austral black granite is now
covering approx. half of the
footpaths in the City Centre, but is
intended to cover all.
THE CITY 30
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
STREET TREE PLANTING IN THE CITY CENTRE
AN INTERCONNECTED STREET TREE MASTER PLAN
Sydneys Street Tree Master Plan 2004 is a blueprint for the
provision of street trees in the City of Sydney. The objectives of
this coordinated Master Plan are to improve and develop the
number, health, longevity and form of street tree species; and
to enhance the distinct character of the various city precincts.
The current street tree planting covers most of the City Centre
and is primarily located in the north /south streets. This
provides ne experiences of walking along or past tree lined
streets.
CURRENT ISSUES
Street tree planting is difcult for a number of reasons:
The streets are generally quite narrow and supplemented
by awnings. The high rise further adds to the difculties by
creating long shadows, sparse sunlight and high wind speeds.
Further trafc increases pollution and pavements radiate
heat.
The general effect of these difculties is that Sydney is not
experienced as a green city. Street trees tend to be in either a
poor shape or of a tall and slender nature with limited impact
on the streetscape.
George Street has a rather sparse street tree planting because
of some of the issues raised above - a narrow street prole,
widespread use of awnings and a high impact by the buses in
terms of emission.
COMPREHENSIVE TREE PLANTING
Street tree planting
SUMMARY
Street trees have primarily been
planted in the north /south streets in
most of the City Centre.
Tree lined streets.
Pitt Street
THE CITY 31
INCOHERENT PUBLIC ART
Different strategies have been used during the years to put more
emphasis on public art in the public and private spaces. A fact
is that Sydney today does not have a strong prole on public art.
Public art in Sydney is quite sporadically placed and of a varying
quality. The city has been in need of a more continuous and
overall program, thus bits and pieces have been added without
any masterplan which could have coordinated the individual
pieces to form a greater whole.
A PUBLIC ART MASTER PLAN
City of Sydney has developed a Public Art Policy which will be a
strong instrument in offering guidelines for the placement of art
as well as the quality and type of art for specic spaces.
The Policy focuses among other things at establishing sculpture
walks connecting the parks with the city, - to integrate art into
the fabric of the City in ways that will reect, respond and give
added meaning to Sydneys environment, history and culturally
diverse society and to enhance and strengthen the distinctive
identity and sense of place of the city as a whole.
INCOHERENT PUBLIC ART

0 100 200 300 400 500 m
PUBLIC ART IN THE CITY CENTRE
Public art
Private art
Waterfeature public
Waterfeature private
Statue
Artistic lighting
SUMMARY
Public art is primarily located in the
northern part of the City Centre. The
existing public art appears to be
primarily individual art pieces which
are not part of a larger whole.
Art installation.
Australia Square
THE CITY 32
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
PRESERVING HERITAGE
HERITAGE BUILDINGS IN THE CITY CENTRE
Heritage buildings
COMPLICATED MIX BETWEEN NEW AND OLD
Sydney has made great efforts to protect and preserve many of
its historic buildings and historic features. Thus the city is rich
in heritage buildings which add a special character to the city
and make interesting blends with the modern developments.
The heritage buildings represent valuable assets not only
as historic reminders and beautiful landmarks, but also
as potentials for low rent functions attracting alternative
businesses to the city.
Despite of all these positive values there are problematic
issues related to some of the newer developments where
heritage is made part of a new urban block. Legislation allows
developers to add extra oorspace to adjacent buildings as
long as they keep any heritage buildings. This generally sparks
the high city trend as well as forcing heritage on someone who
did not really want it in the rst place. Thus a substantial part
of the old buildings are part of an awkward mix of different
architectural styles where little attention has been paid to the
historic values and where a supercial makeover has tidied up
the heritage buildings.
COMPREHENSIVE STORYTELLING
Great effort has been put into interpreting historic
characteristics as eg. the shoreline at Circular Quay. A quite
developed system of precise information on historic buildings
and places has also been installed in the pavements.
This way of weaving past history with the present is a valuable
way of informing visitors and residents on how Sydney came
to be as it is.
Awkward mix of new and old.
King Street
SUMMARY
Heritage buildings are
spread all over the City
Centre, rather than being
conned to one area.
THE CITY 33
A ACTIVE
Small units, many doors.
(15-20 units per 100 m)
Diversity of functions.
No closed or passive units.
Interesting relief in frontages.
Quality materials and rened details.
C SOMWHERE IN-BETWEEN
Mixture of small and larger units.
(6-10 units per 100 m)
Some diversity of functions.
Only a few closed or passive units.
Uninteresting design of frontages.
Somewhat poor detailing.
E INACTIVE
Large units with few or no doors.
No visible variation of function.
Closed and passive frontages.
Monotonous frontages.
No details, nothing interesting
to look at.
B PLEASANT
Relatively small units.
(10-14 units per 100 m)
Some diversity of functions.
Only a few closed or passive units.
Some relief in the frontages.
Relatively good detailing.
D DULL
Larger units with few doors.
(2-5 units per 100 m)
Little diversity of functions.
Many closed units.
Predominantly unattractive frontages.
Few or no details.
GROUND FLOOR FRONTAGES
categories for evaluating
IMPORTANCE OF GROUND FLOOR FRONTAGES
The design of buildings ground oor frontages has a high
impact on the attractiveness of the public realm. They are the
walls of the urban environment, and contain the openings
through which we see, hear, smell and engage in the citys
million-facetted palette of activities. On the ground oor and at
eye-level we come close to the city.
Good ground oor frontages are active, rich in detail and exciting
to walk by. They are interesting to look at, to touch and to stand
beside. High quality ground oor frontages create a welcoming
sensation and encourage people to walk and stay in the city.
TRANSPARENCY AND SMALL UNITS
Other qualities include a high degree of transparency enabling
interaction between activities inside the buildings and those
occurring on the street. Also, frontages with many small units,
many openings and a variety of functions make streets more
diverse, stimulating and thereby attractive. Frontages with small
units also provide a predominantly vertical facade structure
which has the important visual effect of making distances feel
shorter.
EVALUATION OF GROUND FLOOR FRONTAGES
In order to create an attractive, lively and people friendly city,
a substantial part of the ground oor frontages need to be of
high quality.
Through previous public spaces and public life studies a tool
for evaluating ground oor frontages has been developed and
used on other cities. The criteria are presented on the opposite
page and an evaluation of the ground oor frontages in Sydney
is displayed on the following pages.
THE CITY 34
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
ACTIVE FRONTAGES
ACTIVE FRONTAGES IN THE RETAIL HEART
Active frontages are not surprisingly primarily found in the
retail district where shops promote themselves and the area
through an attractive streetscape.
One of the better streets is Pitt Street were the largest
concentrations of active frontages is found.
George Street also has its moments. What is striking though is
that there is no coherence along the two streets. The quality of
frontages is varying quite a lot, which indicates that these two
streets are not preferred promenades for people who travel
between Town Hall and Circular Quay.
Castlereagh Street is dominated by larger department stores
and ofces to the north and as such this is not where you nd
the most interesting stretches of active frontages.
NO ACTIVE FRONTAGES IN THE BUSINESS DISTRICT
City Centre north is without any convincing stretches of
active frontages which is quite unfortunate given the obvious
importance of a strong link between the citys retail district
and the water.
FEW ACTIVE FRONTAGES IN City Centre WEST
Kent Street is the only positive exception in an area otherwise
dominated by uninteresting frontages. Along Kent Street are
several delis, cafes and smaller shops which all contribute to
a more lively and attractive street environment.
ACTIVE GROUND FLOOR FRONTAGES IN THE CITY CENTRE
(categories a + b)
Active frontages.
Market Street.
A active
B pleasant
SUMMARY
These are the areas where active
street frontages dominate. The best
ground oor frontages are found in
the area around Pitt Street Mall /
Pitt Street, Hay Street, Dixon Street
and George Street, but here only in a
sporadic spread.
THE CITY 35
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
INACTIVE FRONTAGES
TOWERS IN THE SKY - THE BUSINESS DISTRICT
Tall buildings are often designed as beautiful objects, where
much has been done in designing the way the tower meets
the sky. Little attention has been paid to the interaction with
the area and the city they are placed in. The result is over-
sized, closed and passive ground oor frontages incapable of
interacting with people at street level.
The northern part of the city is thus being inuenced negatively
by big closed ofce buildings which is rather unfortunate since
this area is the link between Circular Quay and Town Hall. The
attractiveness of walking here in the daytime is minimal and
the perception of safety drops at night since there are too many
blank walls and too little going on.
DOWNGRADING INFRASTRUCTURE - CITY CENTRE WEST
The Western Distributor has a huge impact on the western part
of the City Centre which is basically a service corridor for the
rest of the city.
Streets are lined by entrances to car parks, severage facilities,
power units or otherwise uninviting frontages. The result is a
rather poor streetscape with little to offer in terms of excitement
or functions. This area of the city is rather mono-functional and
thus deserted by night where it is perceived as an unsafe place
to be walking in.
INACTIVE GROUND FLOOR FRONTAGES IN THE CITY CENTRE
(categories d + e)
D dull
E inactive
SUMMARY
These are the areas where inactive
street frontages dominate. The ar-
eas with inactive street frontages
are concentrated in the western and
northern part of the city centre.
Closed and uninviting frontage.
Margaret Street.
THE CITY 36
Eateries - restaurants , cafes & pubs
Retail - shops, kiosk, stalls
24 hour convenience stores
Entertainment - theatres, cinemas, clubs
Accomodation - hotels, apartments
EVENING ACTIVITIES
The number of evening activities and their location are
important factors for the vitality of the city and the perception
of safety. If there are few activities or if the evening activities
are very concentrated the visitor gets the impression of a
deserted city and avoids going there in the evening.
QUIET EVENINGS
The map to the right highlights the facilities that are open
during the evening hours (after 9pm) on a normal summer
weekday within the study area. The recording shows that most
of the city is relatively quiet in the evenings, with the main
entertainment and night activity areas conned to a small
area of the city, the fun district with the main activities as
bars, clubs, cinemas, restaurants and retail. The activity is
highly concentrated on George Street and spills out onto the
side streets, especially side streets down towards Chinatown.
It is striking that the northern part; consumer district and
working district are devoid of evening activities to such an
extent that practically nothing is to be found in these streets
after 9pm. It is very important to strengthen the retail district
and working district as places for evening activities as they
make up an important pedestrian link to Circular Quay.
EVENING SAFETY
To achieve a more even spread of evening activities throughout
the city and to improve the public perception of safety it is
recommended to develop and implement a policy that will
promote evening activities throughout the city centre.
WHAT IS OPEN AT NIGHT
SUMMARY
The recording show that most of the
city is relatively quiet in the evenings,
with the main entertainment and
night activity areas conned to a
small area of the city.
EVENING ACTIVITIES IN THE CITY CENTRE
RECORDED AT 11 PM ON A SUMMER WEEKDAY
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
THE CITY 37
MONO-FUNCTIONAL DISTRICTS
SUMMARY
The City Centre is made up of four
characteristic districts with
individual primary use.
SAFETY ISSUES
Security is an important factor for the development of public life. People need to feel safe during the day and
at night to keep visiting the city and to bring their children. Experienced security and real security might not
be identical phenomena, so making streets feel safe has much to do with creating a friendly environment that
people nd inviting.
Residents and activities in the city generally assist to the feeling of security. Lights in windows a symptom
of eyes on the street give visitors the feeling that help is close by if trouble should arise.
The scale and detail of buildings is also important at night, as well as transparency and light from window
displays. Furthermore, sufcient light to nd your way and to be able to recognize the faces of passers-by
assist to a general feeling of security.
SAFETY ISSUES CONCERNING PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Several train stations and transport nodes present their users with an environment of poor visual quality.
Unclean, poorly detailed, deserted and monotonous surroundings, low level of maintenance and unwelcome
entrances serve as discouraging features of public transport.
PERCEIVED SAFETY
Poor visual quality can create an atmosphere of insecurity around stations and nodes. It adds to other features
associated with potential danger, such as being underground, out of public sight and having limited visual
orientation. Feeling insecure induces a stressful state of heightened awareness which most people would
rather avoid.
The fact that the city centre closes down at 6pm is magnied by the low level of public transport. There are not
many people in the city centre in the evenings and there is not a frequent running network of buses and trains,
- apart from Friday/Saturday nights which have extended bus and train services.
ACCESSIBILITY
There are only four easily accessible points to /from train stations in the city centre and only 4 accessible bus
stops for elderly, parents with prams or disabled people in the city centre. That is not acceptable for such a
big city as Sydney.
SUMMARY
Areas that can be perceived as unsafe
at evening and night-time unfortunately
cover the train stations.
CULTURAL DISTRICT
BUSINESS DISTRICT
CONSUMER DISTRICT
FUN DISTRICT
THE FUNCTIONALLY DIVIDED CITY
The City Centre consists of different areas or districts with their
own individual character. This is a common phenomenon in
cities, also in eg. New York where Greenwich Village and SoHo
make out individual districts with their own separate identity.
Common for these areas is a certain mix of uses, where
residential, retail and commercial goes hand in hand. What is
different is the urban fabric, the scale, the architecture, the
avour etc.
This is not really the case in Sydney where the physical
appearance of the areas is somewhat identical but where the
use is quite different and to no extent multi-functional.
The mono-functional city is an unfortunate development where
different uses are conned to different areas and where the lack
of mixed use have a huge impact on the public life in the area
during day and night. Areas with one primary use as eg. ofces
tends to be areas which are only lively in the morning, during
lunchtime and again during evening rush hour. Outside these
peaks the areas appear isolated and deserted and do not act as
pleasant destinations for visitors.
ISOLATING THE CITY FROM THE WATER
The big chunks of mono-functional used land soon become
barriers between eg. the city and the water. Working town in
Sydney is not an attractive area to walk through, thus people
tend to decline from walking there and rather nd other means
of transport or avoid going at all. On the other hand Fun town
sometimes gets too fun scaring other people away.
THE PEOPLE
THE PEOPLE 40
LIVING IN THE CITY CENTRE
RESIDENCES IN THE CITY CENTRE
IMPORTANCE OF RESIDENTS IN THE CITY CENTRE
Having residents in the City Centre means that people live in
and care about the city. Residents contribute to the vitality
day and night, going about their daily tasks. Particularly in the
evening, residents, even if relatively few in numbers, create an
image of a city lived in and looked after - also at night.
MORE RESIDENTS IN SYDNEYS CITY CENTRE
Within the past 10 years there has been a substantial increase
of residents in the City Centre. Today Sydney has approx.
15.000 people living in the study area.
Unfortunately these new residents have a somewhat limited
effect on public life in the city :
1. Residents live in towers.
The higher up people live the less they come down at street
level to engage. Another fact is that the natural surveillance of
people overlooking their neighbourhood street is minimized.
2. Residences are conned to one area
The majority of all residences have been built in the southern
part of the City Centre, which leaves the rest of the city,
especially the northern part almost without residents.
3. Part year occupancy
Some residences are used as a summer /winter retreat
for people living elsewhere. Other residences are used as
investment objects.
4. Few residential amenities
There are only few options for outdoor recreation in immediate
connection with the living area such as common courtyards
offering residents a private retreat. Another issue is the lack of
facilities for families with children.
Residences /serviced apartments
Commenced construction
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
SUMMARY
Residents are concentrated in the
southern part of the City Centre.
COMPARISON:
Residents per hectare
6
6

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2
0
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(
2
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0
0
.
0
0
0
m
2
)
inner city area 2-3 km
2

inner city area 1-2 km
2


THE PEOPLE 41
IMPORTANCE OF STUDENTS IN THE CITY CENTRE
Students make a strong contribution to the citys vitality and
cultural diversity, providing a youthful stimulus and often
international perspective. Students come and go day and night,
keeping the city active in the evening. They also tend to engage
more overtly with the street scene because they have more time
available.
STUDENTS IN SYDNEYS CITY CENTRE
The number of students attending academic institutions in the
study area is approx. 7.000 students. The students are mostly
short term overseas students attending classes in so-called shop
front .
Major institutions of higher education are University of Technology
Sydney just at the rim of the study area (64.000 students) and
Sydney Institute (30.000 students). University of Sydney 1,6 km
southwest of Central Station (45.180 students) and University
of New South Wales 13 km southeast of Central Station (37.840
students).
STUDENT HOUSING
Student housing is located outside the City Centre, where
real estate values are lower. The students generally live in
neighbourhoods close to the universities and do not use the City
Centre at a frequent level.
UTS
University
of Sydney
University
of NSW
64.000
students
45.180
students
37.840
students
30.000
students
University
of Notre Dame
TAFE
1.100
students
STUDENTS IN THE CITY CENTRE
STUDENTS IN THE CITY CENTRE
Tertiary Shop Front Institutions / Secondary Education Schools
SUMMARY
Main location of major insti-
tutions of higher education.
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
English Language /Business Schools
7.000 students are enrolled in the City Centre.
64.000 students are enrolled just outside the City Centre.
Sydney Institute/UTS
THE PEOPLE 42
HEAVY THROUGH TRAFFIC
During the last 50 years cars have entered cities in increasing
numbers. All planning has since then gradually been focused
at increasing capacity for motor vehicles in order to make trafc
running smooth through the city streets. No obstructions to
trafc, please !!
Thus the streets in Sydney are primarily run by capacity and not
by quality issues. Through the years growing numbers of motor
vehicles have been passing through the City Centre, some with
an errand in the city others on their way to other destinations.
The result has been a trafc dominated city where every last
breathing space has been used for just an extra lane of trafc.
Visiting Sydney today it is evident that there is a gridlock to be
solved regarding priorities. The city is incapable of handling
more trafc and is seriously struggling with todays trafc.
Noise, fumes, high trafc speeds and low pedestrian priority is
part of everyday life.
AN A CITY AND A B CITY
A dividing range runs along George Street between the A and
the B city. The B city (City Centre west) is severely affected by
the access routes to and from the Western Distributor and is
effectively cut off from the water by the large infrastructure.
The general impact of this freeway environment has a harsh
downgrading effect on the majority of streets in B city.

