bringing in consultants to improve the city’s dangerous image

[oh, some lovable phrases!!!]
[as residents of Dunedin City reel in horror from vile crooked budget news]

. . . the problem in [Dunedin] was not branding . . . we didn’t need to come up with a style campaign . . . our challenge has been to open doors in that sealed wall, doors so that people can pass through and go on participating in the construction of hope . . .

### utne.com 1/28/2010 3:06:04 PM
Politics
How Architecture Transformed a Violent City
By Danielle Maestretti
Over the past ten or so years, the city of Medellín, Colombia, has undergone a high-profile transformation, shedding its reputation as one of the world’s most violent cities. In an interview with architect Giancarlo Mazzanti in the art magazine Bomb, former Medellín mayor Sergio Fajardo discusses the vital role of architecture and design in the city’s renewal, which he explains was driven by the concept of “the most beautiful for the most humble”—a departure, or “rupture,” he says, from the notion “that anything you give to the poor is a plus.”
Read more

****

Not making light of Medellín’s situation, rather we’re soaking in the concept of “concrete community improvement”, as we make behind-the-scenes arrangements (including the payment of enormous backhanders) to take over and adapt the new stadium at Dunedin, by June 2010.

Someone has already suggested it should become a holding pond for sludge – yeah, but we can turn that into future renewable energy generation.

Did you really think encasing rugby in a concrete box was a long-term cash-maker, something you could throw into the deep blue sea of “branding” to remove evidence of squandering citizens’ meagre stash (sorry, trash) piles?

SOS DUNEDIN

Related Posts and Comments:
28.1.10 Brand strategy for Dunedin
14.1.10 Dunedin, let’s explore “renewal partnerships”
14.1.10 Superficial Dunedin sloganism
12.1.10 Learning curve 4 SLOGANS
11.1.10 #NewDunedinSlogan by twerps (darn, tweeps)
11.1.10 Collaboration for Dunedin’s promotional strategy

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

ODT on “fiscal creep” + the 3 Waters bonanza

### ODT Online Sat, 30 Jan 2010
Editorial: Restraint inertia
It is good finally to see some vigour coming from Dunedin City councillors as they examine ways to tackle spiralling rate increases, even if such efforts are years too late. The mayor and councillors for far too long have acquiesced to plans and proposals that have ratcheted up costs.
Read more

Related Post:
20.1.10 ODT sounds the warning!

****

### ODT Online Sat, 30 Jan 2010
Water infrastructure challenges identified
By Chris Morris
Climate change, peak oil and a $1 billion bill are just some of the challenges identified in the Dunedin City Council’s 3 Waters strategy document. However, the 3 Waters Strategic Direction Statement 2010-2060, to be considered at Monday’s infrastructure services committee, also outlined the high-level thinking behind plans to tackle each, as well as identifying opportunities.
Read more

****

### ODT Online Sat, 30 Jan 2010
City’s $1b water bill
By Chris Morris
The Dunedin City Council is facing a billion-dollar bill to maintain existing water services over the next 50 years. The forecast costs were outlined in the council’s “3 Waters” strategy, along with a warning “trade-offs” would be needed – reducing funding for some non-essential water services – to minimise the effect.

Cr Butcher said the [“3 Waters”] document showed the council’s decision to invest in the Forsyth Barr Stadium, despite concerns held by some about the financial position of the council, was “coming home to roost”. She also accused staff of deliberately withholding details of the pending bill during earlier stadium deliberations. “I’m pretty upset about it . . . We should have had this information before we made the stadium decision, because it makes a huge difference.”

Read more

>> Agenda and reports for the Infrastructure Services Committee meeting on Monday 1 February, Edinburgh Room, Municipal Chambers, commencing 2pm.

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Dunedin City Council meeting Monday 01/02/2010

Starting at 10am in the Edinburgh Room, Municipal Chambers, the meeting to consider the Pre-Draft Annual Plan held on 21 January resumes. Apologies have been received from Councillors Paul Hudson and Richard Walls.

UPDATED 30.1.10
The agenda and reports are now available on the DCC website.
They were uploaded this morning.

