The Dunedin City Council and the city's two tertiary institutions have signed the first memorandum of understanding designed to maintain and enhance a vibrant North Dunedin campus area.
The 11-page document details agreements reached between the council, the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic, and lists action plans with loose time frames for issues such as land zoning, transport and parking, cleanliness, student housing and communications.
The Otago Polytechnic Council endorsed the memorandum on Thursday.
Chief executive Phil Ker said the memorandum was the culmination of four years' work by the partners, calling it a "practical document which would enhance what is already New Zealand's foremost education city".
The document provided a plan for a part of the city which already made a significant contribution to Dunedin's economic development, acting council chairman Mark Ryan said.
There are no surprises in the memorandum, as all the issues have already been aired publicly in city council plans. But it outlines which organisation or organisations will lead the action plans for each proposal and when they might be completed.
Some of the major proposals are:
• Review existing campus zone permitted activities and boundaries
• Create "mini-parks" and other green spaces where possible
• Implement an incentive scheme to support landlords upgrading the look and environmental standards of existing properties
• Encourage landlords to remove parking spaces from front yards
• Develop a plan for discouraging car use and encouraging walking and cycling
• Finalise a "park and ride" system, with car parking provided on the edges of the campus area
• Further improve bus services for students and tertiary staff
• Work towards the goal of "free" buses for students
• Continue to review and refine rubbish collections
• Investigate installing a co-ordinated CCTV system for the university campus and North Dunedin
• Facilitate a broadband network and enhance wireless capabilities throughout the campuses and neighbouring residential areas.
