Region. City too spread out

A new report rating 70 cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit may be little comfort to the Premier, Barry O'Farrell, who is encouraging more growth on the fringes of Sydney, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. James Weirick, the UNSW director of urban development and design, said Sydney was too spread out as a city, causing problems with livability, public transport accessibility and pollution from motor vehicles. ''The policy of facilitating growth on the periphery is seriously mistaken,'' he said. ''Sydney will only get better with higher density in the right places.''