Creating a village in the heart of a city starts with knowing a neighbourhood.

The Darlington Village is both a meeting place and a place of people movement. Streets are important urban spaces and are vital in our cities to provide places of informal gathering and meeting – enabling stronger social connectivity.

The revitalisation of Abercrombie Street has changed the street from a congested footpath thoroughfare to a pedestrian focussed environment that performs both as a village centre and an important pedestrian link between Redfern Station and the University of Sydney.

The improved amenity of Darlington village has been achieved through footpath widening, undergrounding power, new street tree planting and increased seating. The streetscape works also include neighbourhood wide traffic management which reinforces a slow-speed environment with a pedestrian focus.

The result is a street environment that allows cafes and outdoor dining to occur under a tree-shaded footpath. The shift in emphasis in our streets reinforces our urban environment as a living green network of streets, parks, and public plazas.

Client: City of Sydney

Studio: Sydney, Australia

Key Facts:

• Street Upgrade 240m
• Footpath widening, undergrounding power and new street trees to enhance the pedestrian-friendly village

Location: Darlington, Sydney, NSW

Traditional Custodians of the Land: Gadigal of the Eora Nation

Photography: Simon Wood