Improving Sydney – a start on the future (part 2)
In the first part of this (what could turn out to be quite a rant I addressed (a small part) of what I think has to happen for Sydney to continue to grow and move on from a Beta city into a Global city. I’ve also found some interesting plans which I will present and incorporate into my vision.
George Street, Sydney
“It’s certainly no Broadway, Oxford St or the Champs-Elysées”
I went to Webjam 8 the other night. The idea’s good, didn’t see anything mind blowing though. “What has this got to do with George st?” you say.
Well I work in Millers point (the Rocks) – Webjam was at Bar Broadway, in Broadway. A full 4kms away. I decided to catch a bus at it’s a bit of a walk. By bus it took almost 40 mins. Yes that is an average speed of 6kmph. It would have (almost) been quicker to walk.
The traffic down George st at almost anytime of the day or night is just ridiculous. I’ve stumbled out of bars at 3am in the morning and walked right into a traffic jam. Hundreds of cars, horns honking. Walking past them and laughing. The cars stuck. Me moving.
That’s what makes this plan for George st so fascinating to me. It matches perfectly my long held vision of a full pedestrian road. Why not? Large cross sections of the city are pedestrian only, so why not the main thoroughfare. With passengers being taken down the 4km stretch by either tram or a lighter subway system that can move more passengers, more quickly.
This idea might even reinvigorate the shopping on George st. Once Sydney and especially George st was one of the largest shopping centres in the world. With the likes of the two Anthony Horden stores (the other one). Cinemas, theatres and shopping arcades made the Sydney CBD one big shopping mall.
These days most of Sydney’s shopping has moved on to Pitt st and underground. Who could believe that in a country such as Australia with its fantastic weather there is a city underneath a city. With 3kms and another kilometre to come of fully connected underground shopping.
The benefits that would come by closing George st to traffic would so overwhelmingly crush the negatives that there’s no reason not to do it now. Plus it wouldn’t really cost that much. Just through a few pavers and couple of little parks on the street and you’re done.
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