DRIVING IN THE CITY CENTRE
24 HOUR TRAFFIC FLOWS IN THE CITY CENTRE
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
80.000 - 150.000
40.000 - 50.000
20.000 - 30.000
10.000 - 20.000
3.000 - 10.000
SUMMARY
Streets severely affected by heavy
trafc.
Note:
The illustration above is based on the information
available (gures from 1999, 2002 and 2007)
THE PEOPLE 43
SLIP LANES
In the Australian trafc culture there are some remains from the earlier days car dominance. Slip lanes are one of them.
Here cars are allowed to take left turns at their convenience and against trafc lights. In a world city with thousands of
people on foot this an unfortunate habit which works against any common sense seen from a pedestrian perspective. Thus
it causes many dangerous conicts and accidents. Further this turning practice also works against the development of a
strong cycling culture.
GREEN ARROWS BEFORE PEDESTRIAN LIGHTS
The phasing of trafc lights have a great importance for the general trafc behaviour. Thus the general movement pattern needs to
follow some basic logical principles in order to make people behave as it is expected. If trafc lights work against peoples basic
logical principles, they start behaving more autonomously, not necessarily obeying to the trafc rules.
TRAFFIC SIGNS
Another clear sign of a trafc dominated culture is the use of large
scale trafc signals in downtown city places.
These freeway signs appear completely out of scale with the context
and fail to recognise the city quality turning city streets into means of
serving an overall freeway system.
DRIVING IN THE CITY CENTRE
In most cities vehicle green is followed by pedestrian green. This is not the case in Sydney where in certain intersections (eg.
Market Street /York Street) vehicule green is followed by vehicle green arrow and no pedestrian green. This is obviously to some
surprise for the main part of all pedestrians and as such interesections like these are made more dangerous by pedestrians failing
to obey the rules in a trafc environment, which they generally feel is not accomodating for them.
THE PEOPLE 44
150.000
vehicles /day
88.000
vehicles /day
SUMMARY
A network of expressways are
running straight through the City
Centre. The result is a city full of
trafc, effectively cut off from the
waterfront.
HEAVY TRAFFIC BARRIERS SURROUNDING THE CITY CENTRE
Sydney suffers from past times trafc priorities. As many other
cities Sydney did its best to accomodate for vehicular trafc
- by continuously increasing the infrastructure.
Today Sydney is at a breakpoint. It is clear that the city is
unable to cope with the current trafc volumes and that the
city centre is gradually being choked in fumes and noise.
The massive infrastructure in terms of the Western Distributor,
Cahill Expressway and the Eastern Distributor has a number of
serious downgrading side effects explained in the following.
AN INTROVERT CITY
The large scale infrastructure builds a ring around the city
which deteriorates the contact to the surrounding parts -
Barangaroo, the Domain, Wooloomooloo, Pyrmont and the
Bay area.
Access to the water is difcult caused by roads separating the
water from the city and the harbour front is almost completely
excluded from the pedestrian network and thus quite deserted
at certain points.
A CHALLENGING PEDESTRIAN LANDSCAPE
The freeways create very unattractive pedestrian environments
in the city centre. Environments where human scale is lost,
where there are poor possibilites for walking, for orientating,
for recreating and for socialising.
People still have to move around in these areas though, where
trafc is roaring above you, where there is no sunlight, where
you cant see the endpoint of your journey or whether someone
is lurking in the background. These are areas where children
cannot walk unaccompanied and where people if possible
avoid coming, leaving the areas even more deserted.
A FREEWAY ENVIRONMENT
The Western Distributor is an artefact from the 1970s trafc planning bringing a number of problematic issues into the city.
Via the Western Distributor the city is being ooded by vehicular trafc either trying to access or exit the freeway. On top of this unfortunate situation the freeway
structure also has a number of visual and functional difculties at street level.
The Kent Street underpass is where pedestrians are confronted with
the mishaps of the trafc structure. People DO have to walk here
because there is nowhere elso to get across in the area.
Underneath the Western Distributor a secret world has its own life.
Here are smaller public spaces, which serve as lunchtime areas during
the day and drug retreats at night.
AN INTROVERT CITY
The Domain
Botanical Gardens
Circular Quay Western corridor
Darling Harbour
Druitt Street
Central Station
Cahill Expressway
W
e
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n

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a
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D
i
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Cross-City Tunnel
S
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H
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H
a
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b
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T
u
n
n
e
l
HEAVY TRAFFIC BARRIERS IN THE CITY CENTRE
Expressway
Expressway tunnel
THE PEOPLE 46
PARKING IN THE CITY CENTRE
YOUR CAR IS WELCOME IN SYDNEY
Sydney hosts a large number of parking spaces in the City Centre.
A total of 26.000 parking spaces (on street and in structures)
equally spread in the City Centre gives a range of choices for
people who choose to drive to the city. Additionally there is
around 5000 car spaces on the western side of Darling Harbour.
There is a large amount of parking options in the City Centre and
a signicant trafc generator in the City Centre is the cars that
have access to private car spaces leased by various companies/
corporations in the basements of ofce towers. Usually offered
as part of an employment package to high end workers. It is
estimated that there is a further 19.000 private tenant parking in
the city centre. The generous distribution is an open invitation
to take the car into the city instead of using other trafc modes.
This invitation unfortunately generates more trafc in the City
Centre, both by more people driving in and by people who
circulate to nd the most conveniently placed parking spot.
CONFLICTS WITH PEDESTRIANS
Occasionally, entrances and exits of parking structures lead
to conicts with pedestrians. Often pedestrians have the
lowest priority and cars are allowed to pass the footpath at
their convenience. With the new Design Codes this pattern is
changing. Footpaths are now taken across entrances to car
parks giving pedestrians the right of way.
Several large parking structures in the City Centre have a severe
downgrading effect on the street environment. The scale and
continuity of ground oor frontages is broken and instead king-
size entrances, ramps and dominating signage is put in.
SUMMARY
The city centre offers many parking
possibilities with a total of 26.000
mainly concentrated in the western
part of the City Centre.
COMPARISON:
Amount of public accesible parking spaces
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
Harbourside
carpark
Harris Street
carpark
Entertainment
carpark
LOCATION OF PARKING SPACES IN THE CITY CENTRE
> 1000 100-299
500-999
300-499
< 100
(
2
.
2
0
0
.
0
0
0
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2
)
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2
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.
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)
inner city area 2-3 km
2

(
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)
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(
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2
0
0
4
inner city area 1-2 km
2

THE PEOPLE 47
LARGE SCALE PARKING STRUCTURES
Huge parking structures, as in the example shown from Sussex Street /Market Street, have a tremendous downgrading effect on the public realm in that specic
area if they are not carefully detailed and planned. In the example shown the parking structure suffers from being a mono-functional block with no public functions
at ground oor, no residences and no ofce space. The facade is quite monotonous, the ground oor frontage is completely inactive and the footpath is interrupted
by a four lane entry to the car park.
ACCESS TO UNDERGROUND CAR PARKS
Access to underground car parks have been placed in a number of
streets, the example above from York Street adjacent to the QVB.
Although solving one practical problem this practice has a number of
shortcomings in terms of limiting crossing options between the two
footpaths as well as posing a number of more aesthetic issues.
ON STREET PARKING
Probably the most misplaced parking in all of the City Centre is found
in front of St. Andrews Cathedral where a few parking spaces seriously
downgrade the general experience of walking along the main street
and reaching the Town Hall and the Cathedral, supposedly the most
central location.
FOUR LANE VEHICLE ENTRY TO CAR PARK
Pedestrians need to yield for cars entrying the car park although they
are walking on the footpath. The quality of the paving and the footpath
level is in many incidents changing.
100 METRE OF INACTIVE FRONTAGE
Little experience is offered when walking past here. At night this
stretch of footpath is even less accomodating.
PARKING IN THE CITY CENTRE
THE PEOPLE 48
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
A WELL DEVELOPED NETWORK
Sydney enjoys a very large and complex public transport network
system which joins the City Centre with suburbs far away.
The system is quite effective transporting large numbers of
passengers every day. This is reected in the modal split where
the majority of everybody arriving in the City Centre arrives by
public transport (71%).
TOO MANY BUSES
Apart from the underground train system Sydney has a ground
level bus system which operates routes from the suburbs of
which many terminate in the City Centre. The buses offer surface
transport desirable for many, especially the elderly or those
who ride short trips. Buses integrate with the city and allow
passengers to experience important connections within the
city.
Although many positive things can be said about buses there
are also the negative aspects which mainly has to do with a bus
overload. Thus the number of buses in the City Centre is extra-
ordinarily high and several streets are suffering from a high bus
impact.
The current problems concern:
1. Unacceptable noise levels relating to somewhat
tired bus eet
2. Unacceptable high speed outside peak
3. Unacceptable low speed during peak
4. Misplaced bus layovers in the City Centre
5. Unaccetable high frequency of buses in eg.
George Street
6. King-size bus interchanges in the City Centre
7. Bus lanes are not 24 hour lanes and thus
not respected.
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
55
162
66
100
57
125
140
164
SUMMARY
Areas with heavy bus trafc,
bus layovers and train stations.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN THE CBD
Bus route
Bus lane
Key bus stops
Number of buses 5-6 pm
Train station
Lightrail
Monorail
Ferry routes 1
THE MODAL SPLIT
OF COPENHAGEN 2007
Vehicular trafc: z%
Public transport: yy%
Cycling: y6%
Walking + other: y%
THE MODAL SPLIT
OF SYDNEY CITY CENTRE 2007
Vehicular trafc: zy%
Public transport: :%
Walking: y%
Cycling + other: :%
THE PEOPLE 49
POOR ACCESS TO THE UNDERGROUND TRAIN SYSTEM
Access to underground train stations are in most cases treated as routes
for second rate citizens. Their general appearance is questionable and
their attractiveness at night is low. The majority of all station entries are
at present not laid out to accomodate people with disabilities.
CONTINUOUS ROWS OF BUSES
Buses have a large impact on the public realm quality in Sydney in
terms of sheer numbers and noise.
A CITY CLOSING DOWN AT 6PM
At present public transport is not supporting a 24 hour city. Travelling
time increases drastically after evening rush hour, thus forcing people
to travel home within rush hour, adding extra pressure on an already
stretched system.
BUS CORRIDOR SEPARATING THE CITY FROM THE WATER
At Circular Quay Alfred Street has an unfortunate side effect of
efciently cutting any sense of links between the water and the
city. Thus the squares become individual islands and the quayside
something else.
BUS LAYOVERS AT THE WATERFRONT
The streets ending at Circular Quay are severely downgraded through
present use as bus layovers. There are no visual links to the water, the
buses produce noise and fumes and the general walking environment
is deteriorated.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
MONORAIL
The monorail runs along a 12 minute scenic loop through the City
Centre. It is mainly working as a tourist attraction.
THE PEOPLE 50
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
CYCLING AS A DESIRABLE TRANSPORT MODE
Cycling is an attractive alternative transport mode cheap and
an excellent way of exercising. In cities worldwide cyclists are
increasing in numbers counting both children and the elderly,
where conditions for cycling are safe and attractive. In a number
of cities cycling becomes a favorite transportation mode offering
the same free choice as motor vehicles, just less congestion and
parking problems.
PRESENT CYCLE CONDITIONS IN SYDNEY
Sydney has excellent natural conditions for developing a
strong cycle culture since the climate and topography does not
provide too many difculties. Nevertheless cycling is still for
the few, primarily younger male riders who tend to ride fast and
aggressively, seldom following any trafc rules.
This links very strongly with the lack of facilities in terms of proper
cycle lanes, a linked network, dedicated cycle lights, markings
on roads where cyclists are crossing or any of the other means
that cyclist cities use to look after their cyclists.
NEW CYCLE PLAN
The City of Sydneys Cycle Strategy and Action Plan 2007-2017 is
Councils commitment to making cycling as attractive a choice
of transport as walking or using public transport.
The strategy outlines the infrastructure needed to ensure a
safer and more comfortable cycling environment and the social
initiatives that will encourage more people to cycle. The plan is
to install many more cycle lanes and to connect the City Centre
with the suburban neighbourhoods to allow cyclists to cycle
straight through to the city. Installing cycle lanes and installing
them properly demands giving up on some roadspace. Thus the
new cycle plan has had to compromise in terms of installing cycle
lanes where they are actually needed. George Street is not part
of the new cycle network although it is one of the busier cycle
routes and also here people tend to get involved in accidents.
CYCLING IN THE CITY CENTRE
Existing bicycle lanes
Extended bicycle lanes
EXISTING BICYCLE LANES IN THE CITY CENTRE
AND CURRENT BLACK SPOTS
Existing bicycle network
Pedestrian and bicycle accidents
SUMMARY
SHORT DISTANCES
The illustration pinpoints how easily accessible
destinations are on bicycles within Sydney. Bicycling
is a realistic mode of transportation and the
illustration shows that just 10 minutes of bicycling
from Ruscutters Bay, Paddington,Glebe and Kiribilli
can bring you to the middle of the City Centre.
1200 m
0,75 mile
10 min 5 min
2400 m
1,5 mile
City Centre
Rushcutters bay
Paddington
Kiribilli
Glebe
2
THE PEOPLE 51
WALKING IN THE CITY CENTRE
THERE IS MORE TO WALKING THAN WALKING
Walking is rst and foremost a type of transportation, but it
also provides an opportunity to spend time in the public realm.
Walking can be about experiencing the city at a comfortable
pace, looking at shop windows, beautiful buildings, interesting
views and other people. Walking is also about stopping and
engaging in recreational or social activities because you have
planned them or because you were tempted to as you walked
along.
At some point we are all pedestrians walking from public
transport, the bike rack, a parking structure or from home. As
such streets should be welcoming to all of us.
NO PEDESTRIAN NETWORK
Sydney has a weak pedestrian network of few streets rather
dominated by vehicular trafc. As such walking is not an
attractive mode of transport and people are primarily walking
to reach a certain destination and not performing pleasure
promenades.
The current problems pedestrians are met by are:
1. Trafc congestion /pollution
2. Excessive delays at pedestrian lights
3. Pedestrian islands = capture zones
4. High speed trafc
5. Uninviting laneways
6. General low pedestrian priority
7. Street clutter
8. Crowded footpaths
9. Crowded crossings
10. Poor footpath amenity in some instances
11. Uninteresting streetscapes
12. Lack of safety at night
13. Missing links in the pedestrian network

MISSING LINKS TO THE WATER AND THE PARKS
As shown on the map the current situation consists of a series
of pedestrian routes. The waterfront is not at present part of the
pedestrian routes but more a tour in itself. The connections to
the waterfront and the parklands are very poor.
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
The Rocks
Circular Quay
Sydney Opera House
Royal Botanical
Garden
Martin Place
Domain
Pitt Street Mall
Hyde Park
Hyde Park
UTS
Chinatown
Queen Victoria Building
Town Hall
Central Station
TAFE
World Square
Pyrmont Bridge
Primary destinations
MAIN WALIKING LINKS AND PRIMARY DESTINATIONS IN THE CITY CENTRE
Main walking links
Secondary walking links
Tertiary walking links
THE PEOPLE 52
SUMMARY
Summer weekday evening
6pm - 12pm
LIMITED AMOUNT OF PEDESTRIANS COMPARED WITH OTHER
CITIES
The general walking pattern shows that the highest
concentrations of pedestrians are to be found in the retail
core; Pitt Street Mall, George Street (between Market Street
and King Street), Other concentrations of pedestrian volumes
are found in Martin Place, Park Street, the southern part of
George Street and in Broadway, where the students are and
where there is commuter trafc to and from Central Station.
In the northern part of the City Centre George Street and Circular
Quay are the most busy closely followed by Pitt Street.
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC LIMITED TO SHOPPING STREETS
Most of the pedestrian trafc is located to shopping streets
and there is a limited spread to the rest of the city centre.
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC
SUMMER WEEKDAY 8am - 6pm 2007
Wednesday the 21
st
of March 2007
Weather: Mild and sunny , 28C
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC
summer weekday
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
15.140
8.170
13.240
4.990 20.740
9.910
39.680
9.730
7.540
23.530
12.220
3.910
6.050
49.670
15.930
6.810
33.740
25.090
30.610
29.670
14.220
10.000
30.530
14.950
LOW LEVEL OF EVENING TRAFFIC
Compared to daytime trafc there is a substantial drop when
the evening starts. Shops close between 6pm 7pm and the
majority of all visitors leave the City Centre.
Evening trafc is 34% of daytime trafc. In comparison
Copenhagen evening trafc is 50% of daytime trafc.
11.020
3.500 4.830
1.130 7.570
2.440
12.070
1.570
1.240
3.980
8.350
1.900
9.070
2.350
6.040
8.350
11.120
12.360
3.950
6.510
6.720
13.730
8.290
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC
SUMMER WEEKDAY EVENING 6pm - 12pm 2007
Wednesday the 21
st
of March 2007
Weather: Mild, 23C
SUMMARY
Summer weekday
8am - 6pm
THE PEOPLE 53
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC
SUMMER SATURDAY 8am - 6pm 2007
Saturday the 17
th
of March 2007
Weather: Mild, sunny and partly
clouded, 26C
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
23.980
8.360
8.110
2.330
13.150
3.340
9.320
3.610
2.230
11.150
11.120
2.280
1.700
43.820
8.190
22.940
22.950
18.760
28.510
15.260
12.780
10.930
5.200
11.590
UNCHANGED PATTERN OF MOVEMENT
There are no signicant changes in the use of the pedestrian
network on a Saturday apart from Martin Place which is more
affected by the many ofces at weekdays and thus less busy
on Saturdays.
Saturdays would normally be the busiest day in a citys retail
district. However pedestrian ows in Sydney point to a different
picture where the city is not laid out for pleasure walks. As result
pedestrian trafc is limited to the basic, necessary trips of going
to work, going for lunch, going shopping etc.
In general pedestrian trafc is lower in Sydney on Saturdays
except for Circular Quay which experiences an increase. This is
due to the many visitors to Sydney Opera House and Harbour
Bridge.
20.190
3.890 3.880
1.010
9.430
1.440
3.620
1.030
560
2.560
9.510
2.900
1.060
6.110
1.390
3.300
9.230
7.930
7.060
11.350
22.750
9.230 8.880
6.740
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC
SUMMER SATURDAY EVENING 6pm - 12pm 2007
Saturday the 17
th
of March 2007
Weather: Mild, 22C

