Video Presentations: Creating a Public Legacy for Sydney

Philip Vivian
Managing Director
Bates Smart, Sydney

Throughout history, significant social and economic upheavals have created great public works legacies. Cities in particular have benefited from this pattern of crisis and investment in recovery. As Australia begins to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are presented with a decision to improve the design of our cities. The legacy of this pandemic should be a turning point towards more humane cities that change daily life for the better.

In Sydney, COVID-19 has made clear the well-being benefits high-quality public spaces can contribute to everyday life. Now is not the time for short term thinking, but rather for considering an investment in public works that will create a better future for our city.
We should particularly consider deconstructing space and infrastructure dedicated to cars and its re-creation into public space. Three projects could accomplish this: Town Hall Square, Park Street, and Circular Quay. If created, these projects would not only make the city more sustainable, accessible, and enjoyable, but they would also help to link up Sydney’s core public space network and reconnect the city to Sydney Harbour.

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has wreaked short- and long-term havoc around the world. We should embrace this once-in-a-generation opportunity to fundamentally change the way we experience Sydney and heal the damage caused by insensitive infrastructure, delivering a more sustainable, high-quality daily life, and a legacy of strong public design for future generations.