New Australian city tackles climate change from the ground up

"The new city comes as Australia has faced an increasing number of bushfires, floods and other extreme climate events in recent years, forcing developers to find ways to overcome, or at least mitigate, the impact of a warming planet."

Artist’s impression of Bradfield City. Source: Western Parkland City Authority

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.