Is this what Sydney will look like in 2050?

Doubling the height of Sydney's skyscrapers by 2050 is a necessity to retain its position as Australia's number one city, according to the Urban Taskforce.

In fact, Melbourne, Brisbane and "even Parramatta" have plans for taller buildings than Sydney, said CEO of Urban Taskforce, Chris Johnson. He noted that this step is required if Sydney wants to stay on par with other Australian cities, and with Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore.

“Sydney needs to take a strong pro-growth position as recent data from a report by Price Waterhouse Coopers indicated that Sydney’s annual economic growth over the last 10 years was half that of Melbourne and Brisbane. Sydney grew economically each year at 2.2% while Brisbane grew at 4.4% and Melbourne at 4.7% each year," said Johnson.

He warned that Sydney is being held back by out of date planning rules, setting the underside of the 1970s-built Sydney Tower as the cap on heights for new buildings.

“The world now has dozens of high-rise towers planned or built that are double the height of Sydney Tower. Across Asia many cities are building towers that are symbols of the prosperity and the optimism of that city’s economic growth," he said.

The topic of how Sydney will cope by 2050 has seen many commentators weighing in. Observer Robert Simeon previously warned that politicians are ignoring the realities of population growth, which is expected to grow by 60% to 2050, that may leave the city in strife unless they plan now.

Is this what Sydney will look like in 2050?

As part of this debate on pushing Sydney into the future it needs, Urban Taskforce called on three top architects to share their visions for what the city could look like in 2050.

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• A new metro system crossing the harbour.
  
  
• Development of super tall towers around the new metro stations (which could fund this system).

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• New green parks crossing the Harbour Bridge.
  
  
• High-rise developments with solar access planes (which could fund the parks).
  
  
• East and West green blocks to be the focus.
  
  
• Extension of Prince Alfred Park.

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• A number of centres within itself, including North Sydney, Glebe Island, Central Station and Woolloomooloo, each with a different 'theme'.
  
  
• These would be connected by a circular metro line.
  
  
• Foot, ferry, bike and light rail linking the separate centres should all be considered.

Urban Taskforce:

• Mixed-use metropolitan centre.
  
  
• Workforce increasingly connected to world finance and consulting services.
  
  
• Cafes, restraints, public spaces and culture facilities.
  
  
• World class transport system based on a metro network.

What do you think the Sydney of 2050 needs the most?

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