Greater Sydney demonstrates that public transport needs urban density: Chris Johnson

EXPERT OBSERVER

The Greater Sydney Commission’s new measurements across Greater Sydney demonstrate how the swing to public transport works best with more apartments.

The impressive document released today by the Greater Sydney Commission on measuring progress in Sydney’s growth demonstrates the important link between apartment numbers and public transport usage.” says Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson.

The GSC report indicates that the Eastern City has 49 percent apartments and that 50 percent of travel to work in the Eastern City is by public transport. With half the population living in urban density it is clear that a similar percentage use public transport. The South District has 19 percent apartments and has about 10 percent of travel to work by public transport.

As Sydney grows the roll out of metro rail systems are likely to see taller apartment buildings clustered around the stations. The Greater Sydney Commission has an important role to ensure that appropriate levels of density occur around public transport initiatives.

The GSC document ‘The Pulse of Greater Sydney’ contains many important measures that willinfluence the growth of Greater Sydney. These include tree canopy cover, where the Northern District is stated to have 40 percent tree canopy cover but a close look at the map indicates that most of this is due to the large areas of National Parks that extend up to the Hawkesbury

River. Eastern Sydney by comparison has only 15 percent tree canopy coverage, as it does not include any National Parks. It would seem that National Parks on the edge of built up areasshould not be included in tree canopy measures.

The Pulse of Sydney is a good initiative by the Greater Sydney Commission, but it is important that targets be developed to ensure that Sydney grows in a sustainable and affordable way, and that people can live in the types of residential accommodation that suits them, in locations that they desire.

CHRIS JOHNSON is the Urban Taskforce CEO