UPDATED
### ODT Online Thu, 10 Sep 2009
Team to tackle revamping South Dunedin
Dunedin’s new urban design team is taking on one of the city’s more intractable problems – improving the look and feel of South Dunedin and its business district. The project is one of the first to be tackled since three new urban designers and a heritage policy planner were hired this year to bolster the city’s design expertise.
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What if? Dunedin... 
Maybe I’ve missed something here, but what’s happened to the City Architects ? I think they are called AUD these days. Are they now Urban Design ?
Phil – There’s no AUD or City Architect any more. The position of City Architect was disestablished when Robert Tongue left. The Planning and AUD departments have merged to form the City Development Team.
The following was posted to What if? previously but a few of us won’t have caught it.
See DCC’s P&E report on City Development Work Programme Update
Click to access ma_r_pec_CityDWorkPlan.pdf
Brief background information to new appointments to the Team:
Steven Miles – Principal Urban Designer
Steven has recently moved back to New Zealand from London where he was involved in significant Urban design projects with Transport for London and Design for London. Steven originally trained as a Landscape Architect at Lincoln University. Steven is sure to bring new and fresh ideas to the role of Principal Urban Designer from the wide variety of projects he has been involved in. Steven will be commencing employment with the Council on 10 August.
Mike Daffern – Urban Designer
Mike who has been with the team since May of this year will continue in his role as Urban Designer. Mike started his Architecture/Urban Design career in London working on a variety of projects before moving to Christchurch where he worked for a private Architecture firm – Stanley, Joblin & Allfrey.
Emma Burford – Urban Design Special Project Manager
Emma is well versed in the workings of the Council, from her current role at Beca Infrastructure Ltd where she has worked on several Council projects. Before moving to New Zealand in 2005, Emma was based in the UK where amongst other roles she was the Project Manager for Haringey Council on a number of new build and refurbishment projects. Emma will be starting at the Council on 17 August.
Glen Hazelton – Policy Planner (Heritage)
Glen will be taking on the role of Policy Planner (Heritage) having previously worked for the Department of Conservation in Turangi. During his time with DOC, Glen undertook extensive project work in the protection of historic and recreation assets. Glen will be taking up his role on 3 August.
Thanks for the info, Elizabeth. I had missed that completely. I note from the department structure plan that none of the qualified architects from AUD remain. Mixed feelings on that one, but it’s a shame to lose historical knowledge.
Hi Phil – yes, loss of historical knowledge in relation to architectural practice within Dunedin City Council (therefore a loss to citizens) has to be a concern.
However, amongst the new appointees there’s a willingness to foster meetings with the Southern branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects; and vice versa. This I’m sure applies to other colleague professions.
Topically this week, I’ve been facilitating an informal NZIA Southern welcome for the new City Development Team appointees.
Within the branch there’s friendly access available to the former ‘city architects’ as a collective of knowledge. Some of these practitioners are actively consulting (either independently or co-institutionally) on council development and urban design projects; and or consulting to council on resource consent applications.
One down side (which might fix?) is the loss (via the loss of AUD – the council’s Architecture and Urban Design Department) of council facilitation and training of architecture graduates under the supervision of an in-house senior registered architect.
Councils can provide an extremely useful professional training ground (design, project management, advocacy, policy, etc), and this role should be fostered as much as possible. I guess it could still happen at Dunedin City Council if mindsets can be worked on further up the executive management food chain.
You raise a very good point, Elizabeth. The incredibly diverse pool of knowledge with the Dunedin City Council is unique, and, I believe, under utilised. I recall talking to a retired, long serving, roading engineer. He described to me how, as a freshly employed cadet, he moved from department to department within DCC. As a carefully planned out continuing education programme by the then management. He learnt about costs and budgeting from the finance people, civil engineering from the council engineers, and infrastructure synergy from the folks in the water and wastewater departments. The result was an engineer with an excellent understanding of every branch of council, and the ability to work in a way that streamlined the process for everyone. He could see how his planned project may impact on other council services. And adjust accordingly BEFORE there was a problem. These days you get Property not talking to Parking (without a consultancy fee), Planning working independently from Economic Development. The perception is of a cluster of islands.
