Dunedin City Council – Kaunihera-a-rohe o Otepoti

Ōtepoti Pathways Strategy

Last updated: 14 Sep 2026 11:04am

A 30-year vision for walking, wheeling and cycling in Dunedin

Council is seeking feedback on the draft Ōtepoti Pathways Strategy before the final strategy is presented for adoption later in 2026.

Ōtepoti Pathways sets a long-term direction for improving walking, wheeling and cycling across Ōtepoti Dunedin. The strategy aims to create a safer, more connected and accessible city where people of all ages and abilities have more choices for getting around – whether for everyday trips, recreation, tourism or connecting with their communities.

The draft strategy looks beyond individual projects. It provides a shared vision for the future, identifies opportunities for better connections between neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces, recreation areas and key destinations, and helps guide future investment decisions over the next 30 years.

The draft strategy:

  • Establishes a vision for walking, wheeling and cycling
  • Sets goals and objectives for the next 30 years
  • Identifies priority areas and future network  connections
  • Identifies an investment hierarchy to guide DCC funding decision making
  • Supports healthier, safer and more connected communities
  • Connecting Dunedin to regional tracks and trails

Vision

In Ōtepoti Dunedin, it is safe and easy for people of all ages and abilities to walk, cycle or wheel for everyday travel.

Goals

The strategy is built around four goals:

Safety and accessibility

All people in Dunedin can travel safely and independently to where they need to go in their everyday life and when visiting destinations across the city.

Choice and wellbeing

Our active transport system is safe, well-connected, attractive and easy to navigate, giving people a genuine choice to travel in ways that support their wellbeing and the environment.

Economic prosperity and tourism

Our city has strong active transport connections to tracks, trails and key destinations, which will strengthen tourism and support local businesses and our economy.

Traffic reliability and resilience

Our transport system continues to support reliable traffic flow while our city grows and is resilient to local and global disruptions.

About the strategy

Walking, wheeling and cycling are an important part of a connected, resilient and accessible transport system. Improving these options can support:

  • Safer streets and more accessible places for everyone, including those using wheelchairs and mobility aids
  • Healthier communities and improved wellbeing
  • Stronger connections between communities
  • Tourism and economic opportunities
  • Greater transport choice and healthier lifestyles
  • Resilience against climate change and other external factors such as fuel price shifts
  • Reduced emissions and environmental benefits
  • Reduced congestion and more vacant parking spaces
  • The strategy does not commit funding to specific projects.

The strategy does not commit funding to specific projects.

Future investment decisions will continue to be made through Council planning, budgeting and consultation processes.

The strategy recognises that different parts of Dunedin need different solutions. Improvements could range from smaller changes such as signs, road markings and safer crossings, through to larger infrastructure projects such as shared paths, protected cycleways and intersection upgrades.

The strategy provides long-term direction, with priorities considered over time through Council planning, funding and consultation processes.

  • Why do we need a strategy?

    Walking, wheeling and cycling are important ways for people to get around, but many parts of Dunedin's current network have gaps that make everyday trips difficult or unsafe.

    A connected network can:

    • Improve safety for everyone using our streets
    • Give people more transport choices
    • Support healthier lifestyles and low-cost ways of travelling
    • Reduce congestion and free up parking by having more people walking and cycling
    • Improve resilience during road closures or fuel disruptions
    • Strengthen tourism and support local businesses
    • Contribute to Dunedin's Zero Carbon goals.

    Many people will continue to rely on driving, and this strategy recognises that. By providing more transport choices, the network can also improve traffic flow and parking availability for people who need to use a vehicle. This will be especially important as our city grows.

  • Developing the strategy

    The draft Ōtepoti Pathways Strategy has been developed through technical and strategic assessments, engagement and discussions with stakeholders, including previous community feedback, Council workshops and conversations with organisations involved in transport, accessibility, recreation and community wellbeing.

    Targeted engagement was undertaken in 2023 to understand experiences, challenges and aspirations for walking, wheeling and cycling across the city. Further work with Council and stakeholders has helped shape the draft vision, goals, objectives and future network opportunities.

  • What we heard

    The draft strategy has been informed by previous Council consultations, community engagement and discussions with stakeholders.

    Some consistent themes included:

    • People want safer places to walk and cycle
    • Gaps in the current network make many trips difficult
    • Intersections and crossing points need improvement
    • Well-maintained footpaths and shared paths are important
    • Many people would consider cycling more if they felt safer
    • There is strong support for improving connections to schools, communities and key destinations.

What the strategy proposes

Future connections for Dunedin City map

Rather than identifying every future project, the strategy establishes long-term direction of where improved walking, wheeling and cycling connections should be developed over the next 30 years.
The strategy includes:

  • Future connection maps across the city and wider region
  • Five priority areas where investment will be focused first
  • An investment hierarchy to guide future decision-making
  • Objectives to measure progress over time.
Future connections for Dunedin region map

  • Priority areas

    The strategy identifies five priority areas where improvements are expected to deliver the greatest benefit because they include large numbers of homes, schools and workplaces.

    These are:

    • Central City
    • Hill Suburbs (Kaikorai, Māori Hill, Roslyn, Helensburgh, Wakari, Halfway Bush, Brockville)
    • South Dunedin and Caversham
    • Mosgiel
    • Andersons Bay and Musselburgh.

    Focusing investment in these areas will also improve opportunities to secure co-funding from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.

  • Investment priorities

    Because funding is limited, the strategy proposes an investment hierarchy to help guide future decisions.

    Priority will be given to:

    1. Closing gaps and connecting existing routes within priority areas.
    2. Coordinating improvements with other projects and development opportunities.
    3. Improving connections to schools, education facilities, employment areas, public transport, health services, recreation and tourism destinations.
    4. Supporting improvements in other parts of the city where there are significant opportunities or community benefits.

  • How will this be delivered?

    The strategy itself does not allocate funding.

    Projects will be considered through future Dunedin City Council Long Term Plans, Annual Plans and other funding processes. Where appropriate, Council will seek co-funding from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.

    Once funding has been confirmed for individual projects, communities will have opportunities to provide feedback on proposed changes before finalising designs and starting construction.

    Progress will be monitored and reported, and the strategy will be reviewed every three years.

Draft Ōtepoti Pathways Strategy 2026
New window |  PDF File |  3.3 MB

The next step is to hear from the wider community.

We want to hear from you

Council wants to know whether the draft strategy reflects the future people want for Ōtepoti Dunedin.

Your feedback will help us understand:

  • whether the draft vision and goals are heading in the right direction
  • whether important opportunities, barriers or perspectives have been missed
  • what connections, destinations or communities should be considered
  • what changes could strengthen the strategy before it is finalised.

We want to hear from everyone – whether you regularly walk, wheel or cycle, occasionally use these options, mostly travel by car, or are impacted by how our streets and spaces are used.

This includes people who walk, cycle, use mobility aids or scooters, as well as parents and caregivers, children and young people, older adults, businesses, visitors and community organisations.

Have your say

The consultation period runs from 14 September to 16 October 2026.

Read the draft Ōtepoti Pathways Strategy and share your feedback through the consultation form below.

You can also view a summary of the draft strategy and complete the consultation form in person at DCC service centres and libraries during the consultation period.

Consultation details

Closing date 16 October 2026
Contact person Transport Planning Team Leader
Public feedback

What happens to your feedback

We will read and consider all feedback before finalising the strategy. A summary of what we hear will be shared with Council to help decide any changes. Feedback may be published, but personal details will be kept private where possible.

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