Agenda – Council – 01/02/2010 (PDF, 56.5 kb, new window)

Report – Council – 01/02/2010 (PDF, 54.8 kb, new window)
Water and Waste Services – Proposed Changes to Annual Plan Measures

Report – Council – 01/02/2010 (PDF, 230.0 kb, new window)
Tahuna Wastewater Treatment Plant Stage 2 Upgrade

Report – Council – 01/02/2010 (PDF, 123.2 kb, new window)
2010-2011 Community Housing Rent Increase Proposal

Report – Council – 01/02/2010 (PDF, 205.7 kb, new window)
Library – Rate Funding Reduction Options

Report – Council – 01/02/2010 (PDF, 190.3 kb, new window)
Stadium 2010/11 Draft Annual Plan Update

Report – Council – 01/02/2010 (PDF, 2.7 mb, new window)
Kerbside Recycling – Clarification of Financial Modelling in the Pre-Draft Plan 2010/11

Report – Council – 01/02/2010 (PDF, 108.5 kb, new window)
Dunedin Venues Management Limited Budget 2010/11

Report – Council – 01/02/2010 (PDF, 289.7 kb, new window)
Logan Park Public Toilets and Change Rooms

Report – Council – 01/02/2010 (PDF, 87.0 kb, new window)
2010/11 Pre-Draft Annual Plan Update – Development Contributions

Report – Council – 01/02/2010 (PDF, 594.6 kb, new window)
Otago Settlers Museum, Dunedin Centre, Regent Theatre – Opportunities for Staging

****

Make what you will of the Dunedin Venues Management Limited Budget.
The budget recommendation raises many questions about the way funds are being amassed and siphoned for DVML.

The bold assumptions, the lack of financial transparency and diligence underlying the report demonstrate the poor thinking of senior executive staff and that of at least two senior councillors, heading Finance and Strategy Committee and Dunedin City Holdings Limited (DCHL) respectively.

Starter questions:
Will the Council call the bluff of the report writers?
Will councillors ask the hard questions on Monday?
How is money being prioritised to the stadium in this way, what are the processes?
Has no consideration of spending priorities (legitimate issues and options) been given to the money?
Should the sums be put to alternative use – or other investments with better returns?
How can this ‘report’ skim to the top of annual planning considerations without honest open hard talk?
Why does the Council operate on back room deals of this magnitude?
What shoddy manipulations of power and money are at play?

…oh no, not us, we would never let down the ratepayers…

yeah, right

****

What was that we heard? That a further $900,000 (or so) is sloshing around in the Annual Plan budget – for the stadium, to be spread across two years.

Meet the runaway stadium project, AGAIN.

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

Tweet your building and MORE

N Building AR project by Teradadesign + Qosmo

### buzz-beast.com January 2010
N Building Featuring Augmented Reality
Everyday applications for augmented reality are becoming more and more commonplace, and Japan may soon be home to one of the first adapted augmented reality societies.

N Building is a commercial structure that is located in a Tokyo shopping district. Instead of covering the facade with typical billboards and neon lights N Building is covered with QR code. This allows passers-by to view the QR Code with their mobile device’s for a very unique augmented reality experience that will display up to date shop information, interactive advertisements and even display the tweets that are coming out of the building. You can also browse shop information, make reservations and download coupons.
Link + Photos + Video

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

NZHPT restructure: branch committees disestablished, oh but we’ll keep the 23,000 membership

Press Release by New Zealand Government at 4:06 pm, 27 Jan 2010

Preliminary findings of the 2009 review of the New Zealand Historic Places Act will help to focus the Historic Places Trust on its significant regulatory responsibilities while providing opportunities for more effective advocacy in local communities, Arts Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson announced today.

The National Party arts, culture and heritage policy during the 2008 election campaign promised a review of the Historic Places Act. The Ministry for Culture and Heritage is undertaking the review and the Government is considering changes to the way the New Zealand Historic Places Trust operates, as well as archaeological consenting processes.

“The Government intends for the Historic Places Trust to focus on its important regulatory role while allowing for better advocacy in local communities,” Mr Finlayson said.

“The Trust has been a Crown entity since 2005, and exercises significant regulatory powers to effectively protect and preserve heritage sites on behalf of the Crown, which contributes around 80% of its funding.”

The review confirmed the Trust will remain a mass membership organisation providing access to heritage sites and education (the Trust currently has about 23,000 subscriber members, who contribute around 5% of its funding). However, the new arrangement would clarify the respective roles of the Trust and its membership.

Under the proposals local branch committees, which are involved in advocacy by members, would be disestablished. The Trust will discuss with branch committees ways in which new arrangements might be put in place for local heritage advocacy.

