In less than 250 years, Sydney has evolved from fledgling colonial outpost to thriving global city, it s emerald harbour or the iconic opera house the envy of the world. But behind the postcard-perfect images, it s a city struggling with its own success. A city quite literally bursting at the seams, with a population of 5 million, and growing at a rate of 100,000 every year. A city with a proud past that can have a wonderful future. But for that to happen, it needs something that it s never had an effective, comprehensive plan for urban development and design. This is the point of departure for Ed Lippmann, renowned and respected Sydney Architect. He s seen firsthand the problems that have come from the city s lack of planning and he has a unique perspective on how they might be avoided in the future. Sydney XXXL, digs deep into Sydney s history, charting the financial and political interests that have shaped its development, and most importantly identifying the key decisions that have to be made to accommodate future population growth in a more livable, sustainable city.
