This research investigates the successful and challenging elements of the Green Square Urban Renewal project in Sydney, Australia, by analysing it through principles and indicators extracted from the New Urbanism and Compact City theories. The City of Sydney is facing population growth and new strategies are needed in order to accommodate future populations, ease housing stress and favour dense urban living in opposition to sprawl. Principles such as densification, transit-oriented development and mixed-use are considered of essence when striving for sustainable urban transition, but a lack of provision of infrastructure in these areas in order to support the density is observed in the Green Square Town Centre. Strategic planning moreover shows that one of the further priorities should be public spaces. Because when planning for sustainability, it is important to plan for liveability as well. The research shows that in order for sustainable transition to be reached during Green Square renewal, enforceable objectives must be set, misalignments between planning bodies must be limited, higher developer levies must be reached, better control
of land must be established and wider public must be educated on the benefits of reaching sustainable change.