“Separating the local advocacy interests of branch committees from the regulatory functions of the Trust along the lines of the British model means better outcomes for both,” Mr Finlayson said. “For example, local activists will not be constrained by having to work within the priority-setting framework of a Crown entity.”

The size of the Trust’s national board would be reduced from nine members to eight. All members of the new board would be appointed by Government. Currently, three positions are elected by the wider membership of the Trust. The preliminary review concluded that this change would clear up confused accountabilities on the board.

Letters have been sent to all members and branch committee chairs advising them of the proposed changes, and meetings will be held with committees across the country to discuss and present the changes.

ENDS

****

Listen to the Minister’s interview:

### Radio New Zealand National Thurs, 28 Jan 2010 at 06:42AM
Historic Places Trust branch committees may be disestablished
The Government is backing a proposal to scrap the local branch committees of the Historic Places Trust.
Audio Ogg Vorbis MP3 (duration: 4:02)

Note: The members of NZHPT branch committees are elected by their local membership.

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

Disclaimer: Elizabeth Kerr is a former NZHPT Otago Branch Chair (2000-08). Elizabeth is no longer a subscription member of the Trust. She left the Trust to pursue her interest, fostered during her time with the Trust, from 1998, in heritage matters for Dunedin City.

Brand strategy for Dunedin

Dunedin City Council
Media Release

Nationwide Search To Deliver City Promotion

Last reviewed: 26 Jan 2010 9:31am

Expressions of interest are being sought by Dunedin City Council from creative agencies to develop a new brand strategy for the city.

Please note: To formally apply please go to LG Tenders website: http://www.lgtenders.co.nz Refer to Tender 3273

The Council has, for the first time, collaborated with key stakeholders to develop a city-wide promotional strategy. The stakeholders include Allied Press, Dunedin City Council, Otago Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Otago Polytechnic, Otago Southland Employers’ Association, Tourism Dunedin and the University of Otago.

“We’ve done a huge amount of groundwork and it is still early days in the development of the overall strategy and the promotional activity that will realise the strategy” Dunedin City Council City Marketing Team Leader Jennifer Hooker said. “We’re fortunate to have some great talent here in Dunedin but, because we want the best for this assignment, we’ll be spreading the recruiting net wide to attract both local and national agencies. That way we could well end up with some kind of local/national collaboration as the outcome”.

“Because it’s early days in the process, we’re simply seeking agency credentials at this stage and we’ll be advancing the process shortly. Once the project is a bit further advanced we are looking forward to sharing our thinking with the broader community.”

The city’s current marketing strategy “I am Dunedin” dates back to 2001 and, although it had aged gracefully and served the city well, it now needed a revamp, Ms Hooker said.

Contact DCC on 477 4000

DCC Link

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

University of Otago Campus Master Plan

We’re heading to March 2010 for some Master Plan visuals and professional explanations, folks.

### Otago Bulletin Issue 19, 2 October 2009 (page 2)
News: Master plan begins to take shape
The University’s 20 year Campus Master Plan is beginning to take shape, with first drafts of some sections being presented to the Steering Committee last month. The Plan, which was initiated in March, is likely to take a whole year to prepare and will guide the development of the University campus over the next two decades.
International Master Planners, DEGW, have visited each of Otago’s campuses, and have met with interested parties ranging from University staff, students and executives to the City and Regional Councils to get the plan to this point. They spent the first part of last month in Dunedin intensively workshopping design options for the campus.
Manager of Strategy and Planning for Property Services Sue Larkins says making the Water of Leith a corridor through the Dunedin campus remains a strong element of the Plan, as does developing strategies for accommodating long-term academic and residential growth.
It is hoped a final draft of the Master Plan will be presented to the University Council in March next year.
Link

● Otago Bulletin is the fortnightly newsletter for University staff and postgraduate students.

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

European Workshop Waterfront Urban Design

@ Lisboa (Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal)

### archdaily.com 27 Jan 2010
European Workshop Waterfront Urban Design
By Sebastian J
ULHT (Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias) has organised an international workshop on the theme of waterfront design (European Workshop Waterfront Urban Design) EWWUD. This event will take place between 14 and 28 March 2010 and has several international specialists in nine foreign universities.
Solutions for the relocation of port facilities and the consequent waterfront regeneration of old ports are dependent upon the capacity of both port and city to sucessfully develop the necessary means of negotiation, to work towards mutual improvements. While port representatives privilege the efficiency of maritime activity, city leaders pursue improvements to their citizens’ quality of life.

