Sustainable Development and Planning IX 181

LOCALISING GLOBAL GOALS IN

AUSTRALIA’S GLOBAL CITY: SYDNEY
ALISON HOLLOWAY
Principal and Partner SGS Economics and Planning, Australia

ABSTRACT
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are universal, adopted by world leaders to
provide an ambitious 15-year outlook across social, economic and environmental objectives. They offer
a cross-disciplinary approach to respond to a rapidly changing global environment. The UN recognises
the importance of cities in achieving the SDGs. More than half of the world’s inhabitants live in cities
and this is a trend that will continue. This integrated and long-term approach to addressing development
is not new to city and regional strategic planning practices. Strategic urban planning practices adopt a
process of research, setting mechanisms, implementation, monitoring and evaluation to work towards
a preferred economic and social geography of the city. Strategic planning for cities has a lead role in
connecting the global aspirations in the SDGs to local action. At a simple level, measuring and
monitoring a consistent set of indicators – such as the SDGs – will highlight important spatial
differences that national reporting cannot distinguish. However, ad-hoc SDG plans will not realise the
full potential of the SDG framework. Achieving the SDGs goals and targets will require alignment with
existing local processes for integrated spatial planning and investment. This paper draws on Australian
strategic planning for cities. In particular, Greater Sydney and the role of both the newly established
Greater Sydney Commission and local governments through community strategic plans. Greater
Sydney – as Australia’s global city – has a major national role in reaching the ambitious SDG targets.
This requires reflection on local circumstances, through evidence based research and public input, to
identify needs and priorities backed up with actions to deliver real change. These actions need to be
supported by a comprehensive indicator and performance management framework to focus
implementation, allocate resources and provide greater accountability. Achievement of the SDGs
requires a local response and the urban planning profession has a lead role.
Keywords: sustainable development indicators, UN sustainable development goals, governance, city
planning, strategic planning, Sydney.
1 INTRODUCTION
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by world leaders
to provide an ambitious 15-year outlook for sustainable development. They offer a cross-
disciplinary approach to respond to a rapidly changing global environment. Australia, as a
UN member, has adopted the SDGs which came into effect in January 2016. There are 17
goals (see Fig. 1), 169 targets and 231 indicators [1].
The SDGs goals and targets cannot be achieved at the global and national level, without
aligning local processes for integrated spatial planning and investment. Despite the goals
being global and universal, their achievement requires action at the local and city level. The
UN recognises the importance of cities in achieving the SDGs. More than half of the world’s
inhabitants live in cities [2] and this is a trend that will continue. The inclusion of Goal 11:
Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable brings a spatial focus to the goals and is
in response to this major movement towards cities.
In Australia, the population of the eight Greater Cities combined is 67 percent of
Australia’s population, and growth in these Greater Cities in 2015-16 accounted for 85
percent of national population growth [3]. This paper draws on Australian strategic planning
for cities, in particular, Greater Sydney. It outlines a role of both the newly established
Greater Sydney Commission and local governments, through community strategic plans to

WIT Transactions on Ecology and The Environment, Vol 226, © 2017 WIT Press
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doi:10.2495/SDP170161
182 Sustainable Development and Planning IX

Figure 1: The 17 Sustainable Development Goals [1].

act on the SDGs. While the SDGs are global, achievement relies on a local spatial response
and the urban planning profession can have a lead role.

2 GLOBAL GOALS, CITIES AND STRATEGIC PLANNING

2.1 What do the UN SDG’s offer?

The SDGs are intended to guide governments, not for profit organisations and companies in
responding to social, economic and environmental issues. Since their release, the SDGs have
been critiqued across a range of issues. The large quantity of goals, is challenged as
attempting to cover too much ground. The targets are also critiqued as spreading the focus
too thin and as being too aspirational to affect real change. The goals are complex as they
recognize the multifaceted and structural problems that they seek to address at a global level.
There is also strong critique over the implementability and measurability of many of the
targets. In research coordinated by the International Council for Science (ICSU), in
partnership with the International Social Science Council (ISSC), it was reported that out of
the 169 targets, 49 (29%) are considered well developed, 91 targets (54%) could be
strengthened by being more specific, and 29 (17%) require significant work [4]. Despite these
critiques, this paper proposes that the SDGs offer two things for strategic planning for cities:

