Councillor HY William Chan

City of Sydney

Councillor HY William Chan is an architect, advocate for design excellence and co-founder of Climate Action Week Sydney, championing a sustainable city for the next generation.

William is an energetic and dedicated local passionate about empowering communities to design the future city. With experience in urban planning and innovation, he has contributed to Sydney’s most significant public spaces, social housing, transit infrastructure and community developments over the past decade. His work has garnered industry recognition from the Australian Institute of Architects, Good Design Australia and Sustainable Building Awards.

As a first-generation migrant and co-living renter, William is committed to involving younger and more diverse people in local politics. His civic leadership includes chairing environment, planning, heritage, transport, cycling, cultural and creativity issues, and representing Council for audit risk, compliance, inclusion and disability.

Motivated by the City of Sydney’s globally renowned environmental policies, William co-founded Climate Action Week Sydney and is a lead delegate to the UN Climate Change Conference. He is an elected board executive with ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability and Climate Emergency Australia.

From the UN General Assembly to the TED stage, William regularly shares his professional practice in citymaking. He holds distinguished appointments with Columbia University’s Centre for Sustainable Urban Development, the World Economic Forum’s Global Public Leadership Fellowship, and Bloomberg CityLab’s Mayors Innovation Studio.

An avid volunteer surf lifesaver, William is also named in the Forbes ‘30 Under 30’, top 20 of ‘100 Inspiring Australians’ by Qantas, and Pro Bono Australia’s top 25 most influential people in the social impact sector.