Exchange of good practices between port cities is required with two goals: to support the ports’ need to expand and relocate, and to produce urban waterfront REGENERATION that integrates rather than segregates neighbourhoods and their citizens.

Workshop objectives:
Port cities sharing similar experiences regarding projects of architecture and urban design at former port areas; discussion of the influence generated by geographic and historical factors; introduction of the cartographic culture of urban fabric’s transformation at the water edge; comparison of cultural, environmental and historical heritage solutions; port cities exchange mutual visions and common pratices, that constitute a relevant tool for the regeneration of former port areas; production of architecture and urban design sketches for publication; understanding that former industrial waterfronts are potential sites of continuity for urban morphology.
Email: ewwud @ulusofona.pt

ArchDaily Link + Workshop Poster

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

High-speed rail network for United States

We like it that Mr President is pressing on with major infrastructure projects – using federal stimulus funding.

### fastcompany.com January 26, 2010
High-Speed Rail Coming to Florida
By Ariel Schwartz
Last Spring, President Obama announced an ultra-ambitious plan to bring an $8 billion high speed rail project to the U.S. At the time, Obama said that there were ten potential high-speed rail corridors in the works: California, Pacific Northwest, South Central, Gulf Coast, Chicago Hub Network, Florida, Southeast, Keystone, Empire and Northern New England. Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor from Washington to Boston, the only U.S. high-speed rail network already in existence, would also have the chance to compete for funds. Tonight, the president plans to make the plan official.

And it looks like Florida might be the lucky state to get the first piece of the network. Obama is scheduled to visit Florida on Thursday, and rumors are swirling that he will bring $2.6 billion in stimulus funds for the high-speed network in tow. The 85-mile Tampa-Orlando network will only be the first part of a larger network that will eventually reach Miami.
FastCompany Link with Vision Maps

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

Alert: Dunedin has some gifted professional conservators

### ODT Online Thu, 28 Jan 2010
Station’s past revealed
By John Gibb
The years are being peeled away and colours from the past are re-emerging at the Otago Settlers Museum’s former NZR bus station building, thanks to some painstaking historical detective work. Contract conservator Laurence Le Ber says when the art deco bus station opened in 1939, the colour scheme and lighting were much more sombre than today.
Read more + Photos

—

The former NZ Railways Road Services Building (Former) has a New Zealand Historic Places Trust Category I classification. The building is listed in Schedule 25.1 Townscape and Heritage Buildings and Structures, of the Dunedin City District Plan (item B047).

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Stadium: “528 days to go”

Tweet from @ForBarrStadium
528 Days to go till we are handed the keys to the stadium :) http://bit.ly/aWk332

Another one:

@ForBarrStadium
RT @drjanroodt: @ForBarrStadium and how many days to Rugby World Cup kick-off? 573 days till the first game in Dunedin:)

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

Can Dallas turn a complex of starchitect buildings into a vibrant urban district?

### architectmagazine.com January 20, 2010
Architect: Design
Enough Arts; More District
By Cathy Lang Ho
Dallas seeks to create a vibrant urban neighbourhood out of a slew of starchitect buildings. It’s not the first city to pin its hopes for a shot of urban adrenaline on dazzling new cultural buildings, but it’s among the more ambitious.

The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House by Foster + Partners, the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre by REX/OMA, and the Elaine D. and Charles A. Sammons Park by landscape architect Michel Desvigne are the latest additions to the downtown arts district, a 68-acre area that already includes structures designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, I. M. Pei, Renzo Piano, and Brad Cloepfil.

The newly completed projects—along with an outdoor amphitheatre by Foster and another theatre by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, slated for completion in 2010 and 2011, respectively—constitute the AT&T Performing Arts Centre, the largest and most costly performing arts complex built in the United States since Lincoln Centre, which, of course, grandfathered the trend of arts districts doubling as urban development tools.
Read more + Slideshow

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

After 2012 Olympics, the legacy is…

### architectsjournal.co.uk 27 January, 2010
Olympics site to become huge parkland post Games
By Merlin Fulcher
The 2012 Olympic site will become a public park when the games finish, according to plans unveiled this week. The scheme by landscape architects Hargreaves Associates will turn 101 ha of former industrial land into the UK’s largest new urban park since the early twentieth century.

