Sydney, the future city now

Dubbed the Tech start-up Capital of Australia Sydney’s new Tech Central precinct sits across six inner city neighbourhoods and is easily accessed from the city centre and a short distance from Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport. The $3 billion project will see the development of Central Place Sydney alongside Central Station, at the core of which will be technology giant Atlassian’s 40-storey office, designed for hybrid work. The precinct brings together future thinkers alongside capital investors in impressive mixed-use communities and state-of-the-art research facilities and laboratories, creating a powerful ecosystem of talent and technology. Already, internationally recognised universities, research institutions and one of Australia's premium research hospitals are located here, giving foundation to Sydney’s innovative heart and one of Australia’s most expansive multidisciplinary research ecosystems.  

Sitting on the western harbourfront at the fringe of the central business district and alongside the International Convention Centre Sydney, Darling Harbour is being revitalised in a $2 billion dollar redevelopment. The original 1980s precinct has been reimagined to create a five-storey multi-use space, including retail and commercial areas and an entertainment quarter. The development will connect by bridge the neighbouring inner-city areas of Pyrmont and Haymarket (think Chinatown, markets and theatres), with the existing Tumbalong Bridge to remain the major connection to the city centre. The updated precinct will boast 10,000 square metres of redeveloped public domain, including a waterfront garden and waterside promenade. Here, the W Sydney hotel is scheduled to open in October 2023, as the largest W Hotel in Marriott’s global collection.  

Sydney’s working fish market has long been a drawcard for locals and visitors alike, with more than three million people visiting each year. Located on Blackwattle Bay on the western side of Sydney Harbour, a $750 million building and precinct redevelopment is underway. This new expansive purpose-built space, designed by renown architects 3XN celebrates the fishing industry with a waved, scale patterned roof while floor to ceiling glass walls overlook the wharves. The ground floor is home to the vibrant auction house, market hall and food stalls laden with responsibly sourced fresh seafood and produce. On the mezzanine is the renowned Sydney Seafood School, a bar and offices. The markets are connected to Pyrmont by a walkway and to neighbouring Darling Harbour by a 20-metre-wide foreshore promenade and walking track. Expected to attract double the number of visitors each year, the redevelopment is due for completion in 2024.  

Gracing the northern end of Darling Harbour with its own precincts and outstanding cityscape, Barangaroo continues to evolve its offering to the Sydney Harbour foreshore. Creating a multi-level event space, the natural underground cutaway under the Barangaroo Reserve is under development. Elegantly designed palm frond-like columns by architecture firm FJMT Studio will create a sculpted rim while inside there will be cultural and event facilities, spanning three levels. The Cutaway will be the new jewel in Barangaroo’s crown, celebrating Sydney and New South Wales’ rich First Nations history and culture. Complementing a recently opened harbour pool sheltered in the precinct’s Marrinawi Cove, plans for a 1.85 hectare harbourside park have also been unveiled. This innovative, carbon neutral precinct continues to push the city into the future, today. 

Located in Rozelle, a suburb that fringes the western side of Sydney Harbour, White Bay is undergoing a significant infrastructure development. The focal point is the heritage-listed White Bay Power Station, where urban renewal and cultural developments will create a vibrant waterside community connected to precincts in Parramatta, Westmead, Blackwattle Bay (Sydney Fish Markets) and the city. White Bay will be home to a multipurpose community hub, new residential and affordable housing options and an expansive waterfront promenade adjacent to shops, restaurants and cafes. Industrial landscapes in Rozelle are being transformed into 10 hectares of gardens, wetlands and sporting facilities to round off this much anticipated precinct development.

Already home to Sydney’s foremost research and training hospital and children’s hospital, the vision is for Westmead to be Australia’s premier health and innovation district by 2036 driving a new economy strength centred on innovation, health and education.  

With a role in servicing the needs of the Greater Sydney region, Westmead will bring together leading researchers, entrepreneurs, health workers and students to create a Health Enterprise Zone. To achieve this, the precinct will be developed to include a new university, diverse housing options and transport connections that will support the vision of Greater Parramatta as Sydney’s Central River City. 

The biggest infrastructure and cultural investment since the Sydney Opera House, Powerhouse Parramatta is set to be the largest museum in NSW. Located in Parramatta, the original centre of settlement in Western Sydney and the geographical heart of Sydney, Powerhouse Parramatta is expected to draw two million visitors annually. Touted to be the leading science and technology museum in the Southern Hemisphere, 18,000 square metres of exhibition and public space will house seven large-scale exhibition galleries for the Powerhouse collection. The museum will be a 6-star Green Star building with net zero operations from the day it opens. Sitting on the Parramatta River, this rapidly renewing area is a scenic ferry ride from Sydney’s  city centre.  

Powerhouse Parramatta will also be home to Powerlab, a co-working space bringing together Powerhouse employees, researchers, industry, partners, students and members of the community into one collaborative working space. Driving education in STEM for the next generation of future thinkers, more than 10,000 local and regional students will participate in world-class immersive STEM education experiences here, including overnight stays at the museum. 

In Western Sydney, the new Western Sydney International Airport is being developed adjacent to Bradfield, which will be a 114-hectare 22nd Century city hub for Sydney’s Western Parkland region at the foot of the heritage-listed Blue Mountains. The new Aerotropolis Precinct will deliver a smarter approach to multi-utility infrastructure, including clean green technology, large public spaces and transport connections to Sydney’s Harbour City centre. The CSIRO – the Australia Government agency responsible for scientific and technological research – will attract bright minds, as will an advanced manufacturing research facility where businesses can design and test their innovations. Anticipated to be a key Indo-Pacific hub, the Western Sydney International Airport is on track to open in 2026.