This three part blog summarises some thoughts about the new Draft Metropolitan Strategy for Sydney to 2031. These blogs will recommend how the context, transport planning, and special precincts should be improved.

As I began reading the draft strategy I was instantly confronted by the complete lack of history and context given to the document. How can you convince an audience that the strategy will work when you don't even provide a context for what the strategy will need to address. To resolve this omission, I suggest the strategy should be improved by; evaluating previous strategies, presenting a pipeline of outcomes, clearly define an objective for the strategy, and align it with the current urban context.

Evaluate previous strategies

It was only three years ago we were reviewing a metro strategy, and here we are again. I understand the importance of reviewing and updating a strategy to ensure it is aligned with the current political and social context,  however I am concerned the new draft strategy appears to make no effort to engage with the success or failures of the previous metropolitan strategies. The change of government presents a great opportunity to critically analyse the successes and failures of the previous strategies. A framework should be used to develop a set of measurable criteria. For example, how has the previous strategy performed in delivering housing, reducing commute times, increasing accessibility to jobs, education, recreation, etc.

In its current evolution, the metropolitan strategy seems to be progressively omitting detail rather than refining it. The climate change chapter is gone and there is little acknowledgement of how Sydney will be robust and resilient in the face of climate change. The last strategy was focused on a concept of a "city of cities", although this draft strategy appears to be limited only to accommodating growth, as if that were the only challenge and opportunity in our metropolitan region. I would suggest the goal of building a city of cities should be continued and further refined rather than being replaced with something as simplistic as growth.

Present a pipeline of outcomes

The updated strategy has also adopted a shorter time horizon of just eighteen years. This horizon is significantly shorter than the 2005 and 2010 metropolitan plans, both of which had a twenty six year horizon. To provide a longer term strategic direction for the metropolitan area, the strategy should include three strategic horizons; short term (5 years), medium term (15 years), and long term (30 to 40 years). These different horizons should be addressed in each chapter to demonstrate longer term thinking and planning has been addressed in developing shorter term policies and action plans.

Define the objective

When developing any strategy it is critical to first identify a fundamental objective you will be working towards. A fundamental objective allows us to consider how each policy goal and action within the strategy contributes to that objective. The draft metropolitan strategy does not clearly state any fundamental objective. The phrase, “a strong global city - a liveable local city” (p4) is presented in the introduction. I think this is a good objective and should be clearly defined as the fundamental objective. Each policy goal and action within the strategy should demonstrate how it contributes to that objective.

Align with urban context

To develop and refine the Sydney metropolitan strategy it is essential to align the strategy with the contextual circumstances of the region. This context includes, but is not limited to, the; geography, economy, population, demographics, health, natural environment, and an understanding of the existing built environment. The draft metropolitan strategy makes little or no effort to address these contextual circumstances and makes only modest references to academic research and government reports in footnotes throughout the document. These findings should be summarised and presented in the strategy introduction. These might include;

 

Geography	Explain the topography and natural features of the region. Identify natural barriers, high conservation areas, prevailing weather patterns and climate. Should we be expanding the metropolitan area further west, or along the coast, or both?
Economy	Illustrate the decline in productivity, structural change, growth of knowledge-intensive activities Rising energy costs and fossil fuel dependence Influence of globalisation and foreign investment
Population	Population and growth rate Immigration and birth rates Population density pattern
Demographics	Aging population Changing household sizes Spatial inequality, SEIFA index Suburban disadvantage, VAMPIRE index
Health	Increasing rates of obesity Spatial health inequality, 80% of western Sydney is overweight or obese (The health of the people of New South Wales - Report of the Chief Health Officer - Summary Report p34-43)
Natural Environment	Discuss the challenge of mitigating the risks associated with climate change More frequent bushfires, storms, floods, raising sea level, habitat loss
Existing built environment	Low density car dependant suburban environment History of segregated land use planning Highlight conservation areas

Through addressing this contextual information, the audience should come to an understanding of the research and evidence used by planners to develop the policy goals and action plans within the strategy. With a clear objective and context we will then be able to consider how the policy goals and actions will contribute to resolving the challenges identified within this contextual information.