MORE PEDESTRIANS THAN ON WEEKDAY EVENINGS
There is a lack of pedestrian activity during Saturday evening
compared to Saturday daytime. Sydney is apparently not a
major destination for outdoor dining or for promenading, except
for Circular Quay.
This again points towards a city mainly laid out for necessities
and not so much for pleasure.
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC
summer saturday
SUMMER
WEEKDAY
SUMMER
SATURDAY
155.000
590.000
455.000
150.000
300.000
440.000
NUMBER OF PEDESTRIANS BETWEEN 8AM - 12PM
-in selected streets
SUMMARY
Summer Saturday evening
6pm - 12pm
SUMMARY
Summer Saturday
8am - 6pm
pedestrian trafc 6pm - 12pm
pedestrian trafc 8am - 6pm
THE PEOPLE 54
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC
WINTER WEEKDAY 8am - 6pm 2007
Tuesday the 3
rd
of July 2007
Weather: Clear skies, windy, 21C
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
21.520
6.790
14.180
6.220
17.980
8.970
53.060
8.410
6.490
28.670
17.050
4.780
40.110
48.430
13.110
13.180
9.210
31.770
32.720
39.610
13.840
11.480
15.740
13.210
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC
WINTER WEEKDAY EVENING 6am - 12pm 2007
Tuesday the 3
rd
of July 2007
Weather: Windy, 17C
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC
winter weekday
MORE PEDESTRIANS COMPARED TO A SUMMER WEEKDAY
There is no signicant difference between pedestrian volumes
during winter and pedestrian volumes during summer.
Basically the same pattern is repeating itself during the
different seasons and there are only few differences between
pedestrian volumes in specic spaces.
LOW LEVEL OF EVENING TRAFFIC
At night the same pattern is repeated as for summer weekday
and Saturday. Not much is going on. The busiest locations
being Martin Place, Park Street and the southern part of
George Street.
SUMMARY
Winter weekday evening
6pm - 12pm
SUMMARY
Winter weekday
8am - 6pm
WINTER
WEEKDAY
SUMMER
WEEKDAY
590.000
640.000
480.000
160.000
440.000
150.000
NUMBER OF PEDESTRIANS BETWEEN 8AM - 12PM
- in selected streets
pedestrian trafc 6pm - 12pm
pedestrian trafc 8am - 6pm
0 100200300400500m
6.900
3.020 3.890
1.010 5.320
2.150
18.320
1.310
1.140
4.300
8.600
1.510
8.120 6.470
1.990
7.610
1.810
7.660
17.350
20.570
7.420
6.370
10.070
7.820
THE PEOPLE 55
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC
NUMBER OF PEDESTRIANS BETWEEN 10AM - 10PM ON A SUMMER WEEKDAY
NUMBER OF PEDESTRIANS BETWEEN 10AM - 6PM ON A SUMMER WEEKDAY
- in selected streets
comparison of main street trafc ows
comparison of street level and underground pedestrian trafc
2007
George Street
Sydney
2007
Pitt Street Mall
Sydney
2004
Bourke Street Mall
Melbourne
2002
Rundle Mall
Adelaide
2004
Regent Street
London
2004
Swanston
Street
Melbourne
2005
Drottninggatan
Stockholm
2005
Strget
Copenhagen
George Street North
George Street South
pedestrian trafc 10am - 6pm
pedestrian trafc 6pm - 10pm
2004
Oxford Street
London
Underground
Street level
Street level
Underground
MAIN STREETS AROUND THE WORLD
When comparing George Street with other main streets around
the world it is striking how reasonably low the numbers of
pedestrian trafc are. During a summer weekday approx.
100.000 people walk through George Street while cities much
smaller in size than Sydney, as eg. Copenhagen, experience
numbers which are substantially higher.
Pitt Street Mall experiences pedestrian trafc at the same level
as Rundle Mall in Adelaide - again a city much smaller than
Sydney and less important in terms of international tourists
and even domestic visitors. What is interesting though is that
the evening trafc is substantial which is a healthy sign. Rundle
Mall is deserted at night and as such merely a shopping mall
and not a city street.
STREET LEVEL AND UNDERGROUND COMPARISON
The underground pedestrian network is extensively used,
since it is providing connections between the underground
railway stations and street level. Cross trafc in these
underground systems is very high and a whole network of
underground establishments have developed, generally
detracting public life from the streets.
The gures show that when 10.000 pedestrians walk at street
level, approx. the same amount of pedestrians is found
underground in the same area.
58.140
39.780
57.280
79.670
61.360
57.410
72.100
55.610
126.360
8.470
49.670
33.740
6040
42.490
14.790
13.120
66.550
2.130
59.230
45.900
11.510
15.708
56.400
12.060
43.550
30.250
96.110
40.190
43%
57%
70.520
55%
45%
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Comparison of pedestrian
ows at street level and in the
underground.
THE PEOPLE 56
GETTING ACROSS
For the comfort of pedestrians and the vitality and functional
quality of the city, it is important that people can cross the
streets frequently and in an uncomplicated manner. It is a
simple experience in most cities. In Sydney the focus has been
on vehicular trafc and ways of facilitating car movements,
so that pedestrians have gradually become a category of
secondary city users who face many hardships and experience
both great difculties and real danger when choosing to walk
in the city. This is a very unfortunate development because
children, senior residents or disabled people do not feel
invited to walk in the city.
PUSH BUTTONS
Push buttons are a widespread phenomenon all over Australia
and in Sydney, where all crossings are supplied with push
buttons. The installation of push buttons is part of State
Government law. Here you have to apply to cross the street
and if you press the button in time the digital device will give
you between 7 and 10 seconds of green light to step off the
kerb, before the lights start to ash red to tell you to nish
walking across the road. Red periods are long, often lasting
between 60 and 90 seconds. This system takes the elderly,
children and people with disabilities hostages since they will
often not be capable of moving across the streets at the pace
needed. It also sends a clear signal that cars have higher
priority than people.
PEDESTRIAN HARASSMENTS CREATE JAY WALKING
What can be learnt from a number of other cities is that people
nd their way even under the most appalling conditions.
As such pedestrians are often seen disobeying trafc rules in
environments not laid out for walking. Their expectations of a
system laid out for their convenience, eg. trafc lights turning
green within a reasonable time frame, are quite low and thus
they invent their own ways of dealing with a trafc dominated
environment. This is generally a dangerous development since
it puts people at high risk of getting hurt. Especially people
with special needs, as the elderly, people with disabilities,
people with prams, children etc. have a hard time coping in an
environment where disobeying to the rules are normal.
TEST WALKS
In order to evaluate the walking quality offered six test walks
were carried out. In each case ordinary walking speed was
used and the walking time as well as waiting time at trafc
intersections was recorded.
The general conclusion on these test walks is that waiting
time at crossings is a substantial problem in Sydney. The
test walks show a general delay of 30-50 % in the east /west
streets and approx. a 20% delay in the north /south streets
A similar survey carried out in Adelaide 2002 showed an
average delay of approx. 16%.
FREQUENT INTERRUPTIONS
PERCENTAGE OF WALKING TIME SPENT ON
WAITING AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS
Test walks
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
38 %
33 %
52 %
17 %
19 %
30 %
Waiting time
Waiting time
Waiting time
Waiting time
Waiting time
Waiting time
park street
(from Sussex Street to College Street)
Walking time: 8 min 44 sec.
Waiting time: 9 min 20 sec
Total trip time: 18 min 4 sec.
waiting time: 52%
Queing up at footpaths
Stopped at the intersection: they are doomed to
platoon. When the light changes, the few may
escape if they are quick.
Tempted by impatience and a wish for greater
mobility, many will attempt a crossing against the
light.
Those few who do not start in a platoon will
quickly catch the one just ahead, or be caught by
the one coming from behind, unless they happen
to be proceeding at the precise speed as both
platoons.
Not far off is the previous platoon. A common sight
in these platoons are those trying to escape by
stepping off into the street and running forward to
head off the platoons beginning.
With pedestrian platoons proceeding at a pace
even less predictable than cars, synchronizing
signals to their progression is impossible. As a
result, the signals often only reinforce the platoon
structure, rather than allow it to break up.
When two platoons meet, the already slow speeds
can be cut by more than half, coming almost to a
complete stop.
This illustration depicts the general movement
pattern on Sydneys footpaths. Observations
showed that footpaths are not crowded for the
whole strech, but at certain points like knots on a
string. People tend to walk in groups, or platoons
which is caused by long red lights at intersections.
57 THE PEOPLE
THE PEOPLE 58
178 POORLY PLACED PAY PHONES IN THE CITY CENTRE
In a country with one of the worlds highest rates of mobile
phone ownership per inhabitant it is amazing how many pay
phones are still needed in a city like Sydney. Just along Martin
Place are placed 10 stands with a total of 20 pay phones.
The pay phones obviously serve two purposes. One is the
service of offering the inhabitants a public phone another is to
place commercial ads in the City Centre to be viewed by people
passing by. In order to place these ads in the best viewable
way the pay phones are installed facing the footpath and thus
blocking pedestrian movement in a number of streets.
The positive benets of the commercial street furniture have
been elements of high quality both regarding design and
the durability of materials. The negative aspects are the
commercial side of things which is dictating the number and
placement of the elements.
CLUTTERED STREETSCAPES
Bus stop creating clutter.
Pitt Street
STREET FURNITURE IN THE CITY CENTRE
178 payphones in the City Centre
20 payphones in Martin Place
140 bollards in Pitt Street Mall
140 BOLLARDS IN PITT STREET MALL
Although neatly designed the bollards in Pitt Street Mall are
placed in such large numbers that they contribute to the
cluttering of the street as well as the visual pollution.
Their original purpose has been to kerb service vehicles in
order to protect pedestrians during delivery hours. It appears
though that time has run out for these bollards, since Pitt
Street Mall is now a well established pedestrian street.
Payphone unit (with 2 payphones)
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
Endless room of bollards.
Pitt Street Mall
Bus stop
THE PEOPLE 59
SUMMARY
Areas with low pedestrian
priority.
UNNECESSARY FOOTPATH INTERRUPTIONS IN THE CITY CENTRE
231 unnecessary footpath interruptions
FOOTPATH INTERRUPTIONS
A clear sign of low pedestrian priority is the many minor side
streets and delivery lanes which interrupt footpaths in all
streets. This habit is unfortunate as it forces pedestrians to
walk up and down different levels, which is an obstacle for
the elderly, people with children and people with disabilities.
Another issue is that people have to take extra care even though
they are on the footpath. This is not easily explained to children
and it demands constant awareness from pedestrians.
A walk through the study area disclosed 231 unnecessary
interruptions of footpaths. Each of these interruptions should be
addressed and efforts be made to create continuous footpaths.
Design Codes seek to effectively eliminate the footpath
interruptions by continous footpaths and high emphasis on the
accessibility for those who choose to walk. As such the current
footpath interruptions are primarily situated in areas which
have not yet been upgraded according to Design Codes.
UNNECESSARY INTERRUPTIONS
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
Unnecessary footpath interuption - (Change in level or material)
Footpath interruptions disturb a comfortable
walking environment.
Kent Street
Vehicle entrance to building across footpath - (No change in level or material)
THE PEOPLE 60
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
Easy accessible train station
Easy accessible bus stop
Crowded and cluttered footpath.
Pitt Street
EASY ACCESSIBLE TRAIN AND BUS STOPS IN THE CITY CENTRE
LOW LEVEL OF ACCESSIBILITY
The crossing between Hay Street
and Belmore Park is broken into
many pieces.
The pedestrian connection be-
tween Hyde Park and Queen
Square is missing.
WELCOME TO SYDNEY
The general streetscape of Sydneys City Centre is at present
not laid out to accomodate people with special needs;
people in wheelchairs, the elderly, parents with prams
or toddlers or people carrying heavy burdens such as
suitcases or boxes.
MORE CAN BE DONE
While signicant improvements to the accessibility of the
Citys services and facilities have been achieved in recent
years, there is still much more that can and should be
done; upgrade of paving with even surface and kerb ramps,
improving busy pedestrian crossings with broader marked
crossings, prevent cluttered footpaths and provide more
easily accessible train and bus stops.
Lack of drop kerbs. Access for
wheelchairs, prams or suitcases
is limited because of missing
facilities.
The old footpaths are characterised
by a poor level of maintenance and
a variety of materials.
George Street
The pedestrian connection between
the City Centre and Millers Point is
of poor quality.
Kent Street underpass
THE PEOPLE 61
1 0
54
38
7
0-6 7-14 15-30 31-64 >65
Age
Dixon Street
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
2 0
64
31
3
0-6 7-14 15-30 31-64 >65
Age
George Street
2 2
51
43
3
0-6 7-14 15-30 31-64 >65
Age
Circular Quay
2 1
57
37
3
0-6 7-14 15-30 31-64 >65
Age
Pitt Street Mall
LOW DIVERSITY IN AGE AND GENDER
Age and gender surveys were performed in the summer and
winter 2007 on a selection of streets to determine how the public
realm is used by males and females and different age groups.
The selected streets and places were Circular Quay, Dixon Street,
George Street (Bathurst /Wilmot) and Pitt Street Mall.
11AM - MIDMORNING
Children (0-14 years) had their peak presence at this time of
day. The children were mostly found at Circular Quay.
Young people (15-30 years) constitute 51% of all pedestrians
at 11am. The lowest number of young people was registered at
Circular Quay.
The group of elderly is best represented at 11am where seniors
(above 65 years of age) make up 20% of all pedestrians on
Dixon Street. At this hour the elderly avoid the overcrowded
situation which arises later in the day.
9PM - EVENING
Children (0-14 years) have disappeared from all streets.
Young people (15-30 years) are the most dominant. Of all
pedestrians on Pitt Street Mall 68% are between 15 and 30
years. At 9pm this group is dominated by young males (39%).
The elderly (> 65 years) are absent.
WHO ARE THE PEOPLE USING SYDNEYS CITY CENTRE
The average of all people recorded on a summer weekday on
Circular Quay, Pitt Street mall, George Street and Dixon Street.
Children (0-14 years): 3%
Young people (15-30 years): 57%
Middle-aged (30-65 years): 37%
Elderly (> 65 years): 3%
The survey illustrates a City Centre primarily inhabited by young
people. Children and the elderly are poorly represented.





ABSENT USER GROUPS
AGE DISTRIBUTION IN THE CITY CENTRE
Recordings made on a summer weekday at Circular Quay, Pitt Street
Mall, George Street and Dixon Street. The graphs show the average
age distribution between 11am - 9pm at each recording place.
THE PEOPLE 62
SURVEY OF STATIONARY ACTIVITIES
As part of an estimate of the usage and role of the different
public spaces, a stationary activity survey was undertaken in a
selection of public spaces.
The survey registers the number of people staying in each place
in the following categories: - those who are standing, sitting,
or lying down as well as those who are engaged in cultural or
commercial activities, such as vendors and street artists or
children playing.
The survey records both the number of stationary activities over
a 10-hour period, as well as the distribution and type of activity.
A high number of people engaged in stationary activities
tell a story of a city with popular and inviting public spaces.
Stationary activities were recorded in 23 locations in the City
Centre between 10am and 8pm.
In the period between 12am and 4pm there was an average of
9115 activities.
People sitting on public benches: 22%
People sitting at outdoor cafes: 30%
People standing: 26%
Children playing: 0,05%
The illustration is showing the average number of activities
found between 12pm and 4pm on a selection of the surveyed
locations. Or in another way: If an aerial photo of the selected
space was taken at any time between 12pm and 4pm this is the
number of persons which is likely to be found in the photo.

STATIONARY ACTIVITIES
MOST POPULAR SPACES
Circular Quay and Hyde Park are the
main places for stationary activity. The
dominant activity being cafe visits or
sitting on secondary seating. Other
destinations are approximately half
or less of what can be found in these
two places.
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
302
219
403
526
678
390
1685
494
1217
340
598
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STATIONARY ACTIVITIES
Average gures of selected spaces in the period between
12am and 4pm on a summer weekday.
Physical activities
Cultural activities
Commercially active
Lying down
Secondary seating
Sitting on cafchairs
Sitting on benches
Standing
Surveyed public spaces
spending time in the city
Date: Tuesday the 20
th

of March 2007
Time: 10am to 20pm
Weather: sunny, 27
0
c
THE PEOPLE 63
FEW CHILDREN
When we look at Sydney and the users of the city there are
some user groups which are not present, children and senior
citizens. Virtually no children were observed along several
popular routes in the city centre. The low number of children
and senior residents points towards accessibility issues.
During School Holiday periods many children and their carers
are either shopping or on the way to various museums or
programmed holiday activities. What is missing however is
a City Centre public space that is attractive to children and
encourages children and carers to enjoy the public life of the
city.
The city has a low quality pedestrian environment and few
possibilities for staying activities. The streets in the city centre
are not pleasant to walk in with children or as a disabled. There
are many narrow streets, a lot of fast and noisy trafc and in
addition to that there are very few recreational facilities.
FEW PLAYGROUNDS
Children playing are very seldom found in the Sydney City
Centre. The only places where children were playing was
recorded in Hyde Park and at Circular Quay and the only public
playground is outside the study area in Darling Harbour. The
public spaces are generally surrounded by trafc and parents
do not let their children loose to play.
Sydney Aquarium
and Wildlife World Sydney Tower
Sydney Museum
The Mint museum
Cook & Philip
Park pool
Australian Museum
Hyde Park Barracks
Sega World and
Australian Outback Centre
Tumbalong Park
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
School children on excursion in the City Centre.
Druitt Street
FEW FACILITIES FOR CHILDREN
FACILITIES FOR CHILDREN IN THE CITY CENTRE
Playground
Paid childrens activity
Library
SUMMARY
Only one playground is offered in the
entire City Centre.
THE PEOPLE 64
PATTERNS OF USE
Stationary activities recorded at Martin Place.
Recorded: Tuesday 20
th
of March 2007
The rest of the survey is presented in the appendix report:
Public Life Data - Sydney 2007
Role in the city: Iconic space with a strong identity.
Function: A place to walk through and where people take a break. An open urban
oor offering space for a wide variety of activities. Major event space, especially the
western part.
Appearance: A formal public space with several large and passive edges.
Martin Place is a well visited space with a high use rate nearly all day. Highest use rate
is found from lunchtime and onwards. The types of activity here are of a varied nature
but mostly people stop for resting on the public benches, for socializing or for caf/
bar visits. Evening activities decrease to half of the day time activity and Martin Place
is not part of the night scene in Sydney, but is merely used as a passage route to other
destinations.
The map above shows where the stationary activities take place throughout a summer
weekday.
STATIONARY ACTIVITY USE PATTERN DURING A SUMMER WEEKDAY Scale 1 :2000
(Accumulation of 6 recordings carried out on a summer weekday between 10am and 8pm.)
Where stationary activity was recorded.
0
50
100
150
200
250
Time
10 am 12 am 2 pm 4 pm 6 pm 8 pm
116
198
220
180
178
100
N
u
m
b
e
r

o
f

p
e
r
s
o
n
s
Cultural activities
Commercially active
Lying down
Secondary seating
Sitting on cafchairs
Sitting on benches
Waiting for transport
Standing
Sitting on folding chairs
martin place
P
i
t
t

