Article | Future Cities
Business Insights | How North Sydney CBD could deliver the perfect microcity blueprint
As the prominence of North Sydney CBD continues to grow, catering for a community to enhance life, work, play and investment becomes more important than ever.
September 10, 2025
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While the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House often serve as the quintessential backdrop of Australia’s beating heart, lesser spotlight tends to be placed on the thriving hub situated at the northern end of these landmarks.
“The residential population of North Sydney is currently just over 72,000 people. It will be increased by more than a third by 2036,” explains Zoë Baker, Mayor, North Sydney Council.
“What’s often overlooked about North Sydney is that every day, that population more than doubles.”
This spike in human activity comes via the surrounding schools, businesses and services which attract up to 80,000 workers, and 12,000 school and university students daily into the 10.5 square-kilometre Local Government Area.
According to Rachel Vincent, Managing Director, CBRE North Sydney, this poses an important question for all future cities: How can we make sure our cities keep up and our places keep providing?
“North Sydney is providing a city that will keep pace and by keeping pace, we will attract the right talent - and that investment is absolutely critical,” she explained at CBRE’s 2025 Mid-Year Predictions event.
“North Sydney is a boutique suburb-city overlooking a world-listed harbour. It’s geographically bound and this makes it finite. We must preserve this special place with a market which I believe could one day overtake rents in the CBD.”
As the prominence of North Sydney continues to grow, it’s important to explore how this community is being built for life, work, play and importantly, investment – a unique collective supported by the intersection of transport, tenants and placemaking.
The success of North Sydney as a microcity could even form the crucial blueprint needed for other major CBDs across the country.
“The North Sydney CBD remains at the core of that employment role,” Zoë says.
This microcity status comes from an area defined by four interconnected streets that is further surrounded by residential development and schools.
“The E2 Commercial Core zone - covering a tiny footprint - is 2% of land in the LGA, yet it is largely responsible for contributing $23 billion to the State economy.
“That contribution to the State economy is one of the many reasons that North Sydney is a vital part of the Eastern Economic Corridor - Greater Sydney’s most productive economic asset.”
This corridor is known to generate a significant proportion of both NSW and national GDP. It’s characterised by accommodating high-value, knowledge-based sectors including finance, professional services, IT, health and education services.
The North Sydney component of this is dominated by three industries, collectively making up more than more than half of all jobs in the LGA:
Balancing these diverse needs of workers, students and residents presents both significant challenges and incredible opportunities.
“The Council’s role is to ensure careful, excellent evidence-based plans to support employment growth and to use placemaking as a strategic lever for economic growth.”
These include:
“The most time sensitive and important piece of planning and placemaking remains Council’s commitment to Miller Place, which has been designed to complement the Victoria Cross Metro precinct and provide inviting public space for the 16,000-plus peak hour commuters expected to use the Metro to alight into North Sydney,” Zoë says.
“Miller Place is not just about safe infrastructure; it’s about people and creating spaces that invite connection, spark creativity, and reflect the identity of our community for workers and residents alike.”
And planning was only part of the equation. The arrival of the Metro in 2024 ushered in a once in a generation transformation for North Sydney.
“The Metro has unlocked the potential for a new kind of city centre in North Sydney. Particularly one that is vibrant, walkable, and commercially competitive - a microcity that Council has long protected and championed.”
“We are at a critical juncture as the above station development reaches its final stages and without timely support from the NSW Government, this opportunity risks being lost,” Zoë says.
“The most cost-effective and least disruptive time to deliver Miller Place is now while the momentum of the Victoria Cross development is underway.”
Additional opportunities to reimagine surrounding streets as a laneways pedestrian-priority precinct also exist. The Council is aiming for one of these street laneways to be transformed by active frontages, shared zones, and new spaces for gathering, dining, and connection. Fundamentally, these projects are designed to support business, attract talent, and enhance the experience of tenants and workers.
“Miller Place is not just about open space, it’s about economic uplift, tenant attraction, and long-term value creation for the commercial sector,” adds Zoë.
“We hear a lot about housing targets and very little about jobs targets. The Council’s jobs target under the District Plan is 15,000 to 21,000 additional jobs by 2036. That requires that North Sydney retain existing and expand commercial floor space. As a sophisticated society, we must be able to plan for and deliver both – jobs and housing.”
“The residential population of North Sydney is currently just over 72,000 people. It will be increased by more than a third by 2036,” explains Zoë Baker, Mayor, North Sydney Council.
“What’s often overlooked about North Sydney is that every day, that population more than doubles.”
This spike in human activity comes via the surrounding schools, businesses and services which attract up to 80,000 workers, and 12,000 school and university students daily into the 10.5 square-kilometre Local Government Area.
