Affordable housing, green, well-designed public spaces, net zero infrastructure, and climate strategies are some of the action items on Sydney Councillor HY William Chan’s list as he seeks re-election in the upcoming 2024 local government elections.

Known for his dual expertise as an architect and urban planner, Chan has already made significant strides in designing the future of Sydney. His community-led approach to city-making has been a catalyst for innovative solutions in affordable housing, public spaces, transport infrastructure, urban density and heritage conservation.

Chan spoke to Architecture & Design ahead of the elections about the importance of architecture as civic responsibility and the need for design professionals in public office, particularly in shaping cities as complex and dynamic as Sydney.

One of the key strategies Chan has highlighted is the use of planning policies to create more affordable housing within the city. "We're the only council that levies developers on both residential and commercial developments to fund affordable housing, and to do so across the whole local government area," he explains. This approach has resulted in over 5,000 affordable homes being built or in the pipeline, the most of any city government in Australia.

"City governments have a role to play, and we've successfully innovated our planning controls to maximise the number of high-quality homes that are affordable in perpetuity for those who need it the most," he says.

Chan's advocacy extends to major state redevelopment projects such as the Waterloo South Estate, where he successfully moved a Council motion pushing for an increase in the affordable and social housing component from 34% to 50%, with at least 15% dedicated to First Nations tenants, a request has since been adopted by the NSW Government.

Chan's vision for Sydney includes a robust network of green public spaces that serve as the lungs of the city. He successfully passed Sydney's award-winning urban forest strategy, a testament to his commitment to sustainability and climate resilience.

"We're planting trees now for future generations, creating a diverse and dynamic canopy that will maintain shade in summer while encouraging solar access in winter," Chan says.

Putting forward Australia’s first planning controls to achieve net zero operational buildings from 2026 is a particular highlight of Chan’s term in the Council Chambers. “These groundbreaking planning controls will result in $1.3 billion energy savings from major developments and can be adopted by other governments in Greater Sydney and across Australia.”

As a strong advocate for ‘density done well’, Chan says that that urban growth must be managed thoughtfully with high quality public amenity and infrastructure, a combination secured through the city’s independent design excellence process.

"Cities are made of people, not just buildings. What makes a city fair and welcoming is well-designed public spaces where people feel they belong and can build community," Chan says.

Chan is also the co-founder of Climate Action Week Sydney and represented Sydney at the recent UN Climate Change Conference COP28 as the head delegate.

"Architecture and the built environment create the majority of carbon emissions across our cities, and being an effective advocate for our local communities, in both the challenges and ambitions, is crucial with other levels of governments,” he notes.

Image: Supplied

Branko Miletic

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