S
t
r
e
e
t
C
a
s
t
e
l
r
e
a
g
h

s
t
r
e
e
t
E
l
i
z
a
b
e
t
h

s
t
r
e
e
t
P
h
i
l
l
i
p

S
t
r
e
e
t
M
a
c
q
u
a
r
i
e

S
t
r
e
e
t
G
e
o
r
g
e

S
t
r
e
e
t
THE PEOPLE 65
0
50
100
150
200
Time
N
u
m
b
e
r
o
f
p
e
r
s
o
n
s
10 am 12 am 2 pm 4 pm 6 pm 8 pm
31
78
85
56
94
179
0
50
Time
N
u
m
b
e
r
o
f
p
e
r
s
o
n
s
10 am 12 am 2 pm 4 pm 6 pm 8 pm
20
39
20
12
7
2
Stationary activities recorded at Dixon Street.
Recorded: Tuesday 20
th
of March 2007
The rest of the survey is presented in:
Public Life Data - Sydney 2007
Stationary activities recorded at Farrer Place.
Recorded: Tuesday 20
th
of March 2007
The rest of the survey is presented in:
Public Life Data - Sydney 2007
Role in the city: An anonymous space.
Function: A place to pass by and take a break.
Appearance: Small public space surrounded by passive edges in terms of primarily
ofce buildings.
Farrer Place is not a place where many people choose to spend time. This space
is mainly used as a lunchtime plaza or for a smoking break by ofce employees
in the area. The main activity is people sitting eating their packed lunch on the
public benches. As such, the use rate falls after 2pm. It is a fairly quiet place and
the use pattern is very low.
Role in the city: Lively city destination.
Function: Many restaurants and shops that attract visitors.
Appearance: Friendly, relaxed and green street with a variety of activities. Fine
scale, small active units and active ground oor frontages.
Dixon Street is busy throughout the day, and experiences its peak in the evening,
when many people come to visit the many restaurants. The cafe chairs are
extensively used, while people also make use of the public benches.
dixon street farrer place
N
u
m
b
e
r

o
f

p
e
r
s
o
n
s
N
u
m
b
e
r

o
f

p
e
r
s
o
n
s
Cultural activities
Commercially active
Secondary seating
Sitting on cafchairs
Sitting on benches
Waiting for transport
Standing
THE PEOPLE 66
FEW SEATS ON PUBLIC BENCHES
Resting is an integral part of pedestrian activity patterns. Good
seating opportunities give people the option to rest in order
to be able to walk further and enjoy public life and the hustle
and bustle of the city.
Apart from the number of public benches other parameters
are important in order to provide good quality possibilities for
resting. Evidence shows that the seating most used is of good
quality, has a nice view, sufcient shade, and most importantly
is located close to important pedestrian links.
Good, comfortable seating placed in the right locations
provide visitors with a rest and an opportunity to stay longer
contributing to a more lively city.
LACK OF PUBLIC BENCHES
Sydney is not a pedestrian city. People do not walk for pleasure
and it is very difcult to nd a nice quiet public space to sit
down and enjoy city life. There is a lack of public seats along
the most frequented routes, forcing people either do without
a rest or to seek some kind of secondary seating such as stairs,
ledges, monuments or directly on the pavement.
Sydney with 15.000 residents in the city centre as well as
signicant numbers of workers (220.000) and visitors (350.000
daily visitors) has approximately the same amount of benches
as Copenhagen with 7.500 residents in the city centre (1.3 mio.
in the metropolitan region).
FEW PUBLIC BENCHES
SUMMARY
Public benches have been placed in
selected popular spaces and are not
part of a general street program.
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
1-4 seats
5-14 seats
15-29 seats
30-49 seats
50+ seats
SEATS ON PUBLIC BENCHES IN THE CITY CENTRE
1.400 seats on public benches in the City Centre
There is a lack of public seating along all the
streets in the City Centre.
Druitt Street
(
1
.
1
5
0
.
0
0
0
m
2
)
(
1
.
5
7
5
.
0
0
0
m
2
)
(
1
.
2
5
0
.
0
0
0
m
2
)
C
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2
0
0
5
1
.
3
8
0

s
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2
0
0
2
1
.
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0

s
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0
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1
.
5
6
0

s
e
a
t
s
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p
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l
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b
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s

inner city area 1-2 km
2

(
2
.3
0
0
.
0
0
0
m
2
)
(
2
.
2
0
0
.
0
0
0
m
2
)
S
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2
0
0
7

1
.
4
0
0

s
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a
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p
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M
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2
0
0
4
3
.
3
8
0

s
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a
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s
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n
p
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l
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b
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n
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h
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s

inner city area 2-3 km
2

COMPARISON:
Number of public benches
THE PEOPLE 67
RECREATIONAL CITY LIFE
The culture of outdoor cafe life has developed rapidly in many
countries around the world. This has signicantly changed
the usage patterns of city centres. Today summer activities
are of a much more recreational nature. Drinking coffee is an
uncomplicated way of combining several attractions; to be
outdoors, enjoy pleasant views and the ever present amusement
of watching people pass by.
QUANTITY OF OUTDOOR SERVING AREAS
Generally there is a lack of outdoor serving areas in the City
Centre. There are approx. 11 outdoor serving areas along the 2.5
km George Street from Central Station to Circular Quay and there
are no outdoor serving areas along Pitt Street Mall and very few
on Pitt Street.
Sydney has 5.410 outdoor serving areas compared to
Copenhagen which has 7.000 outdoor serving areas or 29%
more than Sydney.
TOO MUCH TRAFFIC NOISE
The high noise and the trafc pollution in the streets of the city
centre does not invite for staying activities. It makes people
seek away from the noisy streets - people move up, inside or
under ground. For instance in the underground arcade at Town
Hall is around 670 caf chairs and at Australia Square is around
400 caf chairs placed inside the block. This does not enrich
public street life.
SUMMARY
In general the retail district is
undersupplied with outdoor serving
areas. There are many small lunch time
cafes in the western part of the city
and in the business district - which is
characterized by daytime offers - most
of the cafes close in the afternoon.
THE NUMBER OF OUTDOOR SERVING AREAS IN THE CITY CENTRE
5.410 seats at outdoor cafees
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
1-24 seats
24-49 seats
50-99 seats
100+ seats
(
1
.
1
5
0
.
0
0
0
m
2
)
(
1
.
5
7
5
.
0
0
0
m
2
)
(
1
.
2
5
0
.
0
0
0
m
2
)
7
.
0
0
0

s
e
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s
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s

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2
0
0
5
3
.
4
4
0

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2
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2
0
0
5
inner city area 1-2 km
2

(
2
.3
0
0
.
0
0
0
m
2
)
(
2
.
2
0
0
.
0
0
0
m
2
)
S
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2
0
0
7

5
.
4
1
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5
.
3
8
0

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a
f
e
s

M
e
l
b
o
u
r
n
e

2
0
0
4
inner city area 2-3 km
2
COMPARISON:
Number of outdoor cafes
OUTDOOR CAF SEATS
THE PEOPLE 68
MICRO-CLIMATE
SYDNEY HAS EXCELLENT CLIMATE CONDITIONS
Sydney enjoys the most enviable climate conditions, being
at the southern hemisphere with only glimpses of real winter
and glimpses of extremely hot summers. Most days the
weather is fair and the average temperature is somewhere
around 20 degrees celsius. This creates excellent conditions
for a thrieving public life where the most can be made of
what the city has to offer.
What is currently derailing the micro-climate (the sun and
wind conditions at ground level) is the fact that tall buildings
have been built in sometimes very unfortunate locations,
leading to public space being deprived of sun and instead
turned into windswept, overshadowed spaces. This is the
fact in many of Sydneys squares and streets where it is quite
dark and gloomy, compared to eg. the sunlit waterfront.
Below is shown the current sun access planes, in terms of
which areas are to be protected from further overshadowing.
What is striking is that none of the most important public
spaces in Sydney are covered by these sun access planes.
Neither Martin Place, George Street or Pitt Street are covered.
These are some of the most central locations used by a
number of people everyday and would be obvious locations
for strengthening the conditions for public life.
The Barangaroo site where sun access is also very important
in order to create successful public spaces by the water is
equally not included.
SUMMARY
Sun access planes for the City Centre.
HEARING AND TALKING IN THE CITY
NOISE - NEGATIVE IMPACT
Noise is an unpleasant factor in the street environment. Too much
noise creates an uneasy and stressful environment, restricting
talking, listening and social events. Different noise levels give
different opportunities for public life to evolve.
TOO MUCH NOISE
Sydney has tremendous noise levels in most streets and squares
where the pleasure of promenading, resting and engaging in
conversation is deeply affected.
George Street, with its more than 70 dbA during the day gives
hardly any possibilities for engaging in conversation. Even resting
in this trafc environment appears to be less attractive. Similar
noise levels are recorded in the other study streets, with buses
as the main offenders as they halt and accelerate.
SUMMARY
Streets affected by high levels of noise.
Noise levels are measured in dbA.
Sound levels double for every 8 dbA.
68 dbA is twice as loud as 60 dbA,
and 76 dbA is four times as loud as 60
dbA etc. A spot survey of noise levels
carried out on an ordinary weekday
between 10am - 12pm reveals that
noise levels frequently rise to high
levels.
70 -75 dbA
A stressful trafc environment.
Talking and listening becomes
hard if not impossible.
George Street
60 - 65 dbA
A more peaceful environment.
Good possibilities for
communicating with others.
Macquarie Square
Streaks of sun in overshadowed streets.
Pitt Street
Sunlit buildings - overshadowed public space.
MLC Centre, Martin Place
THE PEOPLE 69
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
SPLIT LEVEL RECREATION
UNATTRACTIVE STREET ENVIRONMENTS
When studying recreational patterns in Sydney it becomes
obvious that streets have their deciencies in terms of
working as social meeting places where recreation can
happen alongside the general movement pattern.
There are several problems to be overcome. The most
overriding is that space is limited, noise levels are high and
the general level of maintenance and cleanliness appears to
be low. Thus streets are not looked upon as attractive public
spaces to linger in.
UNDERGROUND, ABOVE GROUND AND INSIDE BLOCKS
Because of the detoriating street environment people have
found alternative places to be and gradually establishments
have started appearing in larger numbers away from
the street. A whole network of through-block, in-block,
underground and aboveground establishments have
developed, generally detracting public life from the streets.
Few public benches and a varying quality in the outdoor
spaces further sparks this trend.
As such the streets of Sydney are derived of many of their
essential purposes and are merely used as trafc corridors.
LOW LEVEL OF STATIONARY ACTIVITIES
The survey work has displayed a surprising lack of activities
in the City Centre. However when studies are made as to how
much goes on underground and inside blocks the pattern is
somewhat changed. There is a general tendency of people
visiting establishments away from the streets either because
it is convenient, close to train stations, or it is considered a
better alternative to the few serving areas in streets.
People seek recreation away from the noisy
streets in the underground, above ground or in
inside block establishments.
Street level
Underground
COMPARISON OF
STATIONARY ACTIVITIES
AT STREET LEVEL AND
UNDERGROUND
Between 12am and 1pm on a
winter weekday.
On a winter weekday more
than one third of all recreational
activities at lunchtime take place
underground in foodcourts and
in underground arcades.
Underground
Street level
61%
39%
5.690
plazas inside blocks or at upper level
private arcades
underground arcades
ARCADES
THE PEOPLE 70
GREAT FOR PARTIES...
Event spaces
Event routes
EXTENSIVE EVENT CALENDAR
Sydney enjoys a large variety of events during the year
engaging residents and visitors in common celebrations
which strenghtens the bonds and raises the affection for the
city. The Olympics in 2000 was a peak event where Sydneys
many residents proudly presented their city to the rest of the
world.
Events cover numerous topics as Sydney Festival, Mardi
Gras, Chinese New Year, Christmas Parade, Anzac Day, Art
and About and many others. The number of events tend to
increase at Christmas time with the lowest periods being
April, July and September.
ACTIVATING LARGE PARTS OF THE CITY
The large festivals mainly take place at the waterfront, in
the Domain, The Botanical Gardens and Hyde Park where
enough space is found for the various activities.
The public spaces in the city are also used and Martin Place
is especially popular in terms of events and parades.
Parades and demonstrations tend to choose the main street
and the most frequently used streets and squares to achieve
as much attention as possible.
As such George Street is a natural choice for the majority of
all parades as it links key destinations, as eg. Central Station,
Town Hall, Martin Place, Circular Quay and the Rocks.
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE IS A FAVOURITE DESTINATION FOR MANY PEOPLE AND AS SUCH A POPULAR PLACE FOR EVENTS AND PARTIES.
Australia Open is shown at a widescreen here getting thousands of people together to watch something outdoors with other dedicated fans. This is far more
interesting than watching the games on television as the experience of being together with other people is far more interesting.
Mardi Gras Parade
St Patricks Day
Sydney Harbour Week
Greek Festival
City Night Market
Sydney FilmFestival
Darling Harbour Jazz Festival
Sydney Good Food and Wine
Show
JJune
ANZAC Day
Indonesian Festival
City Night Market
Chinese New Year Festival
City Night Market
Australia Day
Open Air Cinema
Jazz in the Domain
Symphony in the Domain
Sydney festival
Chinese New Year Festival
City Night Market
JJanuary February March April
Mothers day
Classic fun run
May Day
Sorry Day
Half Maraton
Jadeworld Carnival
City Night Market
May
THE CALENDAR SHOWS A REPRESENTATIVE SELECTION OF THE RECURRING EVENTS HELD IN 2007
THE PEOPLE 71
JJuly
Live Earth
Reserve Forces Day
Sydney International Boat
Show
Sydney Fashion Festival
City to Surf
Long Tan Day
August
Armenian Festival
September October
Art and About
Hyde Park Night Noodle
Market
Sydney Food & Wine Fair
Christmas Concert & Tree
Lighting
Sydney Christmas Parade
African Festival
Markets by Moonlight
Remembrance Day
November
Darling Harbour Christmas
Carols in the Domain
DJs Christmas Concert Hyde
Park
Summer Gay Day
Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
New Years Eve Darling
Harbour
New Years Eve celebration
Moonlight Cinema
December
...BUT NOT FOR EVERYDAY LIFE
PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IN DRUITT STREET
Everyday thousands of people leave the city during the evening peak. Their walks through the city are constantly obstructed by street clutter, trafc to minor
side streets or by extensive long waits at trafc signals.
A UNIQUE WATERFRONT CITY
The analysis section has pointed towards a number of
potentials. The overriding being the wonderful and unique
natural setting in Port Jackson. Few other cities can boast of
such a world class location.
Over time this unique location has proved not always to be a
plus but also to be problematic. When the harbour, the water
and the nature is so beautiful, why bother with the city. And
so the city has been a victim of neglect.
With the introduction of motor cars this process of neglecting
the outdoor spaces in the city has been accelerated. Finding
space for vehicular trafc has been at the cost of public space
which has been severely suffering from a gradual reduction
in quality. Todays situation represents a city choked in trafc
and with a tilted trafc balance, where transport modes such
as cycling and walking have been neglected.
PROBLEMS IN THE PEDESTRIAN LANDSCAPE
Pedestrians have been the big losers in the present street
layout. Too little space is being offered and generally the
priority on walking is extremely low.
1. Low level of accessibility
2. Unacceptable long waiting times at intersections
3. Push buttons at every intersection
4. Unacceptable short periods for crossing streets
5. Narrow footpaths
6. No benches along primary walking links
7. Low attractivity of walking routes
8. Unacceptable noise levels
9. Abrupt crossings /pedestrian islands
10. High speed trafc
11. Uninviting street layouts
12. Street clutter obstructing walking links
13. Poor footpath amenities
14. Continuous inactive ground oor frontages
15. Lack of safety at night
16. Missing links between key destinations
RECOMMENDATIONS
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
a better city for walking
Develop an attractive pedestrian environment.
Large scale
Create a connected pedestrian network.
Establish strong links between public transport and a
pedestrian network.
Medium scale
Accessibility to public place, squares and parks should
be provided for all people.
Introduce differentiated street types that identify a
hierarchy of vehicle and pedestrian network.
Introduce new car free streets.
Introduce a set of primary walking links.
Cut down the number of intersections.
Create safer, more generous crossing opportunities.
Small scale
Widen footpaths where appropriate.
Introduce more public benches.
Introduce health and walk-to-work campaigns.
Improve legibility of the public domain through better
signage and reduction of clutter.
a waterfront city
Celebrate Sydney as an unique waterfront city
Large scale
Increase access and views to the waterfront.
Ensure an integrated and urban development at
Barangaroo.
Re-integrate Darling Harbour with the city fabric.
Medium scale
Complete the Harbour Foreshore walk.
Upgrade the current waterfront squares.
Create new places by the water.
Small scale
Celebrate the Tank Stream.
Reinforce Sydney as the Harbour City through the use
of water features in the City Centre.
Create public art which refers to the water.
a green connected city
Develop a green and sustainable identity
Large scale
Strengthen the sustainable dimension.
Create a strong green connected network of parks, green
squares, green streets and laneways. Link them to the
water.
Medium scale
Continue the street tree planting.
Use street tree planting to enhance unique identity and
improve pedestrian environment.
Improve entrances and interfaces with the city parks.
Small scale
Introduce portable green.
Continue programs of portable green and colour - Living
Colour.
Run green campaigns to promote sustainability.
RECOMMENDATIONS 74
40 km/h
ZONE
0
a strong public transport city
Develop a strong, simplied and easily read surface
public transport system
Large scale
Introduce a North-South pedestrian spine and dedicated
public transport street with no vehicular trafc in the
long term.
Create a system of dedicated city routes and dedicated
suburban routes.
Place all major interchanges and any layovers at the
periphery of the City Centre.
Introduce a sustainable transport system - no fumes, no
noise, green energy.
Medium scale
Upgrade interchanges.
Small scale
Introduce an information count-down system.
Introduce a common ticketing system.
Introduce campaigns to raise the quality image of public
transport.
a trafc calmed city
Develop a balanced trafc culture where the various
transport modes are given equal importance.
Large scale
Develop a plan for a freeway trafc outside the City
Centre.
Encourage relocation of parking structures to the
periphery of the City Centre.
Demolish the Western Distributor in the long term.
Medium scale
Cut off all access /exit ways to the Western Distributor.
Cut east /west links in the City Centre.
Introduce a 40 km/h speed limit in the City Centre.
Small scale
Reduce on street parking.
Review pricing of on street parking.
a better city for cycling
Develop a strong cycling culture.
Large scale
Create an overall, connected cycling network.
Ensure strong connections with cycle routes in the
suburbs.
Ensure a strong integration with public transport.
Medium scale
Develop a system of safe, dedicated cycle lanes.
Introduce cycle lanes between footpaths and on street
parking and carriageways.
Small scale
Introduce cycling campaigns to raise awareness and to
promote the benets of cycling.
RECOMMENDATIONS 75
a strong city identity
Develop a central spine of one main street and
three signicant squares.
Large scale
Take vehicular trafc out of George Street.
Install sustainable, clean and silent public transport
on George Street.
Improve connection of the city to the harbour at Circular Quay,
in the long term; Remove the Cahill Expressway at Circular
Quay and tunnel the train station at Circular Quay.
Medium scale
Upgrade Circular Quay as a major public square.
Create a new Town Hall Square.
Upgrade Belmore Park and Railway Square.
Upgrade and activate the Laneways.
Upgrade urban space and squares along George Street.
Small scale
Ensure a high quality public art programme for the central
spine and the three squares.
Create a sense of unity along George Street.
Create subtle historical and visual links between the squares
and the main street.
an inviting streetscape
Develop a strong hierarchy of signicant public spaces.
Large scale
Develop a City Centre public space improvement strategy.
Characterise types of streets and squares that provide a
variety of settings and activities.
Develop a staged implementation plan.
Retain and enhance the urban ne grain.
Medium scale
Initiate urban design competitions.
Better signage and reduction of clutter.
Create play environments for children.
Small scale
Introduce public art strategies that promote art in the
streets and public realm of Central Sydney.
Develop lighting schemes for specic spaces.
Introduce a wide range of types of greenery.
Ensure inclusive access to public spaces.
Develop a multifunctional city with a close integration
between various functions.
Large scale
Identify a zone for mixed use.
Develop a policy for gradual mixed use.
Support liquor licencing reform to encourage diverse small
bars and venues.
Medium scale
Ensure an accessible city for all.
Ensure more active, attractive and transparent street
frontages.
Encourage and promote activation of laneways.
Small scale
Arrange festivals spurring new initiatives and partnerships
across common borders.
Develop campaigns to highlight the problems of a mono-
functional city.
a diverse, inclusive and lively city
RECOMMENDATIONS 76
OVERVIEW OF RECOMMENDATIONS
an attractive public realm
capitalise on the amenities
a 21
st
century trafc system
A DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE AND LIVELY CITY AN INVITING STREETSCAPE A STRONG CITY IDENTITY
A STRONG PUBLIC TRANSPORT CITY A BETTER CITY FOR CYCLING A BETTER CITY FOR WALKING A TRAFFIC CALMED CITY
A GREEN CONNECTED CITY A WATERFRONT CITY
40 km/h
ZONE
0 100 200 300
RECOMMENDATIONS 77
RECOMMENDATIONS 78
DEVELOP A CONNECTED FORESHORE WALK AND UPGRADE THE ADJOINING
STREETS AND SQUARES. ENSURE A STRONG CONNECTION BETWEEN THE
WATER AND THE CITY.
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
SUMMARY
Harbour Foreshore Walk
Interpretation element:
Tank Stream
Important waterfront squares
Barangaroo and Darling Harbour
Important links to the water
CREATE A CONNECTED WATERFRONT
In partnership with Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority
and other State Government Agencies advance the
development of a continuous and interesting Harbour
Foreshore Walk from Glebe to Woolloomoolloo.
Ensure interesting experiences along the waterfront.
Celebrate the water squares.
Celebrate Circular Quay and Opera House Forecourt as
natural gathering places in a harbour city.
Reinforce Sydney as the Harbour City through the
integration of water features in the public realm including
further interpretation and acknowledgement of the Tank
Stream.
ESTABLISH LINKS BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE WATER
Improve links between the city and the water physically
and visually. Create interesting end points at the water
like bridges, artwork, cafes or recreational facilities.
INTEGRATE DARLING HARBOUR WITH THE CITY
Create a more extrovert Darling Harbour by improving the
interface between Darling Harbour and the city. Upgrade
frontages and integrate Darling Harbour with the general
street structure.
Together with Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority assess
the feasibility of creating an expanded city park at Darling
Harbour that provides a strong integration between the
city, the water and Darling Harbour development.
Advocate a rethink on Darling Harbour to a multi-
functional area, eg. by supplementing the area with
dwellings and city functions.

