Sydney's Mayor: 'Environmental Crisis Looms Large'

The Lord Mayor of Sydney has used very blunt language to characterize the city's future, yet planning to counter anticipated problems is still in the early stages.

1 minute read

June 7, 2007, 8:00 AM PDT

By davarnado


"Sydney is a city eating its own environment. Urban sprawl is devouring parklands and market gardens; sewage and litter foul waterways, and air pollution from cars is so bad health alerts will soon be sent to asthma sufferers."

"And it could get worse, says the Lord Mayor, Clover Moore."

"Launching a project to tackle mounting problems, Moore will today paint a bleak picture of the city in 2030 if nothing is done to curb car travel, cut water and electricity consumption and make housing more sustainable."

"Sydney's "ecological footprint" - the land required to produce all the goods Sydneysiders use and the land needed to dispose of our waste - is equivalent to 49 per cent of NSW. By 2030, when the city is expected to accommodate 1.1 million more people, that footprint will have increased to 95 per cent of the state."

Wednesday, June 6, 2007 in The Sydney Morning Herald

Aerial view of homes on green hillsides in Daly City, California.

Depopulation Patterns Get Weird

A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.

April 10, 2024 - California Planning & Development Report

Large blank mall building with only two cars in large parking lot.

Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House

If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.

April 18, 2024 - Central Penn Business Journal

Aerial view of Oakland, California with bay in background

California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million

Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.

April 11, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

Young woman and man seated on subway car looking at phones.

Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features

It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.

April 19 - BGR

Ohio state capitol dome against dramatic lightly cloudy sky.

Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production

A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.

April 19 - Daytona Daily News

Aerial view of Interstate 290 or Eisenhower Expressway in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant

Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.

April 19 - Streetsblog Chicago

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.