SYDNEY, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Australia's largest city is set to transform after a new development strategy encourages buildings to reach for the heavens.
A draft urban planning strategy for Sydney's Central Business District (CBD), released on Thursday has raised the height limit of buildings to 310 meters in dedicated areas while imposing restrictions on residential buildings to help meet long-term economic needs.
The most detailed review of Sydney's CBD since 1971 will cause a dramatic shift in the city's skyline as the current tallest commercial building in Sydney stands at 216 meters while allowing the commercial core to spread west to the edge Darling Harbour, and south towards Central Station.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the 20-year strategy will provide certainty of Sydney's continued economic and employment growth through the 30 percent increase on floor space for commercial use.
"Past planning strategies have successfully increased the number of residential buildings in the city centre, but now we need to protect and increase the amount of productive floor space to maintain Sydney's economic vitality and resilience," Moore said in a statement on Thursday.
Moore said however the economic imperatives of improving the CBD must also be balanced with the needs for social infrastructure and amenity, thus the city's heritage and public spaces have been protected to improve the city's "liveability."