CAPITALISE ON THE AMENITIES

a waterfront city
Water jets offering fun for everybody.
Brnshj Torv, Denmark
toolbox
Art installation in the pavement telling the
story of the Tank Stream.
Sydney
Paving stones with light a memory of
water.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Water stream in a pedestrian street.
Freiburg, Germany
Water fountain on Place Pompidou.
Paris, France
Waterwall installation.
Melbourne, Australia
A simple water feature creates a quiet
retreat.
Thorvaldsens Plads, Copenhagen,
foreshore walk
tank stream
points of activity
water squares
Mist from the many jets of water sparks
the imagination, especially for children.
Solbjerg Plads, Copenhagen
A unied and continuous paving should
dominate the Foreshore Walk. The paving
should be of high quality and must ensure
accessibility for all user groups.
Denmark
A waterfront square with a permanent
pavilion for different uses like music and
theatre performances or just for shade on
a sunny day.
Hudson River Park, New York, US
Street furniture covering benches, lamp
posts, rubish bins etc. should all be well
coordinated from a design point of view.
Vejle, Denmark
Create squares along the Foreshore Walk
with different experiences and activity.
Like pearls on a string.
Bo01, Malm, Sweden
Create direct access to the water by ramps
or steps and give people opportunity to
touch the water and perform a multitude
of activities on the water.
Bo01, Malm, Sweden
A skateboard ramp could be one of many
different activities at the harbourfront.
Havneparken, Copenhagen, Denmark
A recreational pause by the water.
Bo01, Malm, Sweden
Activities on the water.
Havneparken, Copenhagen, Denmark
RECOMMENDATIONS 79
barangaroo
SUPPLEMENT TO THE CITY
Investigate how Barangaroo can
supplement Sydney;
What is Sydney lacking at the
moment? How can Barangaroo be
a valuable addition to the existing
and what special qualities should
it hold?
LINKS WITH THE SURROUNDINGS
Ensure strong connections with
the rest of the City Centre. Walking,
cycling and transport links are of
high importance. Ensure a high
level of continuation of existing
street grids and urban pattern.
Improve Hickson Road and Sussex
Street as important interfaces and
links to the city.
DENSE AND LOW
The buildings at Barangaroo ought
to hold a multi-functional mix,
within the buildings and within
the individual quarters. Ensure
passive surveillance by placing
residences low and in close
contact with public space. Avoid
tall buildings creating problems at
the micro-climatic level.
URBAN HARBOURFRONT
Given the extraordinary location of
Barangaroo in the middle of a large
metropolitan city, the waterfront
should be celebrated by an urban
formulated public space relating
to its highly urban situation.
A GREEN PARK
Celebrate the history of Sydney
by creating a green park at the
head. Link this park carefully with
the harbour front and with the
surrounding city areas.
BO01, WESTERN HARBOUR, MALM, SWEDEN
In 2001, Swedens International Housing Exhibition
provided the occasion to create a new urban settlement
on reclaimed industrial land. A tight, irregular internal
block layout protects inhabitants from strong and cold
sea winds. Most importantly this contributes to a sense of
human scale: delineating views and providing a sense of
intrigue and delight through a sequence of spaces. Clear
fronts and backs of housing blocks provide common
semi-private spaces for residents. The development is
energy-neutral, producing as much as it consumes, due
partly to alternative energy sources and energy efcient
design. Apartment buildings have been designed for
mixed use - the ground oor level of buildings has a
higher oor to ceiling height to allow easy conversion to
shops when and if the need arises. Balconies and bay-
windows are common throughout, providing good visual
connections and facilitating communication between
inhabitants and visitors as well as providing views to the
sea. Bo01 represents part of Malms transformation from
a depressed industrial city to a thrieving new multi-cultural
centre of knowledge and advancement.
BATTERY PARK CITY, NEW YORK
Battery Park City is a 90 acre (0.4 km) planned community
at the southwestern tip of Manhattan in New York City.
The neighborhood, which is the site of the World Financial
Center along with numerous housing, commercial and retail
buildings, is named for adjacent Battery Park. Battery Park
City is owned and managed by the Battery Park City Authority,
a public corporation that is not controlled by New York City.
From its inception, the dening vision for Battery Park
City was to create a physical space welcoming the diverse
people of New York City to work, shop, eat, play, relax,
and, most important, live. Battery Park City is now some
of the most scenic and engaging open space in New York
City, establishing an urban fabric of mixed uses that has
brought new life to lower Manhattan, sustaining it through
difcult and turbulent times. At the heart of its success is
the signicant open space component that has resulted in a
1.2 mile esplanade, over 30 acres of parks, and streets that
support active public participation in the life of the city.
AKER BRYGGE, OSLO, NORWAY
Aker Brygge was established in an abolished shipyard in
the middle of Oslo in the early eighties.
The area measures 260,000 m
2
and is an exciting quarter
and an good example on how to open up a city towards the
waterfront. The project took over 10 years to complete and
is today one of Oslos primary attractions. In the summer
months Aker Brygge is Oslos primary and most popular
meeting place, teeming with people both day and night.
More than 5,000 people live and work in the area. The
buildings are distinctive, with their combination of old,
venerable shipyard buildings and modern architecture. The
outdoor spaces are of high quality and a distinct design.
Careful consideration has been paid to the scale of the
area and on how to create human scale public space with
the best conditions for a ourishing public life.
RECOMMENDATIONS 80
Bo01, Western Harbour Malm, Sweden
Aker Brygge, Oslo, Norway
Battery Park City, New York
RECOMMENDATIONS 81
RECOMMENDATIONS 82
Parks
DEVELOP A GREEN NETWORK OF GREEN ROUTES AND GREEN SPACES LINK-
ING WITH THE PUBLIC SPACE AND THE PEDESTRIAN NETWORKS
The parklands consists of
many unlinked bits and
pieces cut up by the Cahill
Expressway and internal
thoroughfares.
There is a need for better
dened entrances and
gateways for city parks.
CAPITALISE ON THE AMENITIES
a green connected city
DEVELOP A SUSTAINABLE SYDNEY
Focus on sustainability and how Sydney can be a world
leader on sustainable issues.
Investigate how the city can be sustainable at a number
of levels relating to transport, energy use, green energy,
waste, recycling, water etc.
DEVELOP A GREEN CONNECTED SYDNEY
Create a strong connected green network of parks,
squares, streets and laneways. Ensure links to the water.
Use the street tree planting program to enhance unique
identity and improve the pedestrian environment.
CREATE A CONNECTED OPEN SPACE/ PARK NETWORK
Celebrate the main parks, the Domain and the Botanic
Gardens, as grand spaces and unied parklands that
connect with the water.
Extend the cover on the Eastern Distributor in the
Domain to unify the parklands.
Create strong links between the pedestrian network and
the entrances points to the Gardens and the Domain.
CELEBRATE HYDE PARK AS A GREEN LUNG
Progress implementation of the Hyde Park master plan.
Improve the interface between the park and the city by
upgrading the surrounding streets and connections into
the Park.
Create a strong link between Hyde Park, Cook and Phillip
Park and the Domain.

Link up green areas by

developing a network of
identiable green routes.
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
Hyde Park
Belmore Park
The Domain
Dawes Point Park
Sydney Observatory Hill
King George Memorial Park
Lang Park
Wynard Park
Jessie Street Garden
Macquarie Place Park
Darling Harbour Parks
Proposed Barangaroo
Royal Botanic Gardens
SUMMARY
Pedestrian network

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IMPROVE THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE PARKS
The streets outside the parks need to clearly signal a special status as park streets. Wide pavements, high quality
street furniture and lighting, beautiful paving and a calm trafc environment need to be standard elements where
the parks and the city meet. Below is illustrated an improved Park Street which seeks to downscale the separation
of the two parts of Hyde Park and serve as a high quality city street.

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STRENGTHEN THE INTERFACE
Strengthen the interface and connections into Hyde Park
by emphasizing and celebrating the entry points using
integrated identity elements like artwork, lighting and
landscaping.
Treat pedestrian connections to and from Hyde Park as
special greenways and establish safe passage routes
through the parks at night.
CREATE A DISTINCT STREET CHARACTER
There needs to be a distinct character where Park Street
dissects Hyde Park. The pavements along Park Street can at
this stretch be widened by removing on street parking.
Pavements can be used for public benches and for an urban
greenication of the streetscape quite different from what
is found inside the park.
PARK STREET
EXISTING SITUATION
1:400
PARK STREET
PROPOSED SITUATION
1:400
Let the paving tell stories.
Barcelona, Spain
Lights in trees give the area a special
feel during the day and at nights.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Host of Stars in the pavement.
Barcelona, Spain
Establish identity in terms of small
scale moveable green elements.
Place de la Bourse, Lyon, France
Crossings are manifested through the
paving materials.
Copenhagen
Sitting opportunities offering
passers-by a rest.
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Inviting edge with comfortable public
benches.
Lyon, France
Art installations can be used to
establish identity.
Melbourne
hyde park
RECOMMENDATIONS 83
RECOMMENDATIONS 84
THE FUTURE PEDESTRIAN NETWORK SHOULD INCLUDE THE MAIN STREETS
AND SQUARES AND CONNECT THE MOST IMPORTANT DESTINATIONS.
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
The Rocks
Circular Quay
Sydney Opera House
Martin Place
Domain
Pitt Street Mall
Hyde Park
Chinatown
Town Hall
Central Station
World Square
Pyrmont Bridge
Botanic Gardens
Barangaroo
King Street Wharf
A 21
ST
CENTURY TRAFFIC SYSTEM
a better city for walking
PEDESTRIAN NETWORK
Develop a unied pedestrian network of attractive walking
links.
Identify a hierarchy of vehicle and pedestrian street
types.
Create strong north /south connections and strong east
/west walking links that have high pedestrian priority.
Establish and sustain an enjoyable, safe and
interconnected pedestrian network for movement around
the city centre.
Create strong walking links to the surrounding city hubs.
Expand the retail heart by extending the system of
pedestrian streets and by linking the existing retail
streets.
Ensure inclusive access and accessible paths of travel to
allow all people to enjoy the city.
STRONG LINKS WITH OTHER TRANSPORT MODES
Create strong connections between public transport and
the pedestrian network.
Ensure strong connections between main parking stations
and the pedestrian network.
Promotion of pedestrians/ cyclists in the city. Conduct
Sunday car free days.
ATTRACTIVE WALKING ROUTES
Ensure high quality and attractive walking links
(visually and functionally)
Raise the level of experiences and accessibility along
walking routes.
Create new types of walking links through activated
building frontages and public art etc. which leave out
vehicular trafc and focuses on walking, cycling and
public transport.
Maintain visual links and view corridors for city
legibility.
Introduce a variety of sitting areas along the edge of the
pedestrian network in places where people can interact
or enjoy city views
UPGRADE INTERSECTIONS AND SAFETY
Minimize waiting time at intersections.
Minimize the number of pedestrian intersections on
attractive walking routes by providing cross overs which
carry pavement over minor side streets.
Remove push buttons.
Ensure safe walking links also at night.
Reduce occurrences of slip lanes.
Consider medians in streets to curb trafc and facilitate
safe pedestrian crossings.
Assess opportunities to tightening corner radius of
intersections by installing curb extensions to slow
turning drivers. eg Spring /Gresham Streets and Spring
/Loftus Streets.

Pedestrian street
Public transport, cycling and walking
Primary walking link
Destination
Foreshore walk
SUMMARY
DIRECT ACCESS
Improve pedestrian access by placing
crossings according to pedestrian
desirelines.
Copenhagen, Denmark
PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS
Timed pedestrian signals informing
pedestrians about waiting /crossing
time.
Copenhagen, Denmark
GROUND FLOOR FRONTAGES
Develop a program for upgrading frontages.
Develop campaigns to raise awareness
on the importance of transparent and
interesting ground oor frontages.
Vancouver, Canada
PAVING
Footpaths, laneways and car free streets
as aesthetic pleasures, indicating high
pedestrian priority and upgrading the
walking brand.
Bilbao, Spain
RESTING PLACES
Develop guidelines for installing more
public seating offering passers-by a rest
and helping the elderly and families with
kids. eg. benches /resting options per
250 m. Melbourne
SOFT EDGES
Encourage buildings with soft edges
inviting people to stand, to sit and to
enjoy public life from a comfortable
distance.
Copenhagen, Denmark
CROSSINGS AND SAFETY
The analysis section indicated the numerous
intersections that limit pedestrian movement and restrict
walking in the city. In general, intersections should
prioritise pedestrian and vehicle requirements equally.
Crossings that are easy to use and consistently designed
should replace the complicated crossings found in the
city today. The pedestrian signals should be better
timed so that pedestrians have a reasonable time to
cross, a minimum time to wait and nally the number of
intersections should be drastically reduced to increase
walking speeds.
ATTRACTIVE WALKING ROUTES
Straight forward interventions such as improving the
footpath itself by upgrading main routes with high
quality materials and paving will contribute signicantly
towards improving walking conditions in the city. But
other aspects of the public realm are also important in
achieving this aim. Soft edges and attractive ground oor
frontages form the important interface between buildings
and spaces. This zone needs to be carefully considered.
The needs of pedestrians in terms of places to rest and
the ability to lead conversations are also essential.
LIGHTING
Extend the smartpole system to cover
major streets. Introduce a more subtle and
poetic lighting program in the intimate
spaces. Esbjerg, Denmark
EXPERIENCES
At intervals the walking experience can
be enrichened by artwork, beautiful
urban spaces and squares or upgraded
laneways which add extra quality to the
walking experience.
Palais Royal, Paris, France
PEDESTRIAN NETWORK
An extensive pedestrian network consisting of
attractive walking routes, car free streets, pedestrian
priority streets, walking friendly boulevards etc. is key
to a successful city where walking is a competitive
transportation mode.
Links with public transport and major parking stations
need to be strengthened and explored.
A CONNECTED NETWORK
Develop an integrated pedestrian
network where attractive routes link
key destinations and major recreational
spaces, parks and squares.
CLEAR PASSAGE
Avoid unnecessary footpath interruptions
at minor side streets. Ensure that
footpaths stay clear of inconveniently
placed street furniture.
Gammel Kongevej, Copenhagen
CLEAR WAYFINDING
Well placed, easily read maps and
directions are crucial in guiding visitors.
An integrated way nding strategy should
be developed and put in place.
Town Hall, Sydney
EASY ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The pedestrian network should be rmly
linked to the public transport network
offering attractive places for waiting and
easily accessible platforms /stations.
Gteborg, Sweden
HIGH QUALITY FOOTPATHS
Widen footpaths when possible and
strengthen the green, in terms of street
trees or portable green.
Aalborg, Denmark
REDUCE NOISE LEVELS
Initiate a study which carefully looks into
the current levels of noise, where the
noise comes from and how the streets
can be substantially relieved from noise.
George Street, Sydney
CITY HISTORY
Continue the current tales of Sydneys
history on pavements, on plagues, in
squares etc.
Federation Square, Melbourne
FEW AND SHORT STOPS
Limit the number of intersections along
primary walking links. Reduce waiting
time to eg. max. 15% of total travel time.
Lyon, France
elements for a pedestrian friendly city
SQUARES
RECOMMENDATIONS 85
RECOMMENDATIONS 86
BICYCLE NETWORK
Develop a simple, easily read cycle system.
Ensure that cycle lanes are not under 1.5 m wide.
Do not leave any routes un-connected.
Establish a network integrated with public transport.
Place cycle lanes in desirable streets.
Introduce proper and secure cycle lanes, placed between
footpaths and parking. (Copenhagen /Melbourne model)
Highlight cycle lanes in intersections to raise awareness.
Provide safe crossings with dedicated cycle lights.
Ensure strong links with cycling routes in the suburbs.
BICYCLE PARKING
Introduce easily accessible and safe parking facilities.
Make bicycle parking facilities free of charge.
Ensure convenient locations for parking facilities
including bike rings attached to smart poles.
Develop a policy for bicycle parking in buildings.
Ensure of adequate cycle parking in current parking
structures.
Replace selected on street parking with cycle racks.
BICYCLE ADVANTAGES
Spoil them to lure them up on their bikes !!
Make cycling a desirable, alternative transport mode.
Introduce a 3 second head start at intersections.
Introduce green waves for cyclists.
BICYCLE CAMPAIGNS AND PROMOTIONS
Investigate viability for public bicycle hire schemes.
Introduce Ciclovias closing city streets during Sundays to
allow cyclists to make use of the City Centre.
Cycle festivals: Cycle in the park, Learn how to ride a
bike, Cycling children, Cycling grannys.
Info campaigns focusing at: Motorist awareness, Safety,
Cyclist behavior, Health and Sustainability.

