Development industry leading in Greening Cities

A number of Sydney developers are leading the move towards urban greening.

The Urban Taskforce recently had a forum on ‘Urban Greening’ and this has led to a publication with examples of greenery being incorporated into buildings.

The Central Park project by Frasers Property and Sekisui House is an excellent example of green landscape being incorporated into the façade of a 33 storey apartment building in a manner that responds to the seasons.

As well as the integration of landscape and building the site includes a significant amount of public parkland and water features.

The One Sydney Park project by HPG also incorporates landscape gardens into the building façade in a design that blends with the adjacent Sydney Park.

Also at an early design stage is the Crown Group’s apartment building in Alexandria which steps down to the street level with terraces that will be landscaped with mature trees.

There is clearly a move in the development industry to softening urban buildings through parklands, greenery on balconies and roof gardens.

The suburban ideal of a landscaped garden city is beginning to be reinterpreted at the scale of apartment buildings.

The trend also reflects the NSW Government’s approach to encouraging more urban landscape through the ‘Greener Places’ publication and the allocation of $290 million to a green infrastructure program that includes an aim to lift Sydney’s tree canopy from 16% to 40%.

Projects like the ‘Gardens of Auburn’ by developers LFD propose to incorporate 4,300 square metres of gardens and parklands and the DaniasGroup have generated a ‘Green Heart’ in a creative industry proposal in Marrickville.

All of these proposals are contained in the Urban Ideas issue on ‘Urban Greening’ (seen here).

The Urban Taskforce is supportive of the NSW Government approach to increasing greenery as Sydney increases its density and we will continue to profile good examples.

CHRIS JOHNSON is the Urban Taskforce CEO.