Essay

Using archival images from the city of Sydney archive and screenshots collected from
google street view, along with other primary evidence (e.g. NSW, State library websites,
urban studies and geographical academic journals and books) identify and discuss 3 ways
in which Pyrmont’s urban landscape provides evidence of how Sydney has become a
global economic city.
Identify and discuss 3 ways in which Pyrmont’s urban landscape provides evidence of how
Sydney has become a global economic city:
 Ability to influence the flow of innovation

 Sydney is the destination of choice for business leaders
 Political engagement
 Cultural experience
 Urban consolidation, gentrification, deindustrialisation
1. Ability to influence the flow of innovation through gentrification.

- Terminus Hotel NW Corner
- Dates back to 1941 – originally called Pyrmont Hotel
- As the community started to change and industry started to move, the population
initially decreased and hotel was closed in 1890
- Developers were interested in redeveloping to meet new standards of the
community by gentrifications for the hotel for new and different needs
- Now catering to new professional needs
- The community initially has the ability to influence the flow of innovation throughout
the community through gentrification.
- In the image you can see the gentrified hotel and how it has changed compared to
what it was (find an image of it before)
- New built gentrification, new built in exclusionary community, about the people who
are living there now
- A corner store which used to be a workers house is now gentrified into a health
service, catering for the new community
- Before the health service, the corner store used to be a pub for workers
- Behind the former pub is an employment building with office space
2. Cultural experience through tourism / deindustrialisation of Pyrmont

- Deindustrialisation in Pyrmont led to the demolition of the power house station
- Star casino was the original site of the first power station in Sydney
- By 1950’s a new power station was redeveloped performing the same function
- In 1994 it was permanently deindustrialised and transformed into a star casino
- Through the use of deindustrialisation in Pyrmont Sydney has become a global
economic city because it is more opened to tourism, as people from other countries
visit the star casino.
- Pyrmont bridge 1: connecting the city and the industrial area of Pyrmont from mid
19 century to late 20th century
- In 1930 a new bridge was re developed into an opening bridge - it used to open for
industrial boats moving into duck pong, which is now used to open for leisure oats
- In the past it used to have road traffic when transporting goods across – 1904 horses
and carts
- By early 1982 cars stopped coming through the bridge
- Over the years it was deindustrialised and transitioned into a leisure, replaced by
walkways that connects tourists
- Essentially deindustrialisation in Pyrmont created a cultural experience for tourists,
making Sydney an economic global city.
3. Urban consolidation
- Urban consolidation – live, work and play
- The community had been transformed from industry to residential
- Building in value which translates into housing market
- The transition was managed by the state government as they dictated that the
community title development that can be built
- Hugh rise building built with open spaces to meet the residential needs and wants
- Little park – sign that says reserve
- ‘city of Sydney park’ – little parks have become an essential feature
- Urban consolidation as the small park is infrastructure for high rise buildings and an
entrance to city sight
- More than 90 percent of people now live in apartments as a new way of living in
consolidated
- The small community garden added – is a mix of work and living
- The communities types of leisure is structured in a small pocket and community
- The aspect of having a walkable city which urban consolidation brings
-
Sydney is represented as a global city, characterised by its economic, social and cultural links
to the rest of the world. Factors including urban consolidation, gentrification and
deindustrialisation all provide evidence that Pyrmont’s urban landscape has contributed to
ways that Sydney has become a global city. Pyrmont was re-developed in mid 1990’s by
Lend Lease as the government wanted to match the needs of a changing economy, as all
heavy industry was removed.
Pyrmont/Ultimo ultimately removed all heavy industry, including the four mills, the large
CSR complex, and the wool stores. Planners then developed the city to match new
residential needs. Gentrification provides evidence of how Pyrmont was developed for
peoples satisfactory needs. A new exclusionary community was constructed, when the
removal of heavy industry led the community to shrink under 1,000. Transforming from an
industry location to a highly residential area, buildings were built in value, therefore
historical buildings were transformed to meet these new needs. Bowman St, near the
Jacksons Landing Gatehouse, a heritage house is now security for Jackson’s landing. We can
automatically notice that gentrification has been placed in Pyrmont to adapt to new
standards. Altering heritage sights to protect and accustom for the new high end residents.
In figure 1 (picture of building that’s now security) we can see that the new security building
is an old heritage house, that has been gentrified to adapt to the new community and for a
completely different use. Smith and Williams (1986) argue that gentrification emphasises
the divisions between the gentrifying middle class and the traditional inhabitants.
(economic restructuring). Referring to figure 1 it is evident that Pyrmont has adapted to the
middle class society now having security for the neighbourhood, as it once used to be used
for industrial purposes. Gentrification particularly in Jacksons Landing provides an insight
into how Sydney had become a global economic city, providing for the middle class, also
being a tourist attraction located near the bay, with access to the public, shown in figure 2
(picture of access to the bay). Pyrmont has also gentrified and renewed the light rail,
particularly to satisfy the needs of the community. Before Pyrmont/Ultimo was re
developed, trains were used specifically to move goods, whereas now they are being used in
particular to move people to their whereabouts, satisfying a different need. In the past the
light rail conveyed a loud and disturbing noise in the community. Until it was gentrified to
produce less noise, being less disturbing for the community. In figure 3 (pic of light rail sign)
you can see that the light rail is positioned by surrounding units, were resident don’t want
to be disturbed by noise. The gentrification of the light rail in Pyrmont provides evidence of
how Sydney has become a global economic city, providing for the community so it is no
longer a burden when looking into settling in the neighbourhood. Therefore, a less of a
burden, and easy access to transport allows the community to grow and become a global
city. Overall, gentrification in Pyrmont’s urban landscape provides evidence of how Sydney
has become a global economic city. Developing a bigger community by adjusting to
residential needs and by allowing access to the public as it allows for a global flow.
Urban consolidation in Pyrmont’s landscape provides evidence of how Sydney has become a
global economic city.
figure1: hotel before
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4 – casino
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7

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Using archival images from the city of Sydney archive and screenshots collected from

 Ability to influence the flow of innovation

1. Ability to influence the flow of innovation through gentrification.

2. Cultural experience through tourism / deindustrialisation of Pyrmont

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