The New Sydney Waterfront is Australia’s first Business Improvement District (BID). It encompasses Sydney’s Western Harbour from Walsh Bay to Blackwattle Bay, housing one of the largest cultural clusters in the country. Under a new charter, and with around 12 billion dollars of new investment planned over the next ten years, the district aims to be The World’s Best Waterfront.

Cultural Capital worked with Matt Barratt to prepare the Cultural Framework. The framework translated the aspirations of cultural partners into strategic directions and tangible initiatives that will shape the future experience of the district. Working with key stakeholders, we identified the challenges and outlined a diverse range of opportunities to actively reconnect and elevate the district into a flourishing cultural landscape.

Providing four strategic directions supported by twelve potential initiatives, the framework demonstrates how cultural and creative expression can bind the district together to attract investment, visitation, participation, and engagement. Global exemplars for successful precincts provided precedents for civic-scale investment.

The framework outlines clear directions for expanding the Western Harbour’s role in Sydney’s civic and cultural life and supports its mission to be The World’s Best Waterfront.

Photography: Maksym Kozlenko