Creating a Parkland City urban structure and identity, with South Creek as a defining spatial element

South Creek is at the heart of the Western Parkland City. Rapid and sustained growth in the Western Parkland City, particularly in Growth Areas close to South Creek and tributaries such as Kemps Creek, Lowes Creek and Badgerys Creek, will see its population grow to well over 1.5 million by 2056.

A Metropolis of Three Cities' vision for South Creek Corridor is to transform its water management, while using the creek corridor to form the spine of the Western Parkland City. This conceptualises a green corridor that provides sites for parks, walking and cycling trails, community facilities, and ecological services including nutrient capture, urban cooling, and local habitat. Innovative approaches will be needed to incorporate specific landscape and waterway features into the design of new urban communities. Areas of higher density and high quality public spaces will orientate towards waterways, making the most of this green infrastructure (refer to Figure 21).

Walking and cycling trails will connect the creek's open spaces and regularly spaced bridge crossings will enable people to experience the landscape and connect communities. The design of bridges will respect the local context and environment, and support the movement of wildlife.

Maximising public ownership of riparian corridors will support habitat, create opportunities for new open space, including sporting facilities, and help to support healthy waterways including downstream in the Hawkesbury River by managing flows of water and nutrients from stormwater.

Retaining more water in the landscape, for example by creating new wetlands, irrigating the urban tree canopy and maximising opportunities that smaller intermittent streams provide, will help to mitigate the urban heat island effect and manage flows of stormwater.

Creating contiguous corridors of public open space and expanding the urban tree canopy (refer to Planning Priority W15) will also help mitigate the urban heat island effect, manage flows of stormwater and create attractive locations for new and growing communities. They will support the liveability, productivity and sustainability of the area.

In older established neighbourhoods along South Creek, urban renewal and infill development may improve access to waterways. In recently established neighbourhoods, such as those in the South West Growth Area, environment zones have been used along major waterways, making a step towards a green parkland city.