Project: Leppington Town Centre Place Activation Strategy
Organisation: Camden Council, Liverpool City Council
Place: Sydney
Year: 2021–2022
Project Type: Strategy, Policy & Research, Culture-led Placemaking, Night-time economy
Header image: Leppington Station, NSW Government Department of Planning and Environment
A peri-urban, predominantly farmland area known for its rail terminus and commuter carpark, Leppington is on the brink of a significant transformation into a new major centre in Sydney’s south-west. The scale of the future planned precinct is unprecedented for Sydney greenfield sites: future development will see a change in population from below 1,000 people in 2016 to a potential 26,000 people by 2041. Leppington Town Centre will be a major residential, commercial and transportation hub for existing and future communities in Greater Sydney’s South West Growth Area and Leppington is one of seven strategic centres identified for the Western Parkland City in the Greater Sydney Region Plan.
Camden and Liverpool Councils needed a place activation strategy in order initiate the thinking and programming for the cultural life of this place, both now and into the future. City People delivered a key specialist study in collaboration with creative agency Amplifier, retail and leasing specialist consultant Tim Andrews and food and beverage specialist advisor Xinyi Lim. The Place Activation Strategy needed to serve as a guiding document not only for the desired characteristics of the future, built-out precinct, but also to stimulate activity in the present—to help communicate the aspirations of the precinct while also recognising the history and culture of the place.
Objectives
Key objectives for the Place Activation Strategy were to:
- Activate Leppington Town Centre, through its various stages of development, in order to attract visitors, residents and commercial tenants for a mix of developments (across both Camden and Liverpool Councils) during the first 5 years of growth.
- Develop a brand and identity for Leppington Town Centre.
- Provide commentary and guidance on highest and best use retail types throughout the town centre.
Outcomes
- The strategy detailed a set of activation options, including passive, active and partnership-based concepts, across small, medium and large scales, for different stages of the development. Many of the future activations addressed specific open spaces and infrastructure in the town centre design, responsive to their intended uses, surrounds and character.
- A brand identity and package of visual assets for the town centre, ready for use by marketing and communications teams.
- Commercial property strategy, including a recommended set of retail types, positions and timing across the centre’s layout plan, designed in order to drive visitation and ensure activated shopfronts and streets aligned to the development timeline.