1. Firstly, the SDG’s provide a common language and stretch agenda for scoping
policy. They provide clear high level shared global priorities and a basis for
reflecting on local circumstances, needs and focus, informed by sound evidence. The
process of localising global goals is an important initial step to assess the alignment
of global and national targets with local issues [5]. As there are so many cross
dependencies between the SDGs, is only at the place level that these can be readily
resolved and prioritised. Not all 17 SDGs will be equally important or even relevant
across all jurisdictions. Some of the goals and targets remain specific to developing
nations and contexts. This process is strategic, informed by evidence to focus efforts
and identify the goals most relevant to the local area. Once these high-level goals are

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Figure 2: Overview of typical strategic planning process.

2. agreed, the focus can then be on the best local responses to meet locally appropriate
targets.
3. Secondly, they provide a clear monitoring and review framework that can provide
greater accountability to support implementation. Local level monitoring can
provide a stronger connection between actions and outcomes. A clear monitoring
and review framework has a role in aligning priorities and allocating resources.

2.2 Strategic planning for cities

The integrated and long-term approach to addressing development provided by the SDGs is
not new to city and regional strategic planning practice. There are existing practices across
strategic planning for cities that can be used to identify the scope of local issues and a
monitoring and review framework. Strategic planning for cities offers a critical link between
global aspirations in the SDGs to local action.
Strategic planning for cities generally adopts a process of research, setting mechanisms,
implementation, monitoring and review to work towards a vision – that is, a preferred
economic and social geography of the city. This general practice is outlined in Fig. 2. The
practice is based on the following components: Strategy development, implementation and
monitoring and review. Further detail on these elements is expanded in the following
sections.

2.2.1 Strategy Development

The strategy development step includes four elements:

 Place evidence: provides a baseline on the existing situation and future trends across
key themes of housing, population, economy and employment, transport, open
space, environmental protection, natural resource management and governance
(among others depending on local circumstances). This step includes research and

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184 Sustainable Development and Planning IX

data collection, including engagement with communities and other stakeholders.

The SDGs can guide the scope of data collection for place evidence, this will inform
relevant issues that the strategy development needs to cover.
 Vision: a preferred economic and social geography of the city, that is both
aspirational and achievable, typically over a 15–30-year timeframe.
 Goals: the outcome being sought over the strategy timeframe. It’s a specific end
result that define what success means.
 Directions: the approach to reaching the goal. It provides the detail of the progress
needed to reach the goal. The direction should describe the issues that are being
addressed.

2.2.2 Implementation
Implementation is based on addressing the issues scoped in the directions with a series of
specific actions. These actions can cover a range of mechanisms including land use
regulation, transport investment, economic development, education and marketing,
affordable housing, land market programs or pricing that are delivered through state,
metropolitan and local governance. The actions can be translated into an implementation plan
detailing who is responsible, when the action will be undertaken, and the resources required.
They also provide a framework for aligning local targets and indicators to establish
consistent approaches to data collection to contribute to national level reporting and greater
transparency.

2.2.3 Monitoring and review framework

Once the scope of the relevant goals is identified, the targets and indicators can be aligned.
Targets relate to a specific direction and set a measurable outcome being sought. The
indicators or the outcome measure, is a way of ascertaining whether direction is being met.
Monitoring these indicators provide an opportunity to review effectiveness of actions and re-
allocate resources. It is often this final step of setting targets and indicators as part of a
monitoring and review process that is excluded from strategic spatial planning. In preparing
relevant indicators, consideration should be given to:

 indicators having clear links to directions

 avoiding repetition across indicators
 include a ‘baseline’ figure and recent trends for each indicator
 applying an ‘annual’ and a ‘medium term’ reporting approach (5–10 years), and
 identifying if the reporting agency has control (policy areas in direct control of the
reporting agent), influence (issues which the reporting agent does not control but
can influence), or concern (those areas which the reporting agent doesn’t control or
influence but are of concern to the community) over achievement of the targets [6].