Avenues of trees and hedges will be used to provide a ‘welcoming entrance’ to the area, and more than 4,000 semi-mature British-grown trees will be planted across the Olympic Park and Olympic Village.
Read more + Images

—

Related posts:
12.11.09 Zaha Hadid: ‘Gateway into the Games’ London 2012 Olympics
25.3.09 London 2012 Stadium legacy plan

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

What’s international landscape architecture doing?

Thanks for the RT by @durablegraphics on Twitter…

### asla.org 05/05/2009
ASLA 2009 Professional Awards
The American Society of Landscape Architects published the Awards listings in all categories, including images and Awards video, at the ASLA website.

The jury considered nearly 600 entries – the largest number in ASLA history – from around the world and selected 49 projects for recognition in general design, residential design, analysis and planning, communications and research. The awards ceremony took place at the ASLA Annual Meeting in Chicago on 21 September 2009.

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

Stadium: CST to clean up contaminated land

### ODT Online Wed, 27 Jan 2010
Stadium site to be cleaned up
By David Loughrey
The Carisbrook Stadium Trust has been granted consent to clean up contaminated land at the Forsyth Barr Stadium site, despite evidence some land could have been used for asbestos manufacture and disposal.
Read more

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

3D cinema coming to Dunedin

UPDATED

### ODT Online Wed, 27 Jan 2010
Public pressure may lead to 3D theatre in city
By Mark Price
Hoyts Cinemas Ltd is considering adding another dimension to Dunedin’s movie-going landscape. By March, if all goes well, Dunedin audiences could be watching movies in 3D, beginning with a new 3D version of Alice in Wonderland.

To gauge public support, Hoyts has launched a Facebook site with the aim of getting 15,000 members. Facebook Link: “Bring 3D to Dunedin!”

Read more

Related post and comments:
14.1.10 Dunedin must have 3D cinema!

****

Where architecture and design are taking theatres…

### ted.com January 2010
Talks/TEDX
Joshua Prince-Ramus: Building a theater that remakes itself
Joshua Prince-Ramus believes that if architects re-engineer their design process, the results can be spectacular. Speaking at TEDxSMU, Dallas, he walks us through his fantastic re-creation of the local Wyly Theater as a giant “theatrical machine” that reconfigures itself at the touch of a button.

TEDtalksDirector 26 January 2010 (filmed Oct 2009)

–Joshua Prince-Ramus is best known as architect of the Seattle Central Library, already being hailed as a masterpiece of contemporary culture. Prince-Ramus was US Partner of Rem Koolhaas’ Office of Metropolitan Architecture before founding his own firm, REX, in 2006.

“Joshua Prince-Ramus isn’t just creating buildings. In a field obsessed with celebrity, he’s putting the work – and his workers – first.”
-Fast Company

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

D Scene – “hoping the stadium roof provides good shelter for the city”

### D Scene 27-1-10 (page 2)
Looking into stadiums – for research
By Mike Houlahan, editor
As you read this, I will be in Melbourne checking out roofed stadiums.
{continues}

Ratepayers may bear cost (page 4)
By Michelle Sutton
Dunedin’s ratepayers in future years have been eyed up to shoulder a larger chunk of city costs. At last Thursday’s Dunedin City Council meeting, depreciation costs for water and waste was suggested to be deferred in order to reduce rates in 2010-11. Cr Noone was wary of the impact deferring 100 per cent depreciation would have on future years, and young ratepayers.
{continues}

Rates plan under fire (page 4)
By Wilma McCorkindale
Head of one of Dunedin’s foremost charitable organisations, Gillian Bremner, believes Dunedin City Council should have considered the impact of the recession sooner. D Scene asked Bremner, chief executive of Presbyterian Support Otago, for her views on the affordability of a rates rise for Dunedinites.
{continues}

Register to read D Scene online at http://fairfaxmedia.newspaperdirect.com/

Support there Brown says (page 5)
By Wilma McCorkindale
A Dunedin City councillor who this week called for a report into deferring three large developments says supporters are stopping him in the street. Syd Brown called for the report from council managers into the implications of deferring developments at the Dunedin Town Hall, the Otago Settlers Museum, and the Regent Theatre to reduce this year’s rate hike.
{continues}

