The future of Macquarie Park is crucial for Greater Sydney’s growth as an innovation hub, to attract global businesses and create new jobs for the city’s residents. The Park is currently home to one of Australia’s largest universities plus multiple innovation and technology businesses. However, over time, growth is constraining how the park can operate, creating challenges for social infrastructure, transport and accessibility. Arup’s team worked with the local community, developing strategies to maximise its potential to evolve into a thriving innovation district fit for the 21st century.

Since 2018, our work has focused on envisioning a future for Macquarie Park that honours its heritage and natural assets, while addressing modern challenges and fostering growth. With a focus on three core objectives of enhancing the quality of place, movement and business, we undertook a strategic infrastructure and services assessment. Shaping the outputs with community and stakeholder input, we then supported delivery of a place strategy and masterplan.

Originally known by its aboriginal name of Wallumatta, Macquarie Park was historically a hub of learning and trade, central to all aspects of life and culture. Today, the park is vital to the local and national economy and is home to employees, students and the wider North Ryde community. Arup developed a strategy for sustainable growth and infrastructure investment over the next 20 years that will ensure the park remains an important economic hub and a vibrant place to live, work and play.

One district, seven neighbourhoods

The masterplan for Macquarie Park Innovation District had to tackle modern day challenges; the provision of affordable housing, access to jobs, a vibrant ground-level experience and a higher quality public realm. Sitting within the Macquarie Park Corridor, the strategic investigation area covers approximately 170 hectares, bounded by Lane Cove River and National Park to the north-east and Shrimptons Creek running north-south through the site. The provision of new infrastructure, including the opening of Sydney Metro Northwest, has unlocked new opportunities through better connections with Sydney’s central business district (CBD) and access to a skilled workforce. The whole area is undergoing a significant transformation, however the park is currently suffering from poor amenities provision and a disconnect from its culture and ‘Ngurra’ meaning‘home, country or place of belonging’ in aboriginal language.

Key to maximising the potential of the area, our masterplan developed seven neighbourhoods, each with their own framework defining improved connectivity, open spaces and dispersal of space for jobs, homes, culture and supporting activities. Each neighbourhood draws on their existing features, economic attributes and environmental conditions, including topography and historical assets.

With clear definition between each neighbourhood, greater flexibility is allowed to deliver the proposed improvements over time.

Map of seven neighbourhoods

Our masterplan developed seven neighbourhoods, each with their own framework.

Engaging with natural capital

Access to high-quality green infrastructure is a core element of quality of place. Healthy and attractive places require a mixture of open spaces to meet the needs and expectations of urban living. Macquarie Park will excel in this aspect, with provision of new open spaces, enhanced tree canopy and new connections to areas of natural beauty. 

Macquarie Park residents will benefit from being located nearby Lane Cove National Park, and new pedestrian routes will increase the ease of access between the two. Shrimptons Creek also runs north-south through the site. Several ‘lost’ creek lines have been used to establish a network of finer-grain streets, weaving through the site, that connect back to the river.  

Shrimptons Creek vision collage

Shrimptons Creek vision collage

A hub for new ideas

The presence of Macquarie University alongside innovation and technology-based businesses has contributed to Macquarie Park’s reputation as a hub for knowledge exchange. A key aspiration for the future of the park is to integrate more closely with the business and technology ecosystem. To foster more collaboration, increased research centres, innovation hubs and incubator spaces for emerging innovators will be provided beyond the boundary of the main campus.  A culture of sharing will be cultivated with programmed networking opportunities for students and businesses, supported with access to spaces for startups, SMEs and the creative industries.

Arup has been a long-term partner with Macquarie University, providing specialist services for designing vibrant and sustainable spaces for home-grown talent, including Macquarie University Incubator and the Ainsworth Building, both central to the new plans for Macquarie Park

Mao of a movement framework

Movement framework shows the road network, highlighting the existing strategic roads, planned new roads and the proposed fine grain pathways or non-grid form routes.

Map of an open space framework

The Open Space framework consolidates recommendations for new open spaces to support residential uses, improve amenity for workers and increase the provision of more fine-grained open space and shared spaces.

Map of a land use framework

The Land Use framework sets out the approach to diversification, providing illustrative locations for new catalyst sites distinguished and identifiable through their diverse functions, unique built form, high quality public domain, etc.

Arup (the service provider) achieved the objectives and requirements of the specified brief to an exceptional standard. Arup executed a well-constructed and adaptive methodology beyond traditional urban design led approaches by drawing upon interrelated disciplines and industry thought leadership.

Luke Downend

NSW Government – Places, Design & Public Spaces | Department of Planning, Industry and Environment

Partners & collaborators

Greater Cities Commission (GCC) / Country Centered Design Consultancy – Old Ways, New