Willoughby City Council has launched Chatswood 2060, a long-term initiative to plan for the city's growth and help shape its future to 2060 and beyond.
The launch event at the Pat Reilly Concert Hall at The Concourse began a city-wide conversation about Chatswood's future.
Chatswood is already one of Sydney's major employment, retail, transport and cultural centres. It generates a Gross Regional Product of $13.72 billion in just 23 square kilometres[1] and has one of the largest retail floor space offerings in NSW outside the Sydney CBD[2]. Around 140,000 people pass through Chatswood Mall every Saturday[3], while Chatswood is also home to the third busiest station[4] and the second busiest library in NSW[5].
At the same time, Chatswood is entering an important period of change. New development is underway, major transport investment is reshaping how people connect with the city, and Sydney's continuing growth will bring new opportunities and new demands.
Willoughby City Mayor Tanya Taylor said now is the right time to plan for Chatswood's future.
"The question is not whether Chatswood will change over the next 35 years, but how we plan for that change today. Chatswood will have an increasingly important role to play in providing homes close to jobs, services and transport, supporting a strong economy and creating places where people want to spend time.
"Planning now means we can be bold and brave in our thinking to shape change that will create a better city for everyone."
Chatswood 2060 will look beyond individual projects to consider how the city works as a whole. It will explore new homes and greater housing choice, jobs and investment, more open space, trees and welcoming public places. Other areas of focus include the night-time economy, better public transport, walking and cycling connections. It will also build on what already makes Chatswood distinctive: its thriving economy, cultural diversity and growing reputation as a destination for retail, dining, arts and culture.
Mayor Taylor said Chatswood was well placed to support future growth and greater density given its exceptional public and active transport connections.
"Our vision is for Chatswood to be a world-class example of transport-oriented development done well. That means density that is liveable and breathable, with room for trees, open space, sunlight and community life."
"Growth has to be matched by the infrastructure to support it. We call on the Commonwealth and NSW Governments to partner with us so that schools, open space, community facilities and transport are planned and delivered alongside new homes, rather than playing catch-up afterwards."
The launch brought together over 450 residents, business owners, community representatives and guests.
"It was fantastic to see so many people come together for the launch. This is just the start of the conversation, and it's important that the future of Chatswood reflects what our community values," Mayor Taylor said.
"Our goal is to make Chatswood Sydney's most liveable city, but achieving this ambition will take all of us working together. So I encourage everyone to tell us their big idea for the city's future."
Over the next 12 months, Council will develop a shared vision and master plan for Chatswood's future. A draft master plan is expected to be released in early 2027 for community consultation.