A robust framework for measuring and reporting progress provides quality information to
the community, other government agencies and industry on the performance of a city/local
area. It provides an understanding of recent and emerging trends. By presenting indicators in
an accessible online dashboard format it promotes transparency and greater accountability
in decision-making. This approach better defines the relationship between the goals and
actions, by readily tracking how implementation is progressing and if the approach is
effective. Each jurisdiction can set its own targets guided by the global level of ambition but
taking into account local circumstances and the spatial scale of issues being considered.

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3 THE SDG’S AND SYDNEY: AUSTRALIA’S GLOBAL CITY

3.1 Greater Sydney in context

Sydney is Australia’s only global city with a population of 5.05 million (2016), and making
up 21 percent of Australia’s population [3]. In 2016, Sydney’s GDP of $400.9 billion
represented almost a quarter of national GDP. Sydney’s GDP growth rate of 4.5 percent was
the highest in over 15 years. Sydney contributed 38.6 percent of national GDP growth, the
highest in 25 years [7].
Australia has a constitutional, two-tiered system of government, with national
government, six states and two territory governments. Greater Sydney is the capital of New
South Wales, and is made up of 30 local governments. Local government is not
constitutionally recognised; their power derives from either the Commonwealth or
State/Territory governments. State/Territory governments are largely responsible for land
management, with certain of those powers and responsibilities delegated to local authorities.
The Commonwealth has limited direct effect on state planning [8].
The Australian Government released the Smart Cities Plan in 2016 [9]. It ‘sets out the
Australian Government’s vision for our cities, and our plan for maximising their potential’.
The plan covers six domains; infrastructure and investment, jobs and skills, liveability and
sustainability, innovation and digital opportunities, governance, city planning and regulation,
and housing affordability and supply. The plan does not reference the SDGs or the New
Urban Agenda [10]. However, it does include a data and indicators framework with priorities
to “collect and analyse data about the performance of our cities, so we can measure our
policies’ success and respond to new needs”.
The limited direct effect of the national government on state planning, means that they are
unlikely to have an influence on many of the spatial outcomes that will directly influence the
achievement of the SDGs with the current approach. This is despite, a strong case for national
urban policy based on the demonstrated connections between the pattern of urban
development and Australia’s economic performance, social inclusion and environmental
performance. All matters of national interest and international responsibilities. The tools
outlined in Section 2.2 are limited at the national level, where responsibility for reporting on
the SDGs currently lies. While the response needs to be multi-faceted, a city-based and local
response of integrated spatial planning and investment, can have a significant contribution.
This approach is developed further in the following sections.

3.2 Strategic planning in Greater Sydney

Within Sydney, the establishment of the Greater Sydney Commission (GSC) in 2016 presents
a unique opportunity to shape Sydney’s future. The Greater Sydney Commission’s role is to
coordinate and align the planning that will shape the future of Greater Sydney. It is an
independent organisation funded by the NSW Government.
Sydney is poised to be a city of seven million people by 2051, an increase of 40 percent
in just 25 years. Significant shifts in the current way going about metropolitan planning is
needed to support the expected scale of activities across the city and address the resultant
social, economic and environmental challenges. The approach to strategic planning is
described in the following section.
The NSW Government tasked the Greater Sydney Commission (GSC) with a Ministerial
Statement of Priorities to guide its first three years in operation [11]. One priority is that the

