Unlocking Sydney: No Lazy Spaces

Cities thrive when they are diverse. When they cater to the needs of everyone.

I want Sydney to be a place that is welcoming to young people, to people with families, to people who've left the workforce, to people running small businesses, to all our creative residents running bars and art spaces and music venues. I want more green spaces, and those "third places" for us all to meet and enjoy our beautiful city, and for it to be accessible to every one of the 1.2 million people who pass through the City of Sydney every single day.

But our high streets can't thrive when private property owners landbank shopfronts, pubs, hotels and other spaces that could be home to artist's studios, affordable housing for essential workers to be able to actually afford to rent near where they work, new restaurants, collaborative workspaces--or anything else that anyone with a vision can dream up.

What they need is space.

I am committed to devising strategies that will free up these unproductive assets to return them to our communities in arrangements that benefit all of us: thriving high streets are great for property owners, for people who run businesses, and most of all, for us: the people of Sydney who love nothing than a big day--or night--out.

Have ideas for a lazy space that could be transformed within the City of Sydney local government area? Then I want to hear from you.