Paddock to Market to Plate by Tony Owen Partners is a Vision for the future of the Flemington Market Site in Sydney. Flemington is the historical site of Sydney’s produce markets, next to the Olympic Stadium. The markets have announced they will be relocating. This proposal envisages the redevelopment of this site as a model of urban renewal in the 21st Century. The design includes a mix of all elements needed for a sustainable future in the same place. It includes Urban Agriculture, Employment, High Density Living and retains some Market uses.
Urban Heat Islands Modern developed cities are up to 3 degrees hotter than rural areas. In cities, green space is replaced by hard surfaces like roads which cannot absorb the suns energy. This is called the ‘Heat Island Effect’. This scheme tackles the problem by using the green roofs for agriculture to feed the residents. 90% of the land surface is given over to parks, paddocks and agriculture. This can supply 30% of the needs of the residents. Integrated Planning – Paddock to Market to Plate The energy costs of Transportation of food and goods is one of the largest uses of global energy. It chokes our cities with roads, trucks and smoke. In the future, communities must integrate all of the elements of sustainable living in the one place to reduce the impact of transport. The site can accommodate 10,000 dwellings. It also contains employment uses for 5000 people and incorporate large areas for urban agriculture including fields for crops, grains, herbs, flowers and orchards as well as parks, and community spaces.

This was a speculative design commissioned by the Urban Taskforce and the Daily Telegraph newspaper to highlights some of the challenges and possible solutions for the future.