****

Talk: Dunedin on Dunedin (page 11)
Your say: Letters to the editor

Stadium veil of secrecy
By Peter Attwooll, Dunedin
CST / DVML Chief Executive, David Davies, refuses to show D Scene stadium construction drawings with stand dimensions and rows. (D Scene 20.1.10) Yet they hotly dispute Dr Rob Hamlin’s figures showing a scaled-down stadium, given his sighting of the latest plans, at the Stadium Open Day a number of weeks ago.
{continues}

Annual Plan
By KJ Hale, St Kilda
In regards to the financial problems that our mayor and his councillors are presently trying hard to address. It is becoming quite obvious that what the majority of ratepayers including business people and academics predicted is now a reality.
{continues}

Lovelock Avenue
By Calvin Oaten, Pine Hill
Cr Michael Guest, at the council budget forum made the surprising comment that there were “still at least 600 residents in the Opoho area strongly opposed to the plan to remove Lovelock Avenue from the Gardens precinct”.
{continues}

****

Details: The finer points (pages 12-13)
Sports academy sets bar high
In a quiet corner of Logan Park, some of New Zealand’s top athletes and coaches are honing their skills. Mike Houlahan tours the South Island Academy of Sport.
{continues}

Game: Beyond the scoreboard (page 20)
Hoping for a good 2010 team
By Mike Houlahan
The Highlanders have to learn from their mistakes if they are to be a force in this year’s Super 14, flanker Alando Soakai says.
{continues}

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

Channel 9 News snippet

UPDATED

### Channel 9 News Mon 25 Jan 2009
Phil Somerville, from the Otago Daily Times, reports that Dunedin City councillor Teresa Stevenson has had a setback. Her co-councillors have rejected her bid to join a heritage group.

****

### ODT Online Tue, 26 Jan 2010
Stevenson not in steering group
By David Loughrey
Dunedin city councillor Teresa Stevenson was left out on a political limb yesterday, finding little support among her peers for a low profile appointment to a policy steering group.
Yesterday, Crs Fliss Butcher and Dave Cull were nominated to sit on the heritage buildings economic re-use steering group.
Read more

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC Annual Plan: classic comment at ODT Online

Libraries, or rugby and a stadium – the sweetest of damned comparisons.

### ODT Online Sun, 24/01/2010 – 12:01pm.
Comment by kkeogh on DCC priorities
The Highlanders and Otago rugby teams show alarming reductions in home attendances, which I estimate would be down to around 50,000 total at Carisbrook for a season. For their efforts they get a quarter billion stadium built for them. Cont…
Read full comment

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

Prista Apartments: 372-392 Princes St and 11 Stafford St

UPDATE: It’s now August 2010 and we’ve had the last hearing under the resource consent process. There’s been two years of processing. See comments on this thread for more.

****

[24 January 2010] This week, we’re within cooee of a resource consent decision on the Prista Apartments development proposal – waiting with baited breath.

This one’s about demolishing District Plan protected facades, which all along the developer has demonstrated no wish to retain – or to explore as a design solution (it’s never been on the table).

One of our leading structural engineers tells us the facades – and the buildings themselves – are straightforward to retain and strengthen, at not so very much cost comparatively.

Does the city value its area potential?

The application has been processing for a year or more. Will the pending decision bring joy, sadness, utter hopelessness – or sheer grunt work for anyone prepared to test it?

Given the nature of the Dunedin City District Plan considerations and the heritage issues at stake, ALL EYES ARE PAINFULLY GLUED.

—

[updated 18.6.13]

Related Posts and Comments:
4.3.11 Reaction to another instance of unthinking ad-hocism from City Hall
15.9.10 Prista Apartments: Resource consent Decision + Appeal
13.9.10 Same again, Dunedin City District Plan about to be ignored
4.5.10 Dunedin’s goldrush-era heritage won’t fall over, unless you make it
11.2.10 Note to DCC, via New Jersey

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

International architectural form and design

Since Dunedin has problems articulating an appropriate new entry structure for the Town Hall (the proposed glass cube is middling to ok in the face of previous styling efforts, but still lacks some grace and essential detailing and scaling devices), here are some images of built and conceptual architecture to prod the public imagination. Some is OTT.

### designerscouch.org 21 Jan, 2010
Designers Couch: Creative Humans
Amazing Constructs & Beautiful Interiors
By §Damian M.
Several amazing architecture designs and interior spaces collected from Yatzer.com, a great blog for design inspiration.
Read more + Photos

Yatzer.com

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

Container complex idea, for Dunedin(?)

