[LINK] NSW 'Silicon Valley' to create job boom

[grove at zeta.org.au]

On Wed, 18 Feb 2009, Tom Koltai wrote:

>> <brd>
>> Do you suppose "they" have thought this through?
>>
>> I admire their intent, but wonder if what are doing will work.
>>
>
> Actually - I rather think it will.
> Existing examples ....
>
> Rancho Cordovo in sacramento CA USA
> Silverwater in Sydney NSW

They will want to have a better arcology than the Norwest Business Park.

That seems to be a huge design flaw with monumental structures surrounded
by narrow roads and too few junctions into/out of the area and restricted
public transport services.

I went for a job interview with a business there and I had to take a 
train from Penrith to Blacktown then a taxi that cost $40 each way.
The ony public transport in/out of Norwest is a bus service, which 
apparently on a normal work day can take over an hour, turning 
what should be an easy commute into a onerous route of bus and train.

So whatever design that is put into practice needs to have cutting 
edge infrastructure - light rail, car free zones, bike paths, 
micro bus to rail point and so on.

I am all for these grand designs in the outer west of Sydney. 
It is good for me and the region, but it must exclude the notion 
of the automobile or it will just be another Norwest, with 
a dormitory suburb of McMansions down the strip at the back.


rachel

-- 
Rachel Polanskis                 Kingswood, Greater Western Sydney, Australia
grove at zeta.org.au                http://www.zeta.org.au/~grove/grove.html
 		The price of greatness is responsibility.