Local Loop
Joel Spencer, Stefan Vogt

Linking unused crown land to increase public space/green space for community

A Local Loop is about creating safe spaces for local communities to commute, exercise and socialise and while supporting their local economies out of underutilised open space.
How will your idea create a better life for Sydneysiders?
Creating walkable Local Loops to support health, improve air quality, reduce traffic by decreasing vehicle reliance, and reactivating local centres through community activity.
How does your idea deliver great public space?
This idea delivers great public space as it’s not location specific.
How is your idea transformational?
It’s transformational on many levels; this concept repurposes existing space (easements, crown land, roads including nature strips and redundant council land) into human scaled space accessible to everyone.
It initiates many contemporary planning theories about improving life in modern cities; increasing green spaces [reducing Urban Heat Island effect], improving community interaction within local neighbourhoods/local shops, more pedestrian friendly areas, easily accessed space for exercise and recreation.
A Local Loop will be unique for every suburb, some industrial, others scenic, or just suburbia…it’s not just about outdoor space but safe commuting for locals to the shops or train station.
A Local Loop can be created from closing off a single lane of certain roads and using nature strips. They could be tree lined, fully landscaped and include sitting benches and kids playgrounds. When every suburb has their own ‘Loop’ in the future people can travel to other ‘loops’ to exercise and explore new areas of Sydney. It might be possible to interlink Loops to create longer Super-Loops.