Fly over Sydney, the beautiful city we are lucky to live in, rich with natural assets. Sustainable Sydney 2030 gives a vision and sets objectives but does it go far enough? Can a city ever be sustainable and create a positive impact on not just the environment, but socioeconomically as well? Some believe so and I hope so too. This is my idea of what sustainable Sydney might look like.
As I walk down George Street, from Central to Circular Quay, the city is in transition. Sustainable improvements appear along the way. Buildings adapt to make the most of passive opportunities with shading and setbacks to allow daylight access. Footpaths widen. Cycleways slide into the road from the curb, a tram rattles down the centre. Cars vanish. There is only one lane left going each way for buses. Bright coloured market squares open up near Town Hall, Martin Place and Circular Quay. Vibrant artworks celebrate our cultural differences. More trees line the street encouraging local native species to cohabit this city with us and increase biodiversity while providing evaporative cooling and pleasant shade to the microclimate of the street.
The vista opens up to show the harbour, flanked by the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Solar sailors line the quay ferrying people to other places on the harbour. Past the Opera House, Farm Cove once more boasts a farm producing vegetables for a garden market. It is a multi-story purpose-designed urban agricultural structure. Wetlands nearby filter the city's effluent.
Dusk approaches and as the sun sets, the city dims, the gardens and buildings lit softly by solar powered night lights.
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