The Australian Good Design Awards has named this year’s Australian Good Design Award Gold Winners, with Parramatta Light Rail – Stage 1 earning recognition in the highly contested Built Environment category.
Designed by COX Architecture and CONTEXT landscape architects, together with engineering partners WSP and Aurecon, the transformative 12-kilometre project delivers more than just a new mode of efficient transport.
It has reshaped Parramatta’s urban landscape through greener infrastructure, revitalised public spaces, and an enhanced civic identity — marking a pivotal chapter in the city’s evolution.
At the heart of the design is a strong environmental and public focus.
The light rail features new green corridors — a fully planted light rail route and the first of its kind in Australia — already acclaimed at the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) Awards, where it received the 2025 Excellence Award.
This feature exemplifies the project’s commitment to weaving sustainability and livability into everyday urban movement.
Commended for embedding public, environmental, and cultural value at every stage, the project was celebrated by the Good Design Awards jury as “a project that redefines what infrastructure can be: not just transport, but transformation.”
Hamish Dounan, Director of CONTEXT, said the recognition acknowledges the project’s human-focused design and broader contribution to shaping Western Sydney’s future.
“Our team has proudly contributed to the delivery of transport infrastructure, together with a new walking and cycling path, well-designed public spaces, greener streets, pedestrianised dining precinct, new trees and a revitalised city centre,” said Dounan.
The project reflects a holistic and responsive approach, integrating shade, walkability, inclusivity, and climate resilience into Sydney’s geographic centre.
With tree preservation, heat reduction, and improved stormwater management embedded into its design, the light rail corridor strengthens the physical and social fabric of Parramatta’s rapidly growing community.
“This project sends a clear signal for urban renewal in Sydney’s geographic centre and the transformative legacy of landscape architecture,” said Dounan.
“Perhaps more than any other type of project, light rail is a true form of urban transformation. Light rail changes the way people move and directly improves public domain – fully embedding it into a city’s legacy,” said COX Director, Ian Connolly.
Connolly noted that beyond its role in transportation, Parramatta Light Rail represents a “bold piece of urban placemaking that builds on Parramatta’s unique identity,” reinforcing the city’s position as both culturally grounded and future-focused.
Rachel Wye, Managing Director of Good Design Australia, said the 2025 cohort of winners showcases how design continues to play a pivotal role in building sustainable and livable communities.
“The projects awarded this year show how thoughtful design can drive meaningful change – from the way we live and work to how we care for our planet,” Wye commented.
In its official citation, the Good Design Awards Jury praised Parramatta Light Rail – Stage 1 for its impact on both people and place.
“Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1 is a city-shaping transport and public domain project in Western Sydney.
“A timeless, rigorous urban design project, that will clearly benefit its community for the long term.”
Wye said the project demonstrates how carefully balancing ground treatments with planting, hardscape, and integrated track design expands the potential of light rail across Australia, showcasing it as a low-impact and seamlessly embedded form of transport.
She added that the initiative’s strong commitment to greening and collaboration with local First Nations communities reflects “a powerful example of world-class design”.
For Western Sydney, this achievement highlights the region’s growing prominence in sustainable urban infrastructure and design excellence.
As one of Australia’s most significant transport and landscape architecture collaborations, Parramatta Light Rail – Stage 1 stands as a model for future projects that prioritise resilience, inclusivity, and community connection — setting a new national benchmark for integrated design in public infrastructure.