0 100 200 300 400 500 m

Barangaroo
King Street
Woolloomooloo
William Street
Oxford Street
Glebe
Broadway
Hay Street
Park Street
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Pyrmont Bridge
North Sydney
Bridge Street
PROPOSED BICYCLE NETWORK
Dedicated cycle lanes
Public transport and cycling
Recreational routes
SUMMARY
A 21
ST
CENTURY TRAFFIC SYSTEM
a better city for cycling
ALL USER GROUPS
Invite all age groups to use the cycle lanes
by creating a safe and consistent system
and by ensuring that cycling becomes a
common mode of transport.
Copenhagen, Denmark
3 SECONDS HEAD START
Dedicated trafc signals for cyclists. Cycles
start three seconds before cars to allow
them to be seen in an intersection.
Copenhagen, Denmark
SAFE INTERSECTIONS
Cycle paths marked blue at major
intersections raise awareness of motorists.
Copenhagen, Denmark
SAFELY PLACED LANES
Cycle paths are clearly marked and placed
between parked cars and the footpath.
Swanston Street, Melbourne
INFORMATION ON ROUTES
A connected network of cycle routes
extending far into the surrounding
suburbs needs a consistent signage
program which ensures easy waynding.
Odense, Denmark
BICYCLE NETWORK
A consistent, connected bicycle network is essential
in establishing an attractive alternative to vehicular
trafc or public transport.
Once the network has reached a substantial quality
and size, cycling becomes a very attractive way of
moving between eg. home and work.
SAFETY
Increasing the level of safety is the essential thing in order
to get people up on their bikes. No half-hearted gestures,
but a thought through policy of simple, easily read and
successful safety means which effectively raises the level
of safety for cyclists.
As a side effect more cyclists will come along and a more
diverse cycling culture will take place, where it is not only
the young and brave, but also the grannies and their
grandchildren.
TURNING LANES
Dedicated turning lanes for cyclists so other
cyclists can pass without having to slow
down.
Copenhagen, Denmark
INFORMATION AND ADVANTAGES
Easing waynding for new cyclists and visitors are
equally important for cyclists as well as for pedestrians.
Estimating distances and proposing possible routes
are helpful elements.
In order to make cycling an attractive transport mode
and to increase travelling speeds, certain measures
need to be put into place where cyclists get advantages
easing their passage through the city.
A CONNECTED NETWORK
Establish a connected cycle network that
does not leave any routes unconnected and
ensures strong links with cycling routes in
the suburbs.
DEDICATED CYCLE LANES
Develop a simple, easily read cycle system
with dedicated cycle lanes in desirable
streets.
Copenhagen, Denmark
FREE AND ACCESSIBLE
Easy accessible bicycle parking
Odense, Denmark
BICYCLE PARKING
Bicycle parking has two sides. One side relates to the
cyclists need for a safe way of parking the bicycle at a
desirable distance from the end point of the journey.
Another side relates to the more aesthetic issues
where uncoordinated cycle parking can have a serious
downgrading effect on streets and squares, hamper
pedestrian passage and block entrances to eg. train
stations.
CYCLE RACKS INSTEAD OF CAR PARKING
Convert parking spots into bicycle parking
facilities.
Copenhagen, Denmark
CAR FREE- AND ONE WAY STREETS
Cycling can be permitted in both directions
in one way streets. Cycling can also be
permitted in car free streets at certain
times of the day.
Linz, Austria
PARKING POLICY
Develop a policy for bicycle parking in
buildings (New York has just introduced
such a legislation)
Copenhagen, Denmark
EASY ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Establish a cycle network integrated with
public transport and allow bicycles to be
taken onboard trains.
New York
elements for a bicycle friendly city
KEEPING TRACK
Counters at busy routes can register the
number of cyclists passing during the day
and year. The counter can also keep track
of previous years and thus constantly
updates the public on the development of
a cycling culture. Odense, Denmark
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Ensure convenient locations for park-
ing facilities at transport interchanges.
Copenhagen, Denmark
GREEN WAVES
Introduce green waves for riders riding 20
km/h to ease passage through the city.
Odense, Denmark
RECOMMENDATIONS 87
RECOMMENDATIONS 88
RETHINK AND SIMPLIFY SURFACE TRANSPORT
Develop a well integrated and well connected public
transport network to provide an alternative to cars.
First phase could be a simplied bus network which is
gradually replaced by light rail.
Investigate how underground train services can support a
simplied surface transport system.
In the long term reduce the number of bus routes to the
city centre.
Let metropolitan lines touch the periphery of the City
Centre and provide an alternative transport link within
the City Centre.
In the long term avoid bus layovers in the City Centre.
In the long term avoid major surface interchange facilities
in the City Centre - place them at the periphery.
Extend the existing light rail system by adding more lines
if possible to include the inner suburbs in a light rail net-
work in order to reduce trafc in the City Centre.
Provide 24 hour bus lanes to ease access for public
transport through the city.
More frequent running buses and trains. Introduce a 24
hour system with increased peak at evening and weekend
services.
Take down the monorail.
A DEDICATED CITY SYSTEM
Develop George Street as the most important public
transport route.
Investigate how a more environmentally sustainable
surface transport system can be developed.

Kings Cross
Kensington
Lilyfield
Leichhardt
Botany Bay
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Walsh Bay
Park Street
Liverpool Street
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
PROPOSED FUTURE PUBLIC TRANSPORT NETWORK IN THE CITY CENTRE SUMMARY
A 21
ST
CENTURY TRAFFIC SYSTEM
a strong public transport city
Lilyeld
Leichhardt
Kings Cross
Botany Bay/ Kensington
Train stations
PUBLIC TRANSPORT INTERCHANGES
Strong connections between the various
transport modes are an important suc-
cess criteria. Ensure that the city system
and the suburban system link up. Create
strong links between the underground
system and surface transport.
Lyon, France
ENSURE ACCESSIBILITY AT ALL LEVELS
Raise awareness on accessibility issues
and develop a policy for increasing the
number and placement of accessible
stops and stations as well as ensuring
easy access to trains, light rail or buses.
Strasbourg, France
a public transport friendly city
SURFACE TRANSPORT NETWORK
Simplify surface transport to facilitate a
trafc calmed City Centre. Let all suburban
routes terminate at the periphery of the
City Centre and allow only one route to
dissect the centre.
24 HOUR PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICE
24 hr lanes for buses ensure a frequent
running bus system. Extend service
into the evening /night to support city
functions.
Copenhagen
DEDICATED PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN THE
CITY CENTRE.
Introduce a simple one route system
maintaining George Street as a public
transport spine in the City Centre. Support
this route by free small scale service buses
as eg. in Perth.
Auckland, New Zealand
INFORMATION
An information pillar shows bus routes,
schedules as well as how many minutes
until the next bus.
Copenhagen
PUBLIC TRANSPORT INTERCHANGES
Ensure friendly and inviting public transport facilities by
improving the interface between streets and interchanges
/stations /bus stops.
A good quality pedestrian network is vital to achieve
a higher rate of public transport. Routes to and from
stations and terminals need to be clearly signed (and lit)
and provide comfortable walking paths to invite people to
use trains, lightrail or buses. Ensure when possible that
interchanges are overlooked by passers-by, residents or
other functions.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT NETWORK
Relieving the City Centre of noise and fumes is a strong
success criteria for any surface transport improvements.
Investigate how light rail or buses can provide a simplied,
attractive, silent and pollution free ground level public
transport supplementing the extensive rail network.
A future surface transport system should incorporate a
strong sustainable dimension.
Introduce a light rail or a simplied and rapid running bus
system with few routes, easy to understand and use.
Avoid bus layovers and major bus stops in the City
Centre by replacing major interchanges and layovers to
the periphery of the City Centre. Substitute the current
system with one dedicated city line.
Introduce dedicated 24 hr light rail/bus lanes, ensuring
a frequent running 24 hr public transport system with a
high evening and weekend coverage to support public
life activities outside peak periods.
ATTRACTIVE INTERCHANGES
High quality interchanges in terms of
light rail or bus stops, train stations and
ferry terminals are crucial in attracting
passengers. A number of possible
passengers tend to avoid dark and
deserted places at night, including
stations with grotty entrances or a run
down appearance.
Strasbourg, France
INTEGRATED TICKETING SYSTEM
Ensure that tickets and travel passes
are valid for any public transport mode
- buses, light rail or trains.
Copenhagen, Denmark
GEORGE STREET
Develop a new street type for pedestrians,
cyclists and public transport. Indirectly
this can effectively trafc calm George
Street.
Barcelona, Spain
RECOMMENDATIONS 89
RECOMMENDATIONS 90
40 km/h
ZONE
REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC IN THE CITY CENTRE
Investigate how trafc can be reduced in the City Centre.
Investigate how the present tunnels can be better
integrated and form a coherent system underneath the
city.
Remove all access and exit ways to the Western Distri-
butor.
Investigate how the Western Distributor in the long term
can be demolished to better connect the city and the
harbour.
Advocate for the long term removal of the Cahill
Expressway at Circular Quay and encourage all through
trafc to use the Harbour Tunnel.
Establish park and ride systems outside the City Centre
at key locations.
Reduce the capacity of inner city streets.
Reduce speed in general to 40 km/h.
Cut the majority of all east /west links in the City
Centre.
REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PARKING
Reduce the amount of parking in the City Centre.
Remove on street parking to off street locations.
Promote relocation of parking structures to the periphery
and ensure strong links with public transport.

0 100 200 300 400 500 m

40 40
LONG TERM CONCEPT TO REDUCE THROUGH TRAFFIC
Interrupt east-west trafc
Through trafc only (no exit/access ways to the Western Distributor
40 km/h zone
SUMMARY
A 21
ST
CENTURY TRAFFIC SYSTEM
a trafc calmed city
Expressway/Underground expressway
INTRODUCE SPEED LIMITS
Create a trafc calmed City Centre with a
drastically reduced amount of trafc and
a 40 km/h speed limit.
REDUCE PARKING
Investigate options to reduce the
amount of parking in the city centre
and establish parking structures at
the entry points to the City Centre.
REDUCE THROUGH TRAFFIC
Develop an underground vehicular route
outside the City Centre linking into the
regional road network and relieving the
city centre from unnecessary through
trafc.
CUT EAST /WEST TRAFFIC LINKS
Explore options to interrupt east /west
vehicular links to avoid cars driving
through the City Centre to reach
destinations which are really on the other
side of the city centre.
NO EXIT /ACCESS TO THE CITY CENTRE
Reduce the trafc ooding of the city
centre by removing access and exit ways
from the Western Distributor, thus dedi-
cating the Western Distributor to through
trafc only. In the long term aim to remove
the elevated road infrastructure.
a people friendly city
ESTABLISH NEW PARKING STRUCTURES
Introduce less space demanding and more
intelligent parking structures at entry
points to the City Centre.
Volkswagen, Wolfsburg, Germany
INFORMATION ON AVAILABLE PARKING
Parking info showing how many parking
spaces are free and in which structures
they are.
Svendborg, Denmark
CREATE A BETTER BALANCE BETWEEN THE
VARIOUS TRANSPORT MODES
Swanston Street, Melbourne
CREATE SAFE AND COMFORTABLE CITY
STREETS
Increase the general awareness of a
sustainable city where people need to
nd alternative transport modes.
Bourke Street, Melbourne
CONSTRAINTS ON VEHICULAR MOVEMENT
In order to improve the quality and vitality of the inner
city a reduction in vehicle trafc volumes needs to be
achieved. Through trafc with no business in the city
centre should be redirected to a tunnelled vehicular
route outside the City Centre.
INTRODUCE SPEED LIMITS
A speed restriction of 40 km/h should be introduced in
the City Centre. Lowered speed limits and general trafc
calming schemes will reinforce the perception of streets
being city streets and not thoroughfares.
CUT THE EAST /WEST TRAFFIC LINKS
Cut the east-west trafc links to avoid people shooting
through the City Centre to reach destinations at the other
side. Identify George Street as a dividing range for cross
town movement and allow only vehicular trafc at a few
east /west streets. Effectively the Cahill Expressway at
Circular Quay should be removed as the rst example of
this strategy.
NO ACCESS /EXIT FROM THE WESTERN DISTRIBUTOR
Avoid ooding the City Centre with cross-cutting trafc
by removing all access and exit ways to the Western
Distributor. Dedicate the Western Distributor to through
trafc only. On the long term the Western Distributor
ought to be demolished and replaced with a city street.
A CRITICAL LOOK AT PARKING
Reduce the amount of parking in the City Centre
drastically in order to control trafc coming into the City
Centre.
Reduce on street parking at desirable locations and
demolish existing public parking structures. Establish
new and modern parking structures at the entry points
to the City Centre and review pricing of on street parking.
Review planning controls to reduce car parking ratios in
connection with new developments.
40 km/h
RECOMMENDATIONS 91
RECOMMENDATIONS 92
George Street, Circular Quay, Town Hall Squre and the Central Station precinct
Squares
Pedestrian network
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
THE BEATING HEART
ONE MAIN STREET, THREE MAIN SQUARES AND
A NETWORK OF PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY STREETS
SUMMARY
A CENTRAL SPINE AND THREE SIGNIFICANT SQUARES
Create a central high quality walking link along George
Street linking three signicant squares - Circular Quay,
Town Hall Square and Railway Square.
GEORGE STREET AS THE MAIN STREET
Celebrate George Street as a natural main street linking
Central Station with Circular Quay and the Rocks.
Take private vehicular trafc out of George Street.
Create a combined public transport, walking and cycling
street.
CIRCULAR QUAY - WHERE THE CITY MEETS THE WATER
In the long term remove the Cahill Expressway.
Investigate options to tunnel Circular Quay train station.
Create a unied square from the buildings edge to the
water.
TOWN HALL SQUARE - A NEW MEETING PLACE
Upgrade the existing Sydney Square.
Expand across a trafc calmed George Street.
Develop a new civic square at the Woolworths site.
CENTRAL STATION - TURNING BACKSIDES INTO FRONTS
Simplify trafc movements to free up land for a unied
Railway Square.
Create a building edge along the railway embankment
in Belmore Park to activate the park.

AN ATTRACTIVE PUBLIC REALM

a strong city identity
GEORGE STREET
George Street at Town Hall Square served by a north /south going light rail line.
Credits: Cleveland Rose (base drawing) & Gehl Architects (photoshop rendering)
A STRONG CITY IDENTITY
george street
RECOMMENDATIONS 93
ESTABLISHING A CLEAR MAIN STREET
The vision is to provide a clear hierachy of north-south
streets with George Street as the preferred north-south
link - off which three key public squares; Circular Quay,
Sydney Square and Railway Square as well as the Martin
Place pedestrian precinct- and a number of smaller scale
urban public spaces - are connected.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT STREET
The trafc on George Street should be simplied and
changed into a public transport street with zones for public
transport, cyclists and pedestrians only. The street prole
should be narrowed down to 2 lanes dedicated to public
transport and 2 lanes for bicycles. A preferred option is
to investigate whether a light rail line could serve George
Street.
PEDESTRIAN ZONE
The pedestrian zone should be upgraded into an
attractive pedestrian environment with wide footpaths
and offer recreational and social activities along the street
with appealing street furniture and a safe and inviting
pedestrian environment. Pedestrians should be given
high priority throughout the street. As such the main
use - promenade walks - should be enhanced.
Footpaths need to be taken across all minor side
streets. The result will be a dignied city walk. Where
footpaths are taken across side streets, the pavement
needs to be widened and small oases can be created
where a tree and a bench can offer good possibilities
for resting.
A STRONG CITY IDENTITY
george street
VISION
George Street as the main street.
The grand retail strip with a wide variety of retail
and other functions on offer.
Vivacious and dynamic street with ne grain ground
oor frontages.
Attractive side streets, small urban spaces and
squares attached to George Street.
Footpaths taken across all minor side streets in
order to increase the pedestrian priority.
Planting on side streets and placing of public
benches could be a positive supplement.

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Benches offering passer-bys a rest have
been placed in connection to the nar-
rowed side street entries.
Gammel Kongevej, Copenhagen
Footpaths are taken across all side
streets giving pedestrians high
priority.
Gammel Kongevej, Copenhagen
GEORGE STREET
1:800
Light rail serving the city centre and used
as a trafc calming element.
Strassbourg, France
A complete lighting strategy for street
lights and shop lights.
Rue de la Republique,Lyon, France
Wide footpaths with room for benches
and street tree planting.
Swanston Street, Melbourne
Public Art as a signicant part of the
identity, telling the history of the
street.
Holmbladsgade, Copenhagen
RECOMMENDATIONS 94
Inviting and lively laneway
Brussels, Belgium
Art installation in a laneway
Melbourne, Australia
Laneway with a playful lighting.
Brighton, UK
Water, trees and a change in paving cre-
ate a peaceful pocket in a bustling city.
Paley Park, New York
A lively laneway with bars and art
installations
Bulletin Place, Sydney
URBAN SPACES AND SQUARES
The study area in Sydney is already a dense and compact
city centre. The city does however have a lot of under-
utilized corners and pockets especially along
George Street. If beautied, the spaces improve staying
opportunities and consequently the quality of public life,
providing a sense of repose and opportunities to linger
away from the hustle and bustle.
LANEWAYS
The Citys Laneway Revitalisation Program will redevelop the
citys quiet alleyways and lanes into busy outdoor rooms
with cafes, wine bars, restaurants, live performances and
open air galleries and stimulate public life and vitality. It
will breathe new life into the City Centre and provide new
intimate places for people.
Physical improvement of the citys lanes provide for the
comfort, engagement and entertainment of pedestrians,
inviting a range of popular uses. They also create opportunities
for innovation, surprise and unique approaches to both
permanent and transient design.
Waterwall installation.
Exxon Park, New York
A small pocket space with simple attrac-
tions such as trees and a fountain.
Santiago de Compostella, Spain
A pocket space offering space for sport,
play and cultural activities.
The Multi Square, Copenhagen
Laneways
Urban spaces and squares
URBAN SPACES AND LANEWAYS ALONG GEORGE STREET
A STRONG CITY IDENTITY
urban spaces and squares /laneways
RECOMMENDATIONS 95
main issues today BARRIER
Circular Quay is downgraded
by the railway and Cahill
Expressway embankment.
ALFRED STREET
The street is a public
transport street squeezed in
between the embankment
and the city. It draws
a visual and physical
borderline between the city
and the harbourfront.
PATCHWORK
There is a lack of cohe-
sive public space due to
the infrastructure corri-
dors, which are separat-
ing public space in bits
and pieces.
Views between the city and the water
are blocked by the embankment.
First Fleet Park appears under-utilized.
A desolate area underneath the Cahill
Expressway
A STRONG CITY IDENTITY
circular quay
WATERFRONT CITY
Celebrate Sydney as a
waterfront city.
VISUAL CONNECTION
Strengthen the visual links
between the city and the
water.
UNIFIED
HARBOURFRONT
Create a unied square
linking the city with the
water.
vision
a link between city and water
CELEBRATE SYDNEY AS A WATERFRONT CITY
Circular Quay with the city landmark, Sydney Opera House, the
water and the all day sun access as its main attractors is the end
point of George Street.
The vision is to enhance these qualities and celebrate the citys
position /location by the water. Through establishing an open
and coherent foreshore square at Circular Quay a visual contact
between city and water will strengthen the citys identity as a
waterfront city and provide a greater and undisturbed experience
of the waterfront.
CAHILL EXPRESSWAY
The Cahill Expressway is to be removed and a new underground
station constructed to create a unied and broad square open to
the harbour and the city.
FIRST FLEET PARK
First Fleet park is to be upgraded or redone (possibly following
a design competiton) with the aim of providing the harbourfront
with a more attractive urban harbour park as a supplement to
the promenade character of Circular Quay.
THE FERRY TERMINALS
The ferry terminals should have a great level of transparency
opening up for a greater visual contact to the water when
arriving at Circular Quay as well as when staying or strolling in
the area.
embankment
ferry wharfs
First Fleet Park
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F t e rst ir Fl ee
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Fi F
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CIRCULAR QUAY
EXISTING SITUATION
1:4000
RECOMMENDATIONS
Initiate an architectural competition to explore its
possible re-design as a contemporary urban square.
The competition needs to facilitate a comprehensive
and inclusive debate about the use and design of the
square.
Introduce high quality paving emphasising the entry to
the space and giving notice of a trafc calmed zone.
Coordinated lighting plan for all Circular Quay treating the
square as a whole.
Use corners for temporary retail eg. ice cream stalls or
cafes using the corners for outdoor serving.

