Australia’s New City Tackles Climate Change From the Ground Up

  • Bradfield City in Sydney’s west will sit next to a new airport
  • Area has recorded some of the world’s hottest temperatures
WATCH: Western Parkland City Authority CEO Sarah Hill discusses the new city being built in western Sydney, which plans to tackle climate change from the ground up. Source: Bloomberg

Carbon-neutral buildings and tree-lined streets are at the heart of plans for a brand new city in a pocket of Australia where temperatures can be among the hottest on earth in the summer and climate change looms as a major threat.

Bradfield City Centre is under construction on an expanse of dirt and scrub about 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Sydney’s central business district and harborfront, neighboring a new international airport that is set to open in 2026. The city and airport are part of the wider Aerotropolis, an area of about 11,000 hectares, around the size of 16 Manhattan blocks.