Downtowns are back

[Commentariat]

I calculated some figures for Australia’s two biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne. They are seeing the same trends as North American cities. The earliest figures I could find were from 2001.

Sydney

Strict downtown definition using the ‘Sydney-Haymarket-The Rocks’ Statistical Area 2 (SA2), covering the core central business district. This has an area of 4.3km2. It has seen good growth but the local government prefers to focus on non-residential development here and it is the least dense part of central Sydney.

2001 – 14,393
2010 – 24,359
2020 – 33,238
Density in 2020 – 7,742/km2

Using a wider downtown definition including the neighbourhoods immediately surrounding the core. This includes the ‘Pyrmont-Ultimo’, ‘Surry Hills’, ‘Potts Point-Woolloomooloo’, ‘Darlinghurst’ and ‘Redfern-Chippendale’ SA2’s and has an area of 11.7km2.

2001 – 79,412
2010 – 108,970
2020 – 141,204
Density in 2020 – 12,068/km2

Melbourne

Strict downtown definition using the ‘Melbourne’ SA2, which covers the traditional grid forming Melbourne’s CBD. This has an area of 2.4km2 and has seen impressive growth over the past 20 years.

2001 – 7,644
2010 – 20,382
2020 – 53,180
Density in 2020 – 22,448/km2

Using a wider downtown definition covering the ‘Docklands’, ‘Southbank’ and ‘Carlton’ SA2s. This has an area of 9.7km2 and has added over 100,000 people in less than 20 years. It’s transformed from a 9-5 office district surrounded by light industry to a dense mixed use downtown over this period.

2001 – 21,657
2010 – 53,218
2020 – 122,097
Density in 2020 – 12,587/km2

[Yuri]

Originally Posted by Commentariat

I calculated some figures for Australia’s two biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne. They are seeing the same trends as North American cities. The earliest figures I could find were from 2001.

Sydney

Strict downtown definition using the ‘Sydney-Haymarket-The Rocks’ Statistical Area 2 (SA2), covering the core central business district. This has an area of 4.3km2. It has seen good growth but the local government prefers to focus on non-residential development here and it is the least dense part of central Sydney.

2001 – 14,393
2010 – 24,359
2020 – 33,238
Density in 2020 – 7,742/km2

Using a wider downtown definition including the neighbourhoods immediately surrounding the core. This includes the ‘Pyrmont-Ultimo’, ‘Surry Hills’, ‘Potts Point-Woolloomooloo’, ‘Darlinghurst’ and ‘Redfern-Chippendale’ SA2’s and has an area of 11.7km2.

2001 – 79,412
2010 – 108,970
2020 – 141,204
Density in 2020 – 12,068/km2

Melbourne

Strict downtown definition using the ‘Melbourne’ SA2, which covers the traditional grid forming Melbourne’s CBD. This has an area of 2.4km2 and has seen impressive growth over the past 20 years.

2001 – 7,644
2010 – 20,382
2020 – 53,180
Density in 2020 – 22,448/km2

Using a wider downtown definition covering the ‘Docklands’, ‘Southbank’ and ‘Carlton’ SA2s. This has an area of 9.7km2 and has added over 100,000 people in less than 20 years. It’s transformed from a 9-5 office district surrounded by light industry to a dense mixed use downtown over this period.

2001 – 21,657
2010 – 53,218
2020 – 122,097
Density in 2020 – 12,587/km2

It's really an worldwide phenomenon. Same is happening in many European countries, specially in the northern ones that had suffered mostly from urban decay in the 1970's. Latin American cities that urbanized first and also suffered from Downtown decay are also rebounding. São Paulo is the best example of it.

Downtowns once again growing is a first pretty much since their inception.