RECOMMENDATIONS 96
long term strategy
a. Relocate the train station.
b. Demolish the embankment.
c. Create a unied world class square by the water.
Create a light and transparent
ferry terminal.
Bus terminal, Auckland
Create a harbour square with many
different activities and installations.
Hafencity, Hamburg, Germany
stage 2 stage o
a. Remove Cahill expressway.
b. Remove Alfred Street.
c. Create a unied pavement.
d. Improve the environment under the
embankment and open up.
e. Remove unnecessary built form.
f. Redevelop First Fleet Park.
stage 1
Existing situation
Establish a water square by the harbour.
Thisted, Denmark
Celebrate the unique location by the water. Create a world class water square re-uniting the city with the water.
Sct. Marks Square, Venice, Italy
A STRONG CITY IDENTITY
circular quay
RECOMMENDATIONS 97
There are many different levels which
create many stairs and strange holes
on the square.
The connection to George Street from
the square is weak as it is obstructed
by access points to the underground
system.
The street furniture is of a very low quality.
LEVELS
The changes in levels
complicate the visual contact
and the accessibility.
LINKS
The link between Sydney
Square and George Street is
weakened by poorly placed
street furniture, changes in
levels and openings to the
underground.
QUALITY AND CLIMATE
The quality and the climate on
the square is not satisfactory.
main issues today
A UNIFIED SQUARE
Buildings on a unifying
carpet.
AN EXPANDED SQUARE
Create an expanded square
across from Town Hall at the
Woolworths site.
GEORGE STREET
George Street is trafc calmed
and turned into a public
transport street with bicycles.
George Street creates a spine
and unies Town Hall square
with the northern and the
southern parts of the city.
vision
a new meeting place
THE BEATING HEART
Town Hall lies in the heart of the city. It faces George Street and
lies opposite the new planned city square on the Woolworths
site. The vision is to provide Sydney with a large public, dynamic
and lively gathering place, in a potential key interchange area,
and make it a special event /public forum where all kinds of
activities can take place; Large arrangements and festivals but
also everyday life activities.
LEVELS
Sydney Square needs to be levelled out to optimise accessibility
and provide a smooth pedestrian link to George Street.
GEORGE STREET
The street layout of George Street needs to be upgraded by
widening footpaths in front of Town Hall Square and at the
opposite side. As George street is to be trafc calmed and
turned into a public transport street noise levels will drop and
the environment be made more pleasant.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Create a new civic plaza with a strong identity and sense
of place. Develop a distinct prole and a high level of
maintenance.
Introduce a one level surface allowing free pedestrian
movement.
Develop a catalogue of multiple uses for the plaza.
Illuminate prominent facades at night.
Coordinate street square furniture and square elements
all of high quality.
Introduce a high quality lighting scheme to enhance the
qualities of the square at night.

St. Andrews
Cathedral
Town Hall
QVB
use se us St. t St St. Andrews hou t. Andrews hous
TOWN HALL
EXISTING SITUATION
1:2000
A STRONG CITY IDENTITY
town hall square
RECOMMENDATIONS 98
Establish a new and unifying Town Hall
Square
City Square, Melbourne
Public transport through the
Allow outdoor seating day and
night, summer and winter.
Magasin Torv, Copenhagen
Create a relaxed meeting place.
Place de la Rpublique, Lyon, France
a. Change the street layout of
George Street.
b. Link Town Hall Square with Queen
Victoria Buildingh forecourt.
a. Roll out a unifying carpet.
b. Create a unied square at street
level (no changes in level).
c. Remove the cathedral parking
(no changes in level).
d. activate frontages.
long term strategy a. Demolish the Woolworths buildings and adjacent
buildings.
b. Create a new Town Hall Square.
c. Redevelop the north-west corner of Town Hall
Square (the building between St. Andrews House
and Town Hall).
TOWN HALL SQUARE
A new meeting place for the city, where the Woolworths site, Town Hall Square and
Queen Victoria Building are unied and create a new plaza.
Credits: Cleveland Rose (base drawing) & Gehl Architects (photoshop rendering)
stage 3 stage 2 stage 1
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A STRONG CITY IDENTITY
town hall square
RECOMMENDATIONS 99
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Railway
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Hay Street
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WEAK LINKS
Weak pedestrian links to and from
Central Station.
BARRIER
Eddy Avenue forms a barrier
between Central Station and
Belmore Park.
UNATTRACTIVE SURROUNDINGS
Unclear trafc movements
generally downgrade the public
space quality. Especially Railway
Square lies in bits and pieces,
while the pedestrian links to Hay
Street is unattractive.
RAMP TO HAY STREET
Poor quality pedestrian link from
Hay Street.
RAILWAY SQUARE
Unworthy arrival to Central Station.
LIGHT RAIL STOP AT CENTRAL STATION
The existing light rail stop is unattractive
and dark.
main issues today
vision
a worthy arrival to the city
IMPROVED ARRIVAL
Create direct and attractive walking
links to Central Station which are
integrated parts of a collected
pedestrian network for the whole
city centre.
ATTRACTIVE URBAN PARK
Upgrade Belmore Park to form
an attractive and more urban
city park. Investigate whether
buildings along the railway
embankment can strengthen the
activity level in the park.
A UNIFIED SQUARE
Create a unied and pedestrianised
Railway Square. Dedicate the Hay
Street ramp to vehicular access
and dene a drop of point and
a dedicated parking area in the
northern part of Railway Square.
AN ATTRACTIVE ARRIVAL
For many, Central Station is the rst meeting with Sydney. The
vision is to establish a coherent and more attractive area around
Central Station where Railway Square, Belmore Park and Eddy
Avenue will form a new and upgraded public domain which will
be linked to the main street George Street.
RAILWAY SQUARE
Railway Square needs to be strengthened through a unied
paving and inviting staying possibilites. The paving outside
Central Station should stretch all the way down to Hay Street
and around to Eddy Avenue providing optimal access and safety
for pedestrians coming to and from the station. With a new
street prole for the Hay Street ramp, consisting of two lanes and
no on-street parking, a Kiss & Ride point should be integrated
near the entrance of the station allowing short stops for drop-
off/pick-ups. At Railway Square a dedicated parking area can be
established for regional buses, taxis, etc.
EDDY AVENUE
The street prole needs to be rearranged to obtain a much
more dened and narrow street. On street parking needs to be
removed. Parking of tourist busses can take place in the northern
part of Railway Square with vehicular access from the Hay Street
ramp. A wide pedestrian crossing should be installed to secure
access between Central Station and Belmore Park.
BELMORE PARK
A new layout for Belmore Park should strengthen its position as
an urban park in an active transit area. Parts of the park along
the edge and on the present parking structure on Hay street
should be dedicated to buildings which include service func-
tions to serve passers-by and provide a greater sense of safety
in the late hours of the day.
CENTRAL STATION PRECINCT
EXISTING SITUATION
1:4000
RECOMMENDATIONS
Create a cohesive masterplan for the Central Station
precinct.
Introduce a trafc calming scheme.
Establish a unied Railway Square with simplied
pedestrian access to Central Station.
An architectural competition should be held to
explore Belmore Parks possible re-design as a
contemporary urban park.

A STRONG CITY IDENTITY

central station precinct
RECOMMENDATIONS 100
RAILWAY SQUARE
A new meeting place.
Federation Square, Melbourne
(Approx. same size as Belmore Park).
Strengthen the public domain in the area around Central Station by upgrading Railway Square, Eddy Avenue and Belmore Park.
Credits: Cleveland Rose (base drawing) & Gehl Architects (photoshop rendering)
long term strategy
a. Re-arrange vehicular access to
Central Station. (Hay Street ramp).
b. Unify Railway Square, create a
new urban public space.
c. Dedicate the North-East part of
Railway Square to short term park-
ing.
stage 1
a. Introduce a trafc calming
scheme at Eddy Avenue.
b. Relocate bus parking and short
term parking to Railway Square.
c. Shrink the street prole and
introduce a direct pedestrian cross-
ing to Central Station.
stage 2
a. Introduce new functions in Bel-
more Park to add activities and va-
riety.
b. Introduce an ideas competi-
tion for Belmore Park asking for
new ways of thinking public, ur-
ban park.
stage 3
Public functions in the centre part,
shops and small scale ofces in the
pavillons to the sides.
Kungstrdgrden, Stockholm
(Approx. same size as Belmore Park).
Waiting possibilities in the shade.
Railway Square, Vienna, Austria.
RECOMMENDATIONS 101
RECOMMENDATIONS 102
0 100 200 300 400 500 m
High level of attractiveness
IMPROVE THE VISUAL ENVIRONMENT
Finalise the Interim Public Domain Policy and Strategy.
Continue the City Centre streetscape upgrade program.
Plant street trees along George Street - from Park Street
to Bridge Street where future footpath widening provides
clearance to awning structures.
Retain and enhance the urban ne grain.
Develop a high quality public art culture, with art works
created distinctly for specic public spaces.
Develop a City Centre Spaces public domain improvement
plan that provides a variety of settings and activities.
Strengthen history and the architectural heritage.
Develop guidelines for successful integration between
new developments and heritage buildings.
Celebrate the heritage. Develop lighting schemes to
emphasize heritage landmarks and streetscapes.
Ensure that ground oors of the high rise buildings are
carefully designed to a human scale environment and
add quality to the pedestrian landscape in terms of
interesting, active frontages with small units.
Improve the legibility of the public domain through better
signage and reduction of clutter.
Investigate possibilities of creating a high quality precinct
of heritage /warehouse buildings in the western part of
the City Centre.
IMPROVE THE MICRO-CLIMATE
Protect the sensitive micro-climate from increased wind
and shade caused by high rise buildings.
Introduce height controls.
Reinforce sun access planes.
Take care of the acoustic environment by reducing trafc
and replacing buses with silent alternatives.
IMPROVE CONDITIONS FOR STAYING
Provide more public benches for formal seating. Provide
places to rest in squares and along streets at reasonable
intervals.
Ensure inclusive access and accessible paths of travel for
public domain.
Improve condition for children. Create a series of new
play environments across the City Centre. Create a child
friendly city.

AN ATTRACTIVE PUBLIC REALM

an inviting streetscape
AREAS WHERE A HIGH QUALITY PUBLIC REALM SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED SUMMARY
Playgrounds as land art.
Sapporo, Japan
Water jets offering hours of fun.
Somerset House, London, England
Water elements integrated in the pavement.
Varde Torv, Denmark
FRONTAGES WATER ELEMENTS ART GREENERY
toolbox
Ground oor frontages are rich in detail
and exciting to walk by, interesting to
look at, to touch and to stand beside.
Activities inside the buildings and
those occurring on the street enrich
each other. In the evening friendly
light shines out through the windows
of shops and other ground oor
activities and contributes to both a
feeling of security as well as genuine
safety.
Orange coloured temple walk, dening a distinct
path through a public space.
Kyoto, Japan
Removable planting pots.
Place de la Bourse, Lyon, France
Temporary ower exhibition Living Colour.
Herald Square, Sydney
Street tree ltering storm water.
Melbourne
Tasteful and inviting frontages with the possibility
of opening up part of the glazing on hot days.
Degraves lane, Melbourne
Attractive retail units - many units, many doors,
high level of transparency etc..
Melbourne
Open and inviting frontages also at nighttime.
Copenhagen, Denmark
An elegant water surface.
Thorvaldsens Plads, Copenhagen, Denmark
Example of a temporary art installation in a
laneway in Melbourne
The fact that Sydney is a waterfront
city should be felt in all of the City
Centre, either through celebrating
views to and from the water or by
installing water elements reminding
visitors and residents of the larger
context.
Water elements generally have a
positive effect on the general quality
and attractiveness of the public realm.
Water attracts children of all ages
and adds a subtle beauty to the hard
surfaces in an urban environment.
Promote sustainable water elements,
eg. using recycled water or sea water,
should be investigated.
Public art comes in many shapes
and qualities. A general strategy for
the overall use of public art in the
City Centre is very useful. This can
be supplemented by art strategies
for specic areas - eg. Martin Place,
George Street, Bridge Street etc.
Artists should generally be involved in
this work and as much art as possible
should be created for specic sites
and be part of a broader strategy,
where the various art objects create
an overall connection of larger value
than that of the individual objects.
Greenery has a softening effect on the
streetscape and effectively mufes
the noise of trafc as well as cleans
the air.
Given the constraints on street tree
planting in terms of harsh climate
conditions and lack of space, there
needs to be a strategy for portable
greenery.
Also the sustainable dimension
needs to be investigated. Melbourne
has made interesting solutions where
street trees collect and lter storm
water.
RECOMMENDATIONS 103
Burned almonds tempt passersby at the christ-
mas market.
Nyhavn, Copenhagen, Denmark
Temporary and inexpensive space by the harbour
with sand, beach chairs and hammocks.
An urban beach in the city centre.
Copenhagen harbour front
PLAYFUL SQUARES FRAMEWORK FOR LIFE CLASSIC VERSION TEMPORARY
CREATE CHARACTERISTIC AND WELCOMING PUBLIC SPACES
The analysis section indicated that there is a number of minor public spaces in the City
Centre and that a substantial part appears to have the same layout, the same functions
and the same type of design /materials. These spaces appear to be quite under-utilised
with only a limited number of users during the day.
Develop a follow up to the Open Space Study by identifying problems and potentials of
all the squares in the City Centre relating to physical, functional and usage issues. On
this basis a public space hierarchy and a public space plan can be developed with strong
links between pedestrian network and the individual squares.
Celebrate the many small and large spaces in the city centre and clarify the use of the
various spaces by giving them a clear function supported by a unique design prole.
Introduce different kinds of public spaces to accomodate various activities, some xed
in their use and others more exible. Ensure that Sydney holds a variety of spaces which
present the best of urban design in all its different aspects and which hold different
qualities attracting different user groups.
public squares vocabulary
Interactive lighting elements symbolising harbour
cranes are the main feature at this popular public
space.
Schouwburgplein, Rotterdam
The sound of cascades of water dominates this
square and mufes the nearby sounds of trafc.
Place de la Rpublique, Lyon, France
High quality paving materials, specically
designed street furniture and a professional
lighting system developed especially for this
square serving its many functions as market
square, scene of events, everyday functions etc.,
are the main elements.
St. Plten, Austria
Bryant Park is a popular retreat in a dense city.
The simple elements consist mainly of portable
chairs and a distinct green context. The park is
privately managed by a non-prot organisation
and a succesful example of such a constellation.
Bryant Park, New York
Woolloomooloo Playground is a rare mix of four
main functions; A playground, a community
garden, a basket ball eld and a classic
recreational space with benches and owers.
Woolloomooloo, Sydney
Red rubber paving is the essential element in a
provocative new public space design. A result of
a strong cooperation between the architect and
the artist.
Urban Lounge, St. Gallen, Switzerland
RECOMMENDATIONS 104
24 metre wide footpaths are essential parts of
Champs-lyses, which have a strong green
prole and a clear division between transport
zones and zones for street furniture etc.
Champs Elyse, France
BOULEVARD
Wide footpaths and distinct street trees frame the
pedestrian space. A green median provides a safe
retreat.
Copenhagen, Denmark
street types vocabulary
Boulevards are grand city streets carrying
heavy volumes of trafc, while still providing an
attractive environment for walking and for cycling.
Street trees, wide footpaths and a green median
are essential parts.
CREATE A DISTINCT STREET HIERARCHY
The analysis section also indicated that the majority of all streets in the City Centre
generally serve the same purpose as transport corridors primarily for vehicular trafc, as
service roads and as parking spaces. The consequences for the city is that is has been
lled to its maximum capacity with vehicular trafc. Consequently many of the streets look
very alike and the distinction between them is weak. This makes the general orientation
Wall to wall paving denes the streetscape and
sends a strong signal of pedestrianisation. Here
kids can run freely to play and a multitude of
activities can take place. Bilbao, Spain
Shared surface with attractive paving and public
benches.
New Road, Brighton, England
The one levelled pavement is divided into patterns
dening the different zones for movement and for
recreational purposes.
Strdet, Copenhagen, Denmark
PEDESTRIAN PRIORITY STREET PEDESTRIAN STREET
Pedestrian streets are distinct gathering points
for a number of people, both locals and visitors.
Strget, Copenhagen, Denmark
Pedestrian priority streets prioritize walking.
No kerbs have been installed and it is more a
negotiation process, than a right of way. These
types of streets hold strong restrictions on
vehicular trafc in terms of turning options and
driving directions. Thus the level of vehicular
trafc is low and space is gained for other people
activities.
Pedestrian streets are often part of a larger
network of more or less pedestrianised streets
and squares. Together they form a network of
various experiences and possibilites for play in a
calm and safe environment. The most succesful of
these types of streets are the ones with a multitude
of activities extending into the evening.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT STREET
Grass denes the zoning of the street in a public
transport part and a pedestrian part.
Barcelona, Spain
A homogeneous paving unies the street with the
square and indicates a high level of shared space,
where pedestrians are invited to cross at their
convenience.
Strasbourg, France
High quality walking link with the occasional ligh
trail or bus passing through. A low level of noise
and a busy atmosphere of many people visiting
and promenading are distinct trademarks. Cycling
is a natural part of these streets.
hard and creates a sense of indifference towards the individual streets and the adjoining
squares and parks.
Differentiate the various streets by introducing distinct design proles related to a
difference in trafc use. Ensure that streets are not only for transport, but also for a wide
range of more recreational activities as well as a social meeting place.
RECOMMENDATIONS 105
RECOMMENDATIONS 106
CREATE A MULTIFUNCTIONAL CITY CENTRE
Identify a zone, consisting of certain key streets, where
multifunctionality is especially important.
Develop a policy for minimum requirements regarding
mixed use. Eg. retail at ground oor, residences above
(eg. 30% of the total oor space in the building), ofces
at the top.
Investigate how the western corridor can gradually be
turned into a multi-functional area supporting the central
spine of the City Centre.
Encourage activation of laneways.
Support liquor licensing reform to encourage diverse
small bars and venues.
IMPROVE SAFETY AT NIGHT
Ensure more active and transparent street frontages.
Ensure active shops along key streets.
Increase the number of full time occupancy residences
and spread them equally in the City Centre.
Invite more students to live in the City Centre by promoting
student housing.
Expand the running hours of public transport to support
a 24 hour city.
STRENGTHEN THE CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS
Increase the cooperation between the cultural
institutions.
Increase their visibility by strong partnership in common
projects.
Ensure engagement from the cultural institutions in
issues related to art, design, music, theatre etc.
Provide and promote a diverse annual program of cultural
and social events to foster social interaction and sense
of community.

