Sustainable and Resilient Community in the Times of Crisis: The Greater Sydney Case

With more than 86% of people residing in large metropolitans, Australia is one of the world’s most urbanised countries. Sydney, the state capital of New South Wales (NSW), is Australia’s economic heart, and its vibrance is essential to drive both the NSW and Australian economies. Due to rapid economic and population growth, Greater Sydney has been expanding, and its demographics have been transforming. However, Greater Sydney is divided into advantaged and disadvantaged areas considering various indicators. A slanted imaginary line running from north-west to the south-east divides the advantaged north and east from the disadvantaged (Greater Western Sydney) south-west and west. This study reveals that Greater Western Sydney lacks sustainable and resilient communities due to the uneven distribution of opportunities and lack of community capacity. This study also argues that the disadvantaged communities experience higher vulnerability to risks in emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in an even more disadvantaged condition. Creating resilient communities is imperative to progress individuals or communities’ ability to adapt and overcome any crisis and transform their collective ability to face challenges. The disadvantaged Western Sydney communities require sustainable urban growth with evidence-based, long-term, and inclusive strategic responses to build community resilience to reduce vulnerability. This paper points toward the need for shaping resilient communities and emphasises the need for community empowerment, provision of urban amenities, and provision of socio-economically and infrastructurally balanced sustainable growth for the underprivileged communities in Sydney.