The millennial baby boom, an aging population and high migration put the government under increased pressure to fund and deliver new infrastructure for schools, education, health services and aged care facilities.

With Sydney forecast to grow to 5.5 million people in 2026, the NSW Government needs solutions to increase the supply of housing and justify the Beaches Link and Western Harbour Tunnel.

The NSW Government intends to upgrade the Warringah Freeway as part of the delivery of the Beaches Link and Western Harbour Tunnel.

The planned upgrade presents a unique opportunity to enclose the noisy motorway and create a sustainable "City on a Hill", surrounded by 20 hectares of new parkland and open space.

City on a Hill provides a unique urban planning opportunity that will benefit the people of the Lower North Shore. 

With careful planning, inspired urban design and an innovative delivery strategy, City on a Hill could enable and fund:

a light rail network for the North Shore, enclosure of the heavy rail line to eliminate train noise and "wheel squeal" in Waverton, Wollstonecraft and surrounding suburbs, and a toll-free tunnel to alleviate congestion on Spit and Military Roads.

City on a Hill can also:

• provide new schools, a university campus and a new library,
  
• increase the supply of community and affordable housing,
• provide additional sporting facilities, playing fields, 
• deliver a new town hall, community centres and cultural centres,
• establish a memorial park and sandstone terrace in North Sydney, and
  
• beautify the Lower North Shore with parklands, gardens, trails and cycleways.

With additional residents, City on a Hill would also challenge the need for local council amalgamations.

The upgrade and enclosure of the Warringah Freeway also provides a unique opportunity to deliver a better and more sustainable public transport system for Sydney.

The Connecting Sydney design details light rail routes for the Lower North Shore and proposes an innovative extension of the rail network to the Northern Beaches.

The light rail network will connect City on a Hill with North Sydney, Neutral Bay, St Leonards and Lane Cove, and can be extended to Mosman, Crows Nest, Chatswood and the Sydney CBD.

The North Shore light rail will be fully integrated with the existing transport system and can achieve the high passenger utilisation required to justify delivery without requiring public subsidy.

City on a Hill will increase housing supply and affordability, ease traffic congestion, improve transport services and deliver better value for money for the people of NSW.