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GSC will “consider and integrate the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recently
adopted by Australia as a member of the United Nations (UN)”.
In 2017, the GSC will prepare a regional plan for the Greater Sydney that combines a
review of a Plan for Growing Sydney (2014), the NSW Long Term Transport Masterplan
(2012) and Rebuilding NSW – State Infrastructure Strategy (2014). This review provides an
opportunity for the GSC to reflect on the SDGs and identify opportunities for these to be
integrated and aligned. The review should not only consider the goals and targets, but also
the implementation and monitoring framework that supports them.
The GSC recently released Towards our Greater Sydney 2056 a draft amendment to the
Region Plan a Plan for Growing Sydney that includes a vision, metropolitan priorities and
outcomes (Table 1). At the same time, six Draft District Plans were released that include
housing supply targets, affordable housing targets for rezoning and jobs targets for
employment in centres. The vision and plans are supported by an online Dashboard to
monitor growth and change in Greater Sydney. All of these elements (priorities, outcomes,
targets, and a dashboard) are positive building blocks for a more comprehensive indicator
and performance management framework as part of the Greater Sydney Region Plan update
being prepared in 2017. Building on this approach, the updated Region Plan could identify
clear measurable performance targets at the metropolitan level across productivity, liveability
and sustainability aligned to the SDGs. The indicators would be localised and specific to
circumstances in Greater Sydney.
A high level of mapping the SDGs against the metropolitan priorities in Towards Our
Greater Sydney 2056 is provided in Table 2. The mapping process shows just one of the 17
goals as out of scope for a metropolitan strategy in a developed global city. There are two
goal areas that given limited or no consideration within the metropolitan priorities in Towards
Our Greater Sydney 2056. Of the remaining Goals, there are metropolitan priorities noted in
Towards Our Greater Sydney 2056 that provide an entry point for developing measurable
targets and indicators. The table highlights the potential additional elements that could further
consider the SDG’s and supporting targets and indictors. Consideration of these in the design
and assessment of settlement patterns and infrastructure could better inform priorities.

3.3 Local Government in NSW and Greater Sydney

In Greater Sydney, there are 41 Local Government Areas, each is required to develop a
Community Strategic Plan as set out in the Local Government Act [12]. A community
strategic plan is a plan that identifies the main priorities and aspirations for the future of the
local government area covering a period of at least 10 years from when the plan is endorsed.
It sits above all other plans and policies, including a four-year delivery program and an annual
operational plan. It needs to establish strategic objectives together with strategies for
achieving those objectives. They are required to give regard to relevant state and regional
plans, including plans prepared by the Greater Sydney Commission.
There is a requirement in the Act to review the Plan and report on progress annually. There
is a minimum expectation that some form of measurement exists, including the setting of
targets and indicators to report on objectives/activities. The City of Sydney’s Sustainable
Sydney 2030 Vision [13] is sound example of an integrated strategic planning process,
informing a local community strategic plan, with a clear performance monitoring program.
The requirements for a local government Community Strategic Plan, mean that the
governance frameworks are in place to support the integration of the SDGs at the local level,
while reflecting and responding to local circumstances, needs and priorities.

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Table 1: Metropolitan priorities and aims for Greater Sydney [11].

