Another big idea highlighted at the summit is even more unexpected: toilets.
UNSW industrial design lecturer Dr Christian Tietz has a bold vision to transform what he calls Sydney’s “brick bunker” public toilets into welcoming, well-designed civic spaces. He argues the city should follow Tokyo’s lead, where public toilets have become architectural landmarks and tourist attractions in their own right.
“Tokyo’s toilets are the epitome of futuristic design,” Tietz said. “They transform the entire experience of going to the loo.”
He argued that investment in public toilets would have benefits far beyond basic relief, improving inclusivity, dignity, privacy and accessibility across the city.
“We need to rethink our toilets from the inside out and from the bottom up,” he said. “Turning ugly brick bunkers into precious pearls.”
If better design and environmental innovation appeal to the head, another proposal aims squarely at the heart – and the ears.
The Live Music Venues Alliance has pitched an idea to reinvigorate Sydney’s struggling live music scene through a new initiative called MyGigPass. The scheme would target Sydneysiders aged 18 to 25, inviting them to sign up to a mailing list that, from next month, would offer discounted access to live gigs across the city.
Beau Neilson, an alliance member and owner of Newtown music venue The Vanguard, said participating venues would share low-cost offers for a wide range of performances, from emerging acts to domestic and international artists.
The aim, she said, is to rebuild young people’s habit of going out to see live music, at a time when rising costs and venue closures have hollowed out Sydney’s once-thriving scene.
Taken together with the idea to unbury Sydney’s waterways, the proposals may seem disparate – creeks, toilets and gigs – but they share a common thread: making Sydney more human.
