The Goods Line

The Goods Line is a new phenomenon in urban planning that has won its architects the "Planning Excellence Australia Award for Urban Design" in 2014. In the 19th Century, this corridor was a railway line transporting timber, shale and coal. Today, it is a spectacular linear park connecting Darling Harbor to Railway Square. This car-free walkway mirrors The High Line in New York and forms an elevated corridor flanked by grassy patches and fig trees. It is situated in an area known for a plenitude of media agencies, entrepreneurial firms and colleges, and this walkway comes as a welcome pedestrian zone for at least 80,000 students. The Goods Line boasts study pods placed under shady trees, colorful work tables, and WiFi access in some zones. It also has picnic and ping pong tables, a kids' water park, a sand pit, a gym, and an amphitheater for outdoor concerts and movie screenings. The pathway is designed in such a way that citizens feel quite at home and gather here to play, socialize, debate, study or enjoy picnics. Besides, it also performs the dual function of easing pedestrian traffic on the main roads and making Ultimo a more eco-friendly neighborhood. The highlight is the Goods Line entrance to Dr Chau Chak Wing Building, a structure with quirky architecture that has earned it the apt nickname “Brown Paper Bag Building.”