A Productive City A Liveable City A Sustainable City

A growing city An equitable, polycentric city A city in its landscape
• support the generation • provide equitable access to jobs and • improve the health of
of over 817,000 education in centres to strengthen human waterways
additional jobs capital • protect, extend and
• accommodate 1.74 • deliver a more equitable city by planning enhance biodiversity,
million additional for infrastructure as growth occurs regional and local open
people and more than • provide equitable access to health, open space systems, as well
725,000 new homes space and community and cultural as scenic and cultural
• increase Greater infrastructure heritage together with
Sydney’s economic • respect and enhance heritage areas and productive landscapes
growth rate assets • increase access to
• increase total • understand the impact of demographic open space, conserve
economic activity by changes such as higher proportions of both the natural environment
75% to approximately school-aged children and the frail aged. and enable healthy
$655 billion. lifestyles and local food.
A city with smart jobs A city of housing choice and diversity An efficient city
• increase knowledge- • support a range of housing choices at • minimise and mitigate
intensive jobs and different price points to suit people through environmental impacts
health and education all stages of life through the efficient use
jobs • provide affordable rental housing of energy and resources,
• increase productivity specifically for eligible households on very recycling of water and
per worker low and low incomes materials together with
• focus on international • support the delivery of the NSW the development of
students and inbound Government’s social housing program renewable energy
tourism • increase housing supply that broadens sources.
• deliver a smart city choice and diversity
that enables knowledge- • locate more jobs close to where people
intensive jobs to thrive. live
• in existing areas, prioritise new housing in
places where daily needs can be met within
walking distance or by public transport.
A 30-minute city A collaborative city A resilient city
• increase the • achieve pathways for collaborative and • identify and adapt to
proportion of people shared use of social infrastructure, the impacts of climate
with good access to jobs community resources and underutilised change that are likely to
and prioritise socially public assets such as schools, open spaces increase • minimise
disadvantaged areas and residual government owned land to exposure to manmade
• improve accessibility promote liveability, quality of life and and natural hazards
to jobs across all resource efficiency • strengthen social,
districts • ensure our collaborations enhance quality organisational and
• improve the ability to of life across the widest possible area infrastructure capacity
walk to local services • lead the collaboration in the development by addressing chronic
and amenities. of major city-shaping areas, such as the stresses in order to be
Western Sydney Airport and GPOP able to resist and rebuild
• increase, through the Greater Sydney after the acute shock of
Dashboard, ways for the community to natural disasters.
access data and knowledge to help them to
co-create a Greater Sydney.

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Table 2: Alignment of sustainable development goals with metropolitan priorities for

Greater Sydney.
Sustainable Development Most relevant Towards Our Potential additional strategy
Goals, and description themes from SDG Sydney 2056, elements to consider the goal and
targets for Greater Relevant indicators
Sydney Vision Metropolitan
Priorities (see
Table 1)
1. No poverty Access to basic An equitable, Spatial variations to inform
End poverty in all its forms services. polycentric city. infrastructure and services
everywhere priorities and settlement patterns.
2.Zero hunger Out of scope. No consideration. Consideration of links to regional
End hunger, achieve food food production economies,
security and improved planning support to community
nutrition and promote gardens.
sustainable agriculture
3.Good health and wellbeing Road traffic accidents. An equitable, Spatial variations to inform
Ensure healthy lives and Air quality. polycentric city infrastructure and services
promote well-being for all at A resilient city. priorities and settlement patterns.
all ages Focus on active and public
transport. Consideration of relevant
indicators in evaluation methods.
4.Quality education Access to education. An equitable, Spatial variations to inform
Ensure inclusive and polycentric city infrastructure priorities and
equitable quality education settlement patterns that influence
and promote lifelong outcomes.
learning opportunities for all
5. Gender equality Shared Limited Spatial variations to inform
Achieve gender equality and responsibilities. consideration. infrastructure priorities and
empower all women and Provision of settlement patterns.
girls infrastructure.
Equal rights to
economic resources.
6. Clean water and sanitation Health of waterways. A city in its Infrastructure priorities.
Ensure availability and Water use efficiency. landscape.
sustainable management of An efficient city.
water and sanitation for all
7. Affordable and clean Efficient use of An efficient city. Infrastructure priorities.
energy energy.
Ensure access to affordable,
reliable, sustainable and
modern energy for all
8. Decent work and Economic growth. A growing city Spatial variations to inform
economic growth Tourism growth. A city with smart infrastructure priorities and
Promote sustained, inclusive Participation rates. jobs. settlement patterns.
and sustainable economic A 30-minute city.
growth, full and productive
employment and decent
work for all
9. Industry, innovation and Emissions. A growing city. Infrastructure priorities.
infrastructure. Innovation. A city with smart
Build resilient infrastructure, jobs.
promote inclusive and A resilient city.
sustainable industrialization
and foster innovation