0 100 200 300 400 500 m

Multi-functional zone
AREAS WHERE A MORE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL USE
SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED
AN ATTRACTIVE PUBLIC REALM
a diverse, inclusive and lively city
Encourage diversity of people
and functions.
Create varied and diverse
invitations for staying.
Create a lively and safe public
realm which is inclusive for
all.
SUMMARY
WORKERS
Going to and from work
Lunchtime guests
(8am - 10am + 12pm - 2pm
+ 5pm - 7pm)
RESIDENTS
Going to and from the dwelling
Passive surveillance
(7am - 10am + 5pm - 9pm)
SHOPPERS
Drifting during opening hours
(10am - 6pm (10pm))
PROVIDE PASSIVE SURVEILLANCE
The analysis section indicated that certain areas signicantly change character between night and day.
Certain areas that are lively, safe and secure during the day become deserted and frightening at night.
The best way to reduce the empty and isolated feeling of certain areas at night is to accommodate
passive surveillance by encouraging more eyes on the street.
CREATE LIVELY STREETS AT NIGHTTIME
Passive surveillance may be encouraged in two ways. One is by maintaining a lively ow of people
in the streets, moving from one destination to another along key links. Key routes must be well-lit
and attractive in the evening hours to encourage activity and provide safe and comfortable passage
through the city at night.
PROMOTE MIXED-USE AREAS
The other type of passive surveillance occurs naturally in mixed-use areas, when restaurants, shops and
street stalls that are open at night activate the edges of the public realm. Most vital are the residents
in the area, which, regardless of whether shops are open or not, offer the impression that others
are occupying the buildings that overlook the public realm. Promoting mixed-use by encouraging a
combination of commercial, residential and ofce use would be benecial for the city centre.
ACTIVITIES
During the day as well as in the evenings it is important to
plan and invite for activities to happen. Cafes and restaurants
are of course ideal for this, but generally the most important
thing is to create a natural ow of people ,so that there are
always many people present in the public space.
Venice, Italy
AMBIENT LIGHTING
Ambient lighting spilling out from entrances to buildings
gives a sense of activity while reducing dark corners and
niches. A well and uniformly lit building edge improves way-
nding and orientation at night thus increasing the feeling of
safety and security at night.
Lyon, France
DWELLINGS
The varying building uses ensure passive surveillance eyes
on the street providing a natural sense of safety vital for city
activity at night.
The City Centre of Copenhagen, Denmark
improve safety mixed use
ofce
retail
residential
(min. 30%)
CREATE A GOOD MIX OF DIFFERENT USES
Ensure integration of shops, ofces and
dwellings in each city area and prefera-
bly in the individual buildings. Retail can
be located on the ground oor, dwellings
(eg. min. 30 %) on the rst oors and of-
ces on the upper oors. A mix of uses
can secure life in the city streets and
squares at all times of the day.
RECOMMENDATIONS 107
INSPIRATION INSPIRATION
POLICY PROFILE
The public space planning is coordinated with
social policy with the aim of creating a city with
a human face and a city for all its inhabitants.
Equality and balance between projects in
the Inner City and in suburban districts are
underlined, for instance by giving the same
architect the commission to design public
spaces in both the centre and the suburbs.
Three different types of plans have been
developed: A green plan, which focuses on
the citys public spaces, a blue plan that
deals with the way the city meets the rivers,
and a yellow plan, a lighting plan. The latter
addresses the character and quality of lighting
of monuments and other buildings as well as
the streets, squares and parks. It is also a tool
for collaboration between the public and the
private sector in relation to the quality of lighting
in different locations.
Lyon is actively supporting smaller shops in the
inner city by stopping all further development of
out-of-town shopping centres.

POETIC, COORDINATED AND SOCIAL PUBLIC SPACE POLICY - LYON, FRANCE - 1.3 MILLION INHABITANTS (GREATER LYON)
DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC SPACES
Projects are spread over the city, with a balance
between the Inner City and suburban districts.
PUBLIC SPACES AND TRAFFIC
In order to create a human face to the city, the
trafc policy is aiming at putting car parking
underground. Many of the renovated spaces
in the centre of the city have 4 to 6 stories of
parking garages under the car-free surface of
the public space. A partly public and private
rm has been established to build and run the
new parking structures.
New light raillines and a metro are giving
alternative forms of transportation.
TYPES OF PUBLIC SPACES
Most of the renovated public spaces in the
Inner City were existing classical rooms in
the historic city fabric, whereas the spaces
in the suburban districts were free oating
spaces between high-rise housing blocks.
These suburban spaces had to be redened
and redesigned for new uses, thus creating new
types of public spaces.
A FIXED SET OF MATERIALS AND FURNITURE
A Lyon vocabulary of materials to be used in
the spaces has been developed, particularly to
underline the identity of the city but also to limit
the number of materials to be maintained. To
stress the equality between different districts,
the same street furniture can be found in
suburban housing projects as well as in central
city spaces.

ORGANISING THE TASK

The city created two new organisations to
cope with the coordination of public space
policy. On the political level an organisation
called Group de Pilotage Espaces public was
formed, headed by the mayor. This group, with
representatives from all departments involved
in the process, meets once or twice a month.
A parallel interdisciplinary organisation called
Group Technique de Suivi, with experts from all
departments, is meeting every week to prepare
and coordinate the technical and practical sides
of the implementation of the plans.
PROCESS
As a response to the deteriorating quality
of the public realm under the pressure of a
growing number of cars entering the city centre,
combined with social tension between suburbia
and down town, one of the mayors, Henry
Chabert, formulated the policy to create a city
with a human face (or surface) in 1989.
Poets and other artists have been asked to
generate the spirit of the place, the genius loci,
before the brief is given to the architects or
landscape architects who were designing the
spaces.
A large number of public meetings and
interaction with the local people are other
characteristic elements of the process, which
has also aimed to create a good interaction
between the private and public sectors.
RESULTS
Lyon suffered an industrial decline in the 1970s,
but has reformulated its role and become a
very dynamic city. The policy has changed the
appearance and image of the city, with a large
number of high quality public spaces.

RECOMMENDATIONS 108
TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND POLICIES
1. The new democratic society and public spaces
The policy to create new public spaces for free
meeting and talking was formulated in Barcelona
after the fall of the dictatorship of general Franco.
The new democratic government that came to
power in the rst free elections in 1979 promoted
new public spaces to give inhabitants immediate
improvements in living conditions and open up
democratic discussion.
2. The Olympic Games and the city plan
The Olympic Games in 1992 was used as a great
opportunity to make large-scale improvements
to the city. Investment was used to drive
development of the city plan, where unnished
parts were completed and derelict industrial sites
were transformed into new city districts. In this
way, Barcelona got new sports arenas but also
a new district of housing with a leisure harbour
connecting new city districts to the beach along
the coast.
PUBLIC SPACE POLICY PROFILE
Barcelona has been pioneering public space
policies, where a great number of imaginative
new designs have been applied across the city.
New public spaces in each neighbourhood for
people meeting, talking, discussing, playing
andunwinding.
The public space policy has been called projects
versus planning as it turned the traditional
planning methods upside down by focusing on
what independent small projects can do for a city
district - and for a whole city. Instead of waiting
for the grand coordinated master plan to be

developed, the city has been implementing public

spaces - even where no spaces existed - by tearing
down derelict buildings, using old railroad yards,
or renovating existing spaces. Without any great
need of coordination, these projects improved the
city for inhabitants.
No standard designs but tailor-made solutions
place-by-place, involving a great number of local
architects.
With the slogan the gallery in the street,
contemporary sculptures have been an integrated
part of the public space programme with the dual
intention of giving each place its unique character
and to create discussions between local people.
DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC SPACES
Hundreds of projects in many different scales,
from major parks to local piazzas, or just a little
corner with a couple of trees and a bench standing
on a ne new urban oor, are spread over the
whole surface of the city. It functions like a kind
of urban acupuncture, where the whole body of
the city becomes better without a great need for
coordination of projects.
PUBLIC SPACES AND TRAFFIC
Initially the public space policy was not an
integrated part of any major trafc plan and in
most cases projects were made without taking
space from driving and only a few of the many
spaces have underground parking garages as part
of the new designs. Later projects with more trafc
and parking emphasis have been emerging, such
as parks on top of freeways.
TYPES OF PUBLIC SPACES
Barcelona has developed a wide range of public
space types from small hard scapes in the form
of piazzas, to large parks that function like green
oases, often established on derelict land or
former industrial sites. Promenades and other
types of new interpretation of the rambla motif are
frequent as well as a series of spaces dominated
by gravel and soft shapes, mostly for playing. In
this city with high density in both building mass
and in trafc volumes, all the different types of
open spaces are highly appreciated.

ORGANISING THE TASK

The city created a new ofce called Servei de
Projectes Urbans to work with new projects in
the 10 city districts. Meetings are held with local
people in each district as part of the process, and
architects at the ofce coordinate the technical
and administrative aspects of the project. There
are a large number of local architects from private
practice working in collaboration with - and doing
projects for - the ofce.
PROCESS
The new democratic city council selected Oriol
Bohigas as a city councillor for urban design.
Bohigas was both the director of the School
of Architecture and partner of a major private
practice, and he formulated the general approach.
The results show an interesting relation between
the public and private sectors, as the public
investments in new city spaces were followed
up by property owners renewing surrounding
buildings. The early projects were designed after
architects competitions and later the ofce for
public space design was put into place to work
continuously with the projects.
RESULTS
The idea of reconquering public spaces was
formulated in Barcelona as a political idea of
providing democratic space as well as a vision
for re-creating the art of making public spaces.
Nowhere in the world can the viewer see so many
different examples of new and experimental
designs of parks, squares and promenades in a
single city as in Barcelona.

DEMOCRATIC AND PIONEERING PUBLIC SPACE POLICY - BARCELONA, SPAIN - 3.5 MILLION INHABITANTS (GREATER BARCELONA)
RECOMMENDATIONS 109
POLICY PROFILE
Copenhagens step-by-step policy covers a zone
where a series of policies are applied to create
better conditions for soft trafc and people on
foot.
Public spaces are seen as a network of streets
that link with public transit and a series of
piazzas or squares that open up for different
activities and urban recreation.
DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC SPACE PROJECTS
Early projects were all in the historic core of
the Inner City. Later, local spaces in the outer
districts of the city were developed and, more
recently, new spaces have been established
along the waterfront.
PUBLIC SPACES AND TRAFFIC
Bicycle lanes and bicycle priorities in different
forms have been applied throughout. Access
to the Inner City is possible by car but driving
through is restricted, so walking or cycling is
easier.

In the Inner City most of the public spaces are

part of trafc calming measures and a series
of different types of street designs have been
applied from pedestrian-only, to pedestrian-
priority streets and to streets with other
limitations for driving.
No new parking structures have been established
in the Inner City for some years and kerb side
parking has been reduced by an average of 2-
3% annually. Surfaces have been converted to
accommodate other people-oriented activities.
New metro lines have been built recently to give
better access to the Inner City from some of the
new development areas of the Oerestad, a new
town being built close to the city centre.
TYPES OF PUBLIC SPACES
The new public spaces in the Inner City consist
of renovated existing rooms in the historic
city, all with a modest and ne human scale.
The spaces are mainly streets and squares,
which through time have got different functions
as living rooms, dining rooms for staying
activities or corridors for strolling along as
part of urban recreation.
ORGANISING THE TASK
For many years the design of public spaces
has been taken care of by the City Architects
ofce, while the City Engineers ofce, paved
and maintained them. In recent years the
organisational structures at Copenhagen City
Hall have been reorganised and an ofce
established especially for public space design
and policy.

PROCESS
The policies have been emerging gradually from
early experiments with the rst pedestrian streets
in the 1960s to the 1980s, where consistent and
coordinated policies were formulated.
Copenhagen has changed gradually through
the last 30 to 40 years, from a city dominated
by cars to a city centre for daily life for people
on foot.
RESULTS
Copenhagen Inner City has gained the reputation
of being a ne place for urban recreation, where
each new step has increased the quality for
people on bicycles and on foot. These qualities
of life are part of the reason that a growing
number of people want to live in the centre
of the city, where new housing has been built
along the harbour fronts. Copenhagen has also
experienced a general development from the
rst pedestrianisation years, where public life
revolved around walking and shopping, to a
more developed city culture where the number
of mixed activities increase and where people
spend four times as much time as before the
redevelopment schemes started. The public
money invested in renovating public spaces has
been paid back through an increased number of
tax payers in the city - more residents - and an
increased turnover for city-based businesses.
The general image of Copenhagen has changed
towards a much more attractive city as a base for
larger corporations and businesses in general.

A BETTER CITY - STEP BY STEP - COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - 1.3 MILLION INHABITANTS (GREATER COPENHAGEN)
RECOMMENDATIONS 110
POLICY PROFILE
The City of Melbournes design philosophy
was rst outlined in the 1985 Strategy Plan
that called for the city to build on its existing
strengths in a manner that reected Melbournes
local character, while diversifying uses within
the central city to transform it from a central
business district to a central activities district.
Melbournes existing strengths and physical
patterns were identied and later elaborated
upon in Grids and Greenery. Published in 1987,
Grids and Greenery provided a vision for the
future of Melbourne.
Alongside its early strategic vision and
directions, Council developed urban planning
and conservation controls, broad-perspective
master plans and guidelines, as well as
detailed action plans, streetscape plans and
street furniture technical notes. Council also
instigated retail, events and arts policies and
programs, as well as strategic initiatives and
project partnerships including Postcode 3000 to
encourage residential living back into the city.
DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC SPACE
Since 1985, City of Melbournes urban design
program has been implemented throughout
the municipality, although high-prole projects
have generally been concentrated in the central
business district, Southbank, and most recently,
Docklands.
PUBLIC SPACES AND TRAFFIC
A principal objective of Melbournes urban
design program has been to reduce car
dominance in the street while establishing a
more inviting public realm for people.

To achieve this, Council has undertaken

an incremental but consistent process of
pedestrianisation through the installation of
high-quality bluestone paving, street furniture,
trees, newsstands, and kiosks, complemented
by a policy for more active street-level building
frontages. Such physical improvements have
created a safer, more inviting and engaging
public realm. The area of pedestrian space has
increased through footpath extensions, most
signicantly in Swanston Street and little streets
such as Flinders Lane. Temporary lunchtime
road closures provide pedestrians with a less
congested through-route in Little Collins Street.
In addition to improving public space for walking
and social interaction, Melbourne has sought
to promote sustainable transport alternatives
to reduce emissions and trafc congestion,
and to ensure the public realm is inclusive and
accessible to all people. While streets within the
city centre do not have formally dedicated bicycle
lanes due to the competing demands for road
space, the closure of Swanston Street to daytime
through-trafc has established it as a popular
north-south cycle route.
TYPES OF PUBLIC SPACE
The City of Melbourne has aimed to enlarge the
public realm and pedestrian networks with a
broad range of public space types through: (1)
the establishment of main public spaces such
as Bourke Street Mall, City Square, Federation
Square, and waterfront promenades including
Southgate; (2) small-scale spaces established by
re-claiming surplus road space; and (3) works to
upgrade existing streets and laneways.
A STANDARD SUITE OF MATERIALS AND FURNITURE
The City has created standardised designs
for a wide range of street furniture in order to
improve streetscape amenity with attractive,
durable, functional and unobtrusive elements
that complement the urban culture, character
and signicance of each street. Melbournes
bluestone pavement program, founded on the
citys traditional materials, has ensured that
repaving successfully ts into both contemporary
and historic settings.

PROCESS AND ORGANISING THE TASK

In the 1980s, Melbournes citizens spoke
out about the slow destruction of their city.
Inappropriate international style developments,
the invasion of the automobile, destruction of
heritage areas and general decline of the central
city saw new political forces emerge at both a
State and Local Government level. Their success
at the polls allowed them to reset the agenda for
Melbourne.
Commencing in 1985, the City of Melbournes
urban design department developed a
comprehensive planning and design policy
framework that dened a simple vision to
transform Melbournes ailing central business
district into a central activities district, while
retaining the physical characteristics that
were distinctive to Melbourne. This vision was
adopted and has been gradually implemented
through ambitious but achievable targets over
the past two decades.
Using in-house professional skills, the City
of Melbourne has worked to lead rather than
just manage the citys transformation. It has
mastered the art of successful partnerships
and directed the resources of other levels of
government and the private sector towards
improving the public realm through such projects
as Federation Square and QV.
RESULTS
Councils urban design program has been
instrumental in inspiring, directing and
accelerating the process of revitalising Melbourne
through a gradual but consistent transformation
of streets, lanes and other spaces into public
places that are engaging and diverse. This is
evident from population and economic growth.
Since 1994, there has been a staggering 830%
increase in city residents, and this has been
accompanied by a signicant rise in pedestrian
volumes and the number of people choosing to
spend time in the public realm. The follow-on
effects include revived street use patterns as the
community utilises the city as its recreational,
retail and entertainment base, and this has been
highly inuential in creating a more vibrant,
safer, and sustainable 24 hour city.

URBAN TRANSFORMATION INTO A PLACE FOR PEOPLE - MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - 3.6 MILLION INHABITANTS (GREATER MELBOURNE)
RECOMMENDATIONS 111
Sydney is a world class city enjoying a beautiful landscape setting
and a wonderful climate offering the best possible conditions for
a thriving public life.
Despite these obvious qualities the City Centre appears to be
suffering from an overload of vehicular trafc and is at present
not living up to its full potential.
In January 2007 Gehl Architects was invited to cast a critical view
on to how the public spaces in Sydney are performing in terms
of public life. The ndings are presented in this report and in
an additional public life data section. The analysis performed
pointed towards a city which is choking in vehicular trafc and
where there is no balance between the various transport modes.
Pedestrians and cyclists are consequently at the bottom of the
agenda and as a result conditions are quite poor for people who
choose the most sustainable transport modes - discouraging
some and excluding others.
An equally problematic consequence is the fact that there are a
number of problems in relation to the visual environment and
the general lack of celebration of the waterfront. Thus the extra-
ordinary physical qualities are not cherished and the city is
gradually losing quality.
Looking to other cities in the world it is evident that change
is possible. Thus Melbourne, Portland in the US and Lyon in
France are remarkable examples of cities which have radically
transformed. Common for all of them is a movement towards a
more balanced trafc system, a strong focus on public space and
an understanding of how a high quality public realm can invite
more people to use the city in a variety of ways.
Changing the current situation in Sydney demands a change of
mindset. A more holistic approach needs to be used where trafc
planning and public space planning are thought of one. Visions
need to be formulated looking at what ought to be achieved to
celebrate Sydney as a world class city. Strategies then need to
be put in place to gradually change the current course and deal
with how the visions can be achieved on practical terms. Looking
at practicalities rst and then formulating visions second will set
the bar too low.
Sydney will no doubt change dramatically during the coming
years. The spirit is there, the knowledge is there and the potential
is there. How the process and the end result will be is still to be
seen.
REFLECTIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS 112
RECOMMENDATIONS 113