Sixteen years ago, the NSW government introduced changes to planning laws that started to reshape the way much of Sydney looks, and the dwellings in which a growing minority live.

The State Environmental Planning Policy No 65 imposed new standards for natural light, outdoor access and size on new apartment developments; it is because of this policy, for better or worse, that so many new unit blocks in Sydney look similar.

A pedestrian walks past a new building in Campsie on Canterbury Road. Credit:Daniel Munoz

But with the volume of new apartment developments fast increasing, some architects and designers are pushing for further planning reforms that would extend the principles of apartment planning rules to the streets outside the block.

"The essence of the problem is that no one thinks about the street as a public place," said Shaun Carter, a Sydney architect and former former head of the state's Institute of Architects.