What's The Next Big Idea for Australia's Largest City?

A new international competition has been launched seeking out the next big infrastructure ideas for Australia’s largest city.

The competition is being led by industry body Consult Australia in association with the Future Cities Collaborative, an initiative of the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.

In putting out the call for submissions, Consult Australia’s New South Wales State Manager Matthew Trigg said the competition was a way for individuals and teams to flex their creative muscles in the interest of creating a better city:

‘This is about expanding our view of what is possible for Sydney. We hope to find fresh thinking and spark a wider conversation about how to make the most of this amazing city. Using value capture these projects will be designed without being a burden on tax payers and in time will pay for themselves," he said.

"Infrastructure is a broad term, so we are expecting to receive a broad range of proposals; some more realistic than others, but all will help further the discussion on what is needed in the short and long term.

‘There is a massive amount of expertise out there at all levels, but there are few opportunities for this kind of discussion and many people are itching to talk about what they think will make their city better.

‘We are not short of ideas. It’s time we put them forward."

Future Cities Collaborative Director Sandy Burgoyne said the competition was a way to continue to inspire industry, community and government to think differently about infrastructure challenges and consider new ways of funding and financing city-shaping initiatives.

The competition is open to anyone, with submissions due by Monday 29 February 2016. Entries will be publicly exhibited and judged on originality, practicality, economic, social, environmental, and communication criteria.

More information can be found on the 

competition website.