The NSW government’s transport oriented development (TOD) planning reforms have been adopted with the primary goal of making more residential dwellings available by increasing urban density within 400 metres of 37 designated railway stations in Sydney.
But the success of the strategy will depend on more than providing thousands of new dwellings.
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It will be essential that the amount of public open space, parks and recreation opportunities in these areas is substantially increased to support the health and wellbeing of residents.
The Public Open Space Strategy for NSW issued by the previous Department of Planning and Environment in 2022 acknowledges that public open space is the foundation of liveable communities and is essential infrastructure.
The strategy also notes that despite widespread recognition of the value of public open space, quality and accessibility vary widely across Sydney’s metro region.
This inequity is amplified by a lack of coordinated planning, adequate funding and design resources, which can result in missed opportunities to achieve the stated goals of the strategy.
The Open Space Strategy emphasises that public open space must be considered as infrastructure that is essential to the creation of attractive, healthy and green urban environments, and its value effectively augmented.
The strategy acknowledges that the Department of Planning has a responsibility to expand and enhance the public open space network and implement a whole-of-government commitment to plan and manage state and local government-owned public open spaces.
The strategy also recognises the need for a more coordinated, and fiscally responsible process to be adopted by agencies to fulfill their shared commitment to create and manage quality public open space.
In greenfield residential developments the provision of new open space is usually negotiated with the developer and forms part of the conditions of approval. But in existing developed urban areas, particularly those areas surrounding transport nodes that are subject to TOD, the cost of land will be a major factor constraining the creation of new public open space.
The Open Space Strategy makes a strong case for the essential role of public open space and the responsibilities of state and local government to meet the needs of existing and future populations.
What the Strategy does not address is the issue of how and where new public open space will be created.
In greenfield residential developments the provision of new open space is usually negotiated with the developer and forms part of the conditions of approval.
But in existing developed urban areas, particularly those areas surrounding transport nodes that are subject to TOD, the cost of land will be a major factor constraining the creation of new public open space.
Opportunities to create new open space in these areas are often limited to the conversion of former industrial brownfield sites, use of rehabilitated landfills or upgrading of drainage corridors.
Innovative thinking is needed to identify opportunities to develop new public open space at the scale required to meet the needs of residents in the TOD areas where increased density will occur around railway stations and other transport nodes.
Use of air space to create new open space
Use of the air space over rail and road corridors provides a major opportunity to create new public open space. Numerous examples of open space developed on decked-over rail lines can be seen overseas and at a recent development on Sydney’s Lower North Shore.
A major advantage of this approach is that the new open space is located alongside the new residential development and is readily accessible to the new residents.
The economic model for this type of development can also include mixed commercial and residential uses constructed on part of the decked-over air space. This would also help to meet the TOD increased density targets.
Sound urban planning around the railway stations designated for TOD should identify feasible locations and facilitate innovative design to create new public open space by decking over the air space above rail corridors.
These new open spaces should not be limited to paved public plazas but also incorporate green open areas, parks, playgrounds, community gardens, sporting fields and pedestrian and cycle connections.
New facilities also need to cater for all age groups and encourage social interaction.
Landscape design should feature indigenous plant species to increase biodiversity and provide visual amenity for open space users and residents in surrounding high rise buildings.
Examples of new open space over rail and road corridors
Some examples of new open space being created on decking over rail and road transport corridors are presented below.
Wadanggari Park, St Leonards, Sydney
Located immediately south of St Leonards railway station on the Sydney North Shore rail line and is possibly the only park in Australia built over a rail line.
Developed on a deck constructed over the railway corridor, the park provides 4.75 hectares of new public open space at the base of a high density mixed-use towers. Used by residents in adjoining high rise apartments, as well as people working in the adjacent St. Leonards commercial centre.
Facilities include an adventure playground, lawn areas, abundant seating and shade, public art and extensive plantings of native species.
Millennium Park, Chicago
A 10 hectare public park built on a deck over abandoned rail yards, together with an active rail line, a busway and two multi-level parking structures that together form a multi-modal transit centre.
Located adjoining the commercial centre of Chicago, Millennium Park opened in 2004, to provide cultural and recreational facilities that include an outdoor performance venue, public art and extensive plantings and gardens used by residents, city workers and tourists all year around.
The Presidio Parkway Tunnel Tops, San Francisco
Developed on top of a six lane highway, Presidio Parkway was reconstructed along a new alignment located further back from the waterfront.
To restore pedestrian connectivity between the Presidio and the waterfront parkland, two 350 metre long cast in-situ tunnels were incorporated into the design.
The tunnel tops support more than five hectares of landscaped open space, pathways and play environments.
Summary
The increased residential density that will result from the NSW government’s TOD strategy will demand the provision of new public open space for the physical health and mental wellbeing of residents.
Development of air space over rail corridors has been successfully used in many cities to create new open space in dense urban areas. Wadanggari Park has also demonstrated this to be a viable solution to meet a large proportion of the additional open space required by the TOD strategy.
Urban planning and design of the areas surrounding TOD designated railway stations should incorporate the use the air space over the rail corridor to provide the new public open space required to meet the needs of the thousands of new residents in these areas.
Design of the new public open space must respond to the context of existing and proposed development and provide for a combination of active and passive recreation that meets the needs of the new community.
Further, these developments can become biodiversity nodes along the corridors of the city’s grey infrastructure.