
A Metropolis of Three Cities responds to the needs of Greater Sydney’s people and the region’s current and future structural challenges. A Metropolis of Three Cities reflects the settlement patterns, unique geography and growth pressures that need to be addressed if the region is to achieve its potential. These challenges include:
Also, advances in technology are increasingly changing how cities operate, from freight, retail, and personal transport choices to how information is disseminated, influencing how and where people work and how goods and services are accessed. Some manufacturing and distribution of goods are shifting to a smaller and medium scale, emphasising the role of local industrial and urban services land.
The Greater Sydney Region, in addition to being one of the fastest growing metropolises of the Western world, is a metropolis that is growing in three different ways, each of which presents its own challenges.
In new communities – in land release areas – a large part of the growth is to come from a new urban corridor from Greater Macarthur in the south west, through Bringelly and Penrith in the west to Rouse Hill in the north west. At the same time, parts of existing urban areas are undergoing transformative urban renewal as they transition from suburban to walkable urban centres connected by high frequency public transport services with enhanced interchanges. Infill development is also playing an important role in delivering growth balanced with local character.
There are major opportunities to respond to the challenges and adapt to the changes. Targeted growth and investment can rebalance and improve opportunities for all who live in Greater Sydney. In this context, A Metropolis of Three Cities aims to align infrastructure and growth to restructure economic activity and access across the three cities: