We’ve been doing a lot of community engagement, and planning and design work, over the past few years so we can deliver a great result for the central retail area.
Why are we upgrading the Retail Quarter?
We want to create a more people-friendly space with new paving, street furniture, lighting and public art, so we have a more vibrant central city. We’ll be doing this in a way that celebrates Dunedin’s heritage.
It’s a good time to do this work as underground services such as water, wastewater and stormwater pipes are old and need to be replaced.
We aim to:
- improve the safety and accessibility of the central city’s public spaces for all road users, including pedestrians, drivers and cyclists
- create compelling, attractive spaces where people want to spend time, helping to make central Dunedin a prosperous, vibrant, exciting, accessible and distinctive destination.
What are the main benefits of the upgrade?
- Creating a healthy central city centre.
- Creating a vibrant and distinctive city.
- Boosting Dunedin’s economy by protecting and enhancing its retail core.
- Enhancing the visibility of mana whenua.
Our vision
To achieve the following outcomes and make Dunedin a distinctive destination and one of the world’s great small cities.
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Putting people first
By:
- improving the pedestrian experience of the city
- improving safety
- celebrating our walkable city
- creating meeting and resting points
- increasing pedestrian space in the central city.
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Creating an Ōtepoti Dunedin sense of place
By:
- celebrating Dunedin’s distinctive heritage, culture, and character
- enhancing the city with input from its residents
- reflecting Dunedin’s past and develop its future.
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Greening the city
By:
- creating a green network of trees and plants in the central city to reduce carbon emissions
- greening the streets to contribute to stormwater improvements
- restoring wildlife corridors and habitats for birds and insects.
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Streets as places
By:
- promoting George Street as a destination
- creating:
- a memorable and distinctive place
- an accessible city
- places for people to meet.
See the what’s been happening on the project since 2019
We’re now getting close to finalising designs and starting physical work due to start in October 2021.
Background
On 17 November 2020, the DCC’s Planning and Environment Committee agreed to go ahead with the detailed business case (DBC) for the Retail Quarter (George Street) upgrade to assess the Council’s preferred option: a one-way design with flexibility to go to a two-way shared street design.
Retail Quarter (George Street) upgrade project area
