Lucy Turnbull has said in an interview with Fairfax Media that she is working on a project to examine how to make Sydney more female-friendly in her role as the chair of the Committee for Sydney.
Lucy Turnbull by Eva Rinaldi, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Turnbull cites “glamorous designer pavements” in some parts of the city and the Sydney Town Hall as places that lack pram-friendly design elements.
She recounted an anecdote about the difficulties in taking her baby son – who is now 33 – to get vaccinated at the town hall, with the building’s steps presenting a serious hurdle.
The idea that urban planners and devlopers need to consider parents travelling to work via childcare is mentioned in the same interview.
“If a city is female friendly, it is friendly for everybody. It’s not an exclusionary idea of female friendly, but to ensure that women and young children […] are able to fully participate in the life of the city and the economy of the city,” she said.
Turnbull served as Sydney’s lord mayor from 2003 to 2004 – the first woman in the role. She has a background in commercial law and banking, and has a long-held interest in urban issues.
“I’ve been passionately interested and involved in cities, and particularly Sydney […] It’s a very important part of my life,” she said.
The idea of female friendly cities has been previously introduced by built environment professionals. Earlier this year ArchitectureAU interviewed Caroline Stalker, a director of Architectus Brisbane, about the notion that women’s involvement in the design process can lead to more inclusive cities.
Turnbull also spoke about the importance of housing affordability, and concerns about the city being divided “between the haves and the have nots.”
Turnbull also referenced Parramatta and her hopes that it will succeed as a great second city. Among the projects designed to rejuvenate Parramatta are a $200 million riverfront project, a $35 million Parramatta Square urban renewal project and a brand new 30,000-seat sports stadium.
“The government has been getting on top of it, but Sydney’s future success will depend on being a well connected, polycentric city,” she said.
The Committee for Sydney is a think tank, backed by a number of powerful groups, that puts forward ideas and projects for bettering the city.