I am a child of the old government department apprentice programmes, and I can’t speak highly enough of the system. In hindsight it was not financially sustainable, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t still operate in a smaller, local capacity. Having an internship for engineers, property developers, and especially planners, moving around various departments, can only benefit council with increased knowledge and understanding, and a willingness to openly communicate.
Just to follow up on this, and I apologise for deviating off topic, I noted from my professional dealings that there are 3 DCC employees who are qualified Quantity Surveyors and members of the national QS body. I wonder how many of the other departments who hire consultants to carry out that function know of their existence ? Is there an in-house database of skills and knowledge I wonder ? How much money is being saved by inter-departmental sharing of knowledge and skills. Hopefully heaps.
{Let me preface my comments with agreement that the DCC staff pool is amazing in its diversity, as you say Phil – and I’ll add: many of the individuals are imbued with that positive useful trait I call native intelligence.}
I’m more than a trace fearful this knowledge of in-house expertise is deeply sunk under a degenerating carpet somewhere.
Perhaps you could run for Chief Executive, Phil (oh, that’s right, it’s not an elected position).
DCC interdepartmental information exchange, cross disciplinary understanding and teamwork potential is chronically diseased. Probably not helped by the almost total computer station/desktop mentality of some areas…
Significant change is needed throughout the council administration; more has to be expected of the executive management team to unclog and or remove bureaucratic channels.
Internships across the great island divides of council would be sensational – and potentially, a fine investment.
And or a ‘leadership programme’ that works and upskills a small group of smart thinkers each year, selected from across the council for their individual and team performance, and application. Fresh blood reinvested, not bled out and extinguished.
Kate Styles’ comments in the news item are worrying. She is keen to get across that the city had limited funding at its disposal for urban design, and the study would not solve every problem. “We’re not talking millions.”
If the South Dunedin Library is built (can it also incorporate a community hub??) then we’re talking millions already budgeted in the LTCCP for starters.
You ‘take away’ (in what way?? unknown) Carisbrook, then hit the people of South Dunedin hard in rates (or subsequently, rents) to pay for the north end stadium, then a general manager says there’s little money for urban design – which, by the way, isn’t restricted to planting some trees and providing bus stops… Good grief.
Thankfully, the expert urban design staff have a more encompassing view of community life and amenity. And Cr Dave Cull is on the ball.
Although some form of revitalisation for South Dunedin is a great idea, greater focus on economic development within the city generally would address some of the suburb’s woes. Relatively speaking South Dunedin is very close to the wider CBD and if business growth (beyond just the service sector) could be achieved, the area should become increasingly desirable. Of course that doesn’t address the issue of planned growth – restoration, adaptation, new buildings etc …
Peter – you’re right. South Dunedin has a high concentration of small businesses and they are vital to Dunedin. There is also the very significant workplace Hillside Workshops in its midst, a long history there of providing employment and social fabric. And much more besides at South Dunedin than this brief comment can cover.
Well as I read the report in the ODT, all that is being “talked about” is the King Edward Street shopping area. The “redevelopment” of South Dunedin/Caversham/The Flat is a much wider issue than that as I have been trying to communicate on here for some time. And yes, it has to include Carisbrook and other ‘green areas’ as well.
Someone has already made a start on South Dunedin.
Trees have been planted along Hillside Road outside the workshops.
It may be a small thing now but in ten years that will be a huge improvement to the streetscape.
Wonder if Hillside Workshops did that themselves (with council approval) following the painting of the street facades. I got some great sunlight effects shots of the painters’ scaffolding and scrim last year.
I wondered that too – DCC or Kiwirail?
Richard might be able to tell us if council’s tree planting schedule included this.
Another city improvement – isn’t Forsyth Barr House much more sympathetic to its surroundings with its new paint job (or not so new – I’m not sure when it was done).
FB House – painted last year. Required resource consent which was given after a public hearing, I think in 2007.
Hillside Road Tree Planting – part of council’s street planting programme.
Richard – a big thumbs up for the DCC tree planting programme for Hillside Rd.
It will be a massive improvement in years to come.
Second that. Not a lot of bouquets for council staff of late. So well done them. It’s “feel good” touches that make people want to stay around. I’ve always been impressed on how well Sydney has kept its city greenscape. You almost forget it’s a city at times. Well done, fellas and fellesses.