Designing the Global City: Design Excellence, Competitions and the Remaking of Central Sydney

The text explores how global cities use architectural and urban design values to enhance their economic competitiveness by creating a superior built environment. It focuses on the experience of central Sydney through its policy commitment to 'design excellence and mandatory competitive design processes for major private development.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 353 pages
\n Publication date: 22 January 2019
\n Publisher: Springer Verlag, Singapore
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The text delves into the fascinating phenomenon of how global cities have harnessed architectural and urban design values to boost their economic competitiveness. By creating a superior built environment that goes beyond mere aesthetics and embraces productivity and sustainability, these cities aim to attract investments, stimulate growth, and establish themselves as hubs of innovation and progress. Central Sydney serves as a prime example of this strategy, with a strong policy commitment to "design excellence" and mandatory competitive design processes for major private development.

This text, framed within broader contexts that compare it to similar urban policy and design issues in the Asia-Pacific region and globally, offers a scholarly yet accessible overview of a policy that has profoundly impacted the design culture, development expectations, public realm, and skyline of central Sydney. It raises critical issues surrounding the uneven distribution of benefits and costs, professional practice, representative democracy, and the implications of globalization.

The text begins by examining the historical background and motivations behind the policy commitment to design excellence in central Sydney. It explores how the city's policymakers recognized the importance of aesthetics and the built environment in attracting investments, creating jobs, and enhancing the quality of life for its residents. Recognizing the potential of design to drive economic growth, they implemented competitive design processes to ensure that private development projects meet high standards of aesthetics, functionality, and sustainability.

The text then delves into the specific mechanisms and processes that have been put in place to achieve design excellence in central Sydney. It discusses the establishment of design review panels, the involvement of professional architects and urban designers, and the adoption of design guidelines and standards that promote innovative and sustainable design practices. These measures have helped to shape the city's skyline, creating iconic buildings and public spaces that have become landmarks of Sydney's urban identity.

However, the text also raises important questions and concerns about the impact of this policy on the distribution of benefits and costs. It explores how the benefits of design excellence have often been concentrated in the hands of developers and property owners, while the costs have been borne by the public sector, including taxpayers and local communities. This has led to debates about the role of the private sector in driving economic growth and the need for greater public involvement in decision-making processes.

The text also examines the professional practices and responsibilities of architects and urban designers in the context of competitive design processes. It highlights the need for these professionals to balance the demands of developers with the broader societal goals of sustainability and livability. It raises concerns about the potential for professional practices to be influenced by commercial interests and the need for greater transparency and accountability in the design process.

Representative democracy is another critical issue that the text explores. It examines how the policy commitment to design excellence has impacted the democratic process and the ability of local communities to have a say in the development of their cities. It raises questions about the role of elected officials, community groups, and other stakeholders in shaping the design of their neighborhoods. It also explores the implications of globalization on urban design and the challenges that cities face in balancing local needs with the demands of a globalized economy.

In conclusion, this text provides a comprehensive and critical analysis of how architectural and urban design values have been co-opted by global cities to enhance their economic competitiveness. It offers a balanced and accessible overview of a policy that has changed the design culture, development expectations, public realm
realm, and skyline of central Sydney, raising issues surrounding the uneven distribution of benefits and costs, professional practice, representative democracy, and the implications of globalization. By examining the experiences of central Sydney and comparing them to broader contexts, the text provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between urban policy, design, and the broader social and economic dynamics of cities.

\n Weight: 610g\n
Dimension: 155 x 217 x 28 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9789811320552\n
Edition number: 1st ed. 2019\n