ODT 19.11.09 Food sellers keen on Noah’s Ark site

Let’s be blatant. Why not do some of this at the Noah’s Ark site in Marlow Park playground, St Kilda? Would work as a beach-side attraction (destination), creates its own shelter – food retailers, other vendors, and the general public would love it. A DESIGN feature for Dunedin. Hello, a fun reminder about city recycling!

Image: Orodreth via Flickr

### inhabitat.com 22 January 2010
Stunning Shipping Container City Springs up in Mexico
By Bridgette Meinhold
This hip, colourfully painted shipping container city recently sprung up just outside of Mexico city. Created by a small community of businesses, the project features restaurants, gallery space, bars, funky stores and even living spaces constructed completely out of recycled shipping containers.

Image: Sidabossa via Flickr

Container City is located about two hours outside of Mexico City in Cholula, and is comprised of about 50 standard shipping containers. The developers took 4500 m2 (48,500 sq ft) of space and plopped down the containers, stacking them to create courtyards, alleys and streets. The containers were then painted bright colours and outfitted with lighting, kitchens, dining areas and more.
Read more

—

Images: containercity.com via Flickr

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC Annual Plan, arise the told-you-so’s

Blame attaches to the decision to fund the Stadium for creating the pressure on council finances.

### ODT Online Sat, 23 Jan 2010
Deferrals could have high cost
By Chris Morris
The Dunedin City Council faces a double whammy of lost revenue and community anger – at least from some sectors – if it defers some or all of a list of major capital projects in an effort to save money. The proposal to consider staging or deferring work on planned upgrades of the Regent Theatre, Otago Settlers Museum and the Town Hall/Dunedin Centre was raised by deputy mayor Syd Brown during Thursday’s council pre-draft annual plan meeting.
Read more

****

### ODT Online Sat, 23 Jan 2010
Deferring depreciation saving for council
By David Loughrey and Chris Morris
The Dunedin City Council has managed to wring some money from its budgets using a method it has been using for some time – deferring its spending on depreciation. Since 1992, councils have been required by Audit New Zealand to list all assets on their books and set aside depreciation; an amount to maintain them and pay for their eventual replacement.
Read more

Other stories:
Cuts likely to hit libraries
Road decision long way off
On the trail of Lovelock
Last chance for Lovelock Ave opponents

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC chief executive responds to ODT editorial

### ODT Online Fri, 22 Jan 2010
Harland attacks ‘offensive’ media commentary
The Dunedin City Council annual plan meeting began with finger-pointing yesterday, when council chief executive Jim Harland launched an attack on the media.

Mr Harland devoted his address to attacking an “offensive” Otago Daily Times editorial published on Wednesday. The opinion piece, entitled “Annual plan sham”, criticised the council for being “as profligate as any in the city’s history”, questioned the value of the annual plan process and queried senior managers’ motivation to “decrease the size of their empires”.

Read more

20.1.10 ODT sounds the warning!

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC Annual Plan dilemmas

### ODT Online Fri, 22 Jan 2010
Plea to defer city projects
By Chris Morris
Three of the most expensive capital projects planned by the Dunedin City Council, together costing tens of millions of dollars, could be temporarily shelved in an effort to ease the burden on ratepayers. The idea to defer planned work on the Otago Settlers Museum, the Town Hall-Dunedin Centre and the Regent Theatre was raised by deputy mayor Syd Brown during yesterday’s pre-draft annual plan meeting.

A report on changes to stadium funding for the Forsyth Barr Stadium and Dunedin Venues Management Ltd, the company tasked with running the venue, would also be presented to the [council’s February 1] meeting, Mayor Peter Chin confirmed.

Read more

****

### ODT Online Fri, 22 Jan 2010
Lovelock Ave realignment plan queried
By Chris Morris
The future of Dunedin’s Lovelock Ave realignment appears to have been thrown wide open, after serious doubts emerged among some councillors at yesterday’s annual plan meeting.

Cr Bezett said if residents got organised the way Judith Medlicott and Harrop St extension opponents had, they might be able to stop the [realignment] plan.

Read more

Other stories:
Lower Octagon initiative fails to impress council
Request for fairer rent rise
Waste money back
City CCTV network still some time away
Redevelopment still being planned
Approval to consult on changes

Post by Elizabeth Kerr