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Table 2: Continued
10. Reduced inequalities Income growth of No consideration. Spatial variations to inform
Reduce inequality within bottom 40% of infrastructure and services
and among countries population. . priorities and settlement patterns.
Addressed through housing
affordability measures.
11. Sustainable cities and Safe and affordable A city of housing Evidence to quantify demand
communities housing. choice and across housing sub-markets and
Make cities and human Access to green diversity. setting targets including for social
settlements inclusive, safe, space. A city in its and affordable housing, by District
resilient and sustainable Mitigation and landscape. to address need.
adaptation to climate A resilient city. Measures to provide a liveability
change. An equitable, benefit with increases in
Cultural and natural polycentric city. population.
heritage
12. Responsible Efficient use of An efficient city. Infrastructure priorities and
consumption and production natural resources. settlement patterns.
Ensure sustainable
consumption and production
patterns
13. Climate action Adaptation and A resilient city. Infrastructure priorities and
Take urgent action to resilience. settlement patterns.
combat climate change and
its impacts
14. Life below water Marine pollution. A city in its Additional focus on Sydney
Conserve and sustainably Protect marine and landscape. Harbour, Rivers and beaches.
use the oceans, seas and coastal ecosystems. A resilient city.
marine resources for
sustainable development
15. Life on land Biodiversity. A city in its Settlement patterns to consider
Protect, restore and promote landscape. biodiversity implications.
sustainable use of terrestrial
ecosystems, sustainably
manage forests, combat
desertification, and halt and
reverse land degradation and
halt biodiversity loss
16. Peace, justice and strong Public safety. A collaborative Directions on local design tailored
institutions Satisfaction with city. to local assets. Transparency in
Promote peaceful and public services. decision making supported by
inclusive societies for evaluation methods.
sustainable development,
provide access to justice for
all and build effective,
accountable and inclusive
institutions at all levels
17. Partnerships for the Encourage and A collaborative Stronger links between data
objectives. promote effective city. dashboard and policy outcomes,
Strengthen the means of public, public-private along with integration of indicators
implementation and and civil society and reporting with local
revitalize the global partnerships. Capacity government as major partner.
partnership for sustainable building on data and
development statistics.

3.4 Aligning local action with global goals

Sydney has the opportunity to lead the Australian national contribution to global goals
through integration of the SDGs into strategic urban planning practices. Australia cannot

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190 Sustainable Development and Planning IX

make progress towards the global goals without local action. Aligning the existing
approaches for national, regional and local plans with the goals, target and indicators in the
SDGs offers a much more effective approach than ad-hoc SDG plans.
Localising the SDGs from global goals to ones relevant at the metropolitan scale, will
provide a consistent set of targets that local governments could also address in their 10-year
Community Strategic Plans. This provides a common and nested approach to national
reporting. Applying a common set of indicators also allows for comparative ‘benchmarks’ in
other local government areas or even across cities. This allows for the performance of each
place to be understood in a broader context. The SDGs framework allows for indicators, to
be adapted to each location needs and contexts.
This approach could provide a future where national, regional and local government
priorities are working towards clear and common goals. Sydney is driving Australia’s
economic growth, it also has an opportunity to drive sustainable development and Australia’s
contribution towards the UN Global Goals. The current frameworks for Sydney’s strategic
planning from the national, through state to local planning is shown in Fig. 3. At each of
these scales, the tools exist to allow the SDGs to sit above as a common language for scoping
local policy issues and to provide a clear, integrated monitoring and review framework.

4 CONCLUSION
This paper identifies the critical link between the achievement of the UN SDGs and
Australian strategic planning for cities, in particular, planning for Greater Sydney and the
role of local governments through Community Strategic Plans. Greater Sydney – as
Australia’s global city – has a major role in Australia’s contribution to ambitious SDG’s and
associated targets. This requires reflection on local circumstances, through evidence based
research and public input, to identify needs and priorities backed up with actions to deliver
real change. These actions need to be supported by a comprehensive indicator
and performance management framework to focus implementation, allocate resources and

Figure 3: The hierarchy of aligning local action with Global Goals in Greater Sydney, and
timeframes.

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provide greater accountability. Achievement of the SDGs requires a local response and the
urban planning profession has the existing tools and capabilities to take a lead role.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research paper and conference attendance was supported by SGS Economics and
Planning Partner Sabbatical Program. I would like to thank Patrick Fensham, SGS Principal
and Partner for an early draft review.

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