According to Rachel Vincent, Managing Director, CBRE North Sydney, this poses an important question for all future cities: How can we make sure our cities keep up and our places keep providing?
“North Sydney is providing a city that will keep pace and by keeping pace, we will attract the right talent - and that investment is absolutely critical,” she explained at CBRE’s 2025 Mid-Year Predictions event.
“North Sydney is a boutique suburb-city overlooking a world-listed harbour. It’s geographically bound and this makes it finite. We must preserve this special place with a market which I believe could one day overtake rents in the CBD.”
As the prominence of North Sydney continues to grow, it’s important to explore how this community is being built for life, work, play and importantly, investment – a unique collective supported by the intersection of transport, tenants and placemaking.
The success of North Sydney as a microcity could even form the crucial blueprint needed for other major CBDs across the country.
Reinforcing economic growth and employment
The North Sydney area is one of the three most densely populated LGAs in NSW. It’s why the Mayor emphasises the importance of balancing the area’s economic growth and employment sectors simultaneously.“The North Sydney CBD remains at the core of that employment role,” Zoë says.
This microcity status comes from an area defined by four interconnected streets that is further surrounded by residential development and schools.
“The E2 Commercial Core zone - covering a tiny footprint - is 2% of land in the LGA, yet it is largely responsible for contributing $23 billion to the State economy.
“That contribution to the State economy is one of the many reasons that North Sydney is a vital part of the Eastern Economic Corridor - Greater Sydney’s most productive economic asset.”
This corridor is known to generate a significant proportion of both NSW and national GDP. It’s characterised by accommodating high-value, knowledge-based sectors including finance, professional services, IT, health and education services.
The North Sydney component of this is dominated by three industries, collectively making up more than more than half of all jobs in the LGA:
- Professional, Scientific & Technical Services - 29.6 per cent
- Information Media & Telecommunications - 11.1 per cent
- Financial & Insurance Services - 10.5 per cent
Balancing these diverse needs of workers, students and residents presents both significant challenges and incredible opportunities.
“The Council’s role is to ensure careful, excellent evidence-based plans to support employment growth and to use placemaking as a strategic lever for economic growth.”
Capitalising on transport infrastructure
Ensuring the success of any microcity takes early planning and foresight on the impacts of incoming transport projects. North Sydney Council had been planning for the past decade in order to see the benefits that are being experienced by its CBD today.These include:
- 2017: Preparing a Capacity and Land Use Strategy – a framework for CBD renewal and employment growth
- 2018: Amending the LEP to increase maximum permissible heights of commercial towers and targeted relaxation of solar controls to balance growth with amenity
- 2020: Adopting the North Sydney CBD Public Domain Strategy to guide, prioritise and deliver upgrades to the CBD as funds became available. Upgrades included footpaths, lighting and the delivery of numerous public domains alongside lunchtime events for workers to activate the streets
“The most time sensitive and important piece of planning and placemaking remains Council’s commitment to Miller Place, which has been designed to complement the Victoria Cross Metro precinct and provide inviting public space for the 16,000-plus peak hour commuters expected to use the Metro to alight into North Sydney,” Zoë says.
“Miller Place is not just about safe infrastructure; it’s about people and creating spaces that invite connection, spark creativity, and reflect the identity of our community for workers and residents alike.”
And planning was only part of the equation. The arrival of the Metro in 2024 ushered in a once in a generation transformation for North Sydney.
“The Metro has unlocked the potential for a new kind of city centre in North Sydney. Particularly one that is vibrant, walkable, and commercially competitive - a microcity that Council has long protected and championed.”
Ensuring the microcity benefits last
While transforming a space into a successful microcity is one goal, ensuring its long-term viability is another.“We are at a critical juncture as the above station development reaches its final stages and without timely support from the NSW Government, this opportunity risks being lost,” Zoë says.
“The most cost-effective and least disruptive time to deliver Miller Place is now while the momentum of the Victoria Cross development is underway.”
Additional opportunities to reimagine surrounding streets as a laneways pedestrian-priority precinct also exist. The Council is aiming for one of these street laneways to be transformed by active frontages, shared zones, and new spaces for gathering, dining, and connection. Fundamentally, these projects are designed to support business, attract talent, and enhance the experience of tenants and workers.
“Miller Place is not just about open space, it’s about economic uplift, tenant attraction, and long-term value creation for the commercial sector,” adds Zoë.
“We hear a lot about housing targets and very little about jobs targets. The Council’s jobs target under the District Plan is 15,000 to 21,000 additional jobs by 2036. That requires that North Sydney retain existing and expand commercial floor space. As a sophisticated society, we must be able to plan for and deliver both – jobs and housing.”