MAPPING CULTURE

6.4 Implications for City of Sydney cultural policy making
This mapping exercise aligns with a particular aim of City of Sydney’s Cultural Policy
and Action Plan (2014), which is to ‘[m]ap neighbourhood cultural activity and
infrastructure, and plan for ways to serve neighbourhoods by identifying gaps and
promoting current cultural assets’ (p.42). Briefly described below are two urban
initiative elements that can potentially draw upon this mapping exercise: first, how
development proposals may impact upon current cultural assets; and, second, how to
understand better existing strengths and patterns of ‘creative clusters’ (alongside gaps
requiring support and/or further research).
Development proposals
This mapping exercise can inform exploration and analysis of existing and future
development proposals from multiple sectors which potentially impact on cultural
infrastructure and activity in City of Sydney villages. Extracting data and producing
maps based on specific cultural spaces and value chains can enhance discussions,
responses and strategies in relation to government, cultural industry and
commercially-led development proposals.
Examples of such developments in the Redfern Street Village include:
i) Government-led developments
UrbanGrowth NSW (NSW Government’s urban transformation agency) is
leading the Central to Eveleigh Urban Transformation and Transport
Program, which seeks to ‘help to meet current and future needs for local
residents and a growing global Sydney by providing new community
facilities and open space, a mix of new housing and employment
opportunities, and improved connections across the rail corridor’
(UrbanGrowth NSW, 2016). With concerns about population density and
levels of community consultation, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore
(re-elected in September 2016) is keen to understand more about how the
Council and the State government can progress the development in a
stronger partnership alongside closer community consultation (Visentin,
2016).
ii) Cultural industry-led developments
Based on their 2016-2021 report, Carriageworks is seeking government
funding and private investment to expand the precinct and, consequently,
its programming, alongside infrastructure initiatives such as: ‘Bay 19 will be
converted into a 200-seat cinema, while other buildings will house
subsidised artists' studios and rehearsal spaces and a workspace for
start-up companies and independent creatives’ (Taylor, 2016)
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