South Creek in Far Western Sydney: Opportunities for a New Waterway Focused City

Abstract

As Sydney continues to expand into a polycentric city, the far west faces rapid urbanisation around a new airport. This new inland city is not located within striking distance of Sydney’s iconic coastline but rather centred around a small ephemeral creek on flat alluvial plains. There is a significant opportunity for this natural environment, though maligned by urbanisation styles of the past, to become a key focus of attention and driver for a new ecology-based urban concept and form. By re-imagining the design and construction of water systems, urban layouts and green infrastructure, a new city vision can provide broad benefits to future populations and may become a template for urban waterway management in other regions.