New metro stations in the CBD and North Sydney are set to be the city’s newest landmarks in their own right, offering retail, community, residential and commercial opportunities.

Victoria Cross and Pitt Street stations have been chosen as locations where Sydney could replicate mass-transit-oriented developments such as Hudson Yards in New York and Paddington Station on London’s Crossrail.

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said this was a once in a generation opportunity to revitalise Sydney for the future.

“These great new destinations will be integrated with their surrounding environments, moulded on what is happening on other world-class mass transit systems,” Mr Constance said.

“Sydney Metro will make it faster and easier to get around the city – but it also delivers an opportunity to create world-class destinations that will shape the city’s future.

“Like metro stations around the world, stations on the new Sydney Metro system will be vibrant places and landmarks in their own right.”

The planning process has started with integrated concept designs released for Victoria Cross and Pitt Street stations to deliver buildings that offer commercial, residential, community and retail opportunities.

Planning for integrated station design at Crows Nest will start next year. The new metro station at Martin Place will also be integrated into the area around it and the NSW Government is currently assessing an unsolicited proposal.

Sydney Metro Program Director Rodd Staples said work on the integrated designs can start while station construction is underway.

“Sydney Metro is more than just a world-scale public transport project, it’s a defining city-building opportunity,” Mr Staples said.

“This is a chance to build more than just railway stations – through excellence in design and delivery, we will create fully-integrated places which are intuitive and safe, as well as architecturally unique.

“This is an opportunity to build on the revitalisation which Sydney Metro brings, creating truly landmark places and developments that showcases world’s best practise for transit orientated developments.”

Sydney Metro services start in the first half of 2019 on the Sydney Metro Northwest project, with metro rail to be extended in 2024 under Sydney Harbour, through the CBD and beyond to Bankstown.

Sydney Metro will have ultimate capacity of a new metro train every two minutes in each direction under the Sydney CBD.