Council says “bag it” —we can help with that

Although, there’s no indication they like carbon monoxide (CO).
A useful part of the atmosphere in the circumstances.

****

STICK ‘EDUCATION’ UP THE PROVERBIAL

At Facebook:

The Dunedin City Council is keen to “educate all users to ensure enjoyment of our reserves and beaches”.

### ODT Online Fri, 9 June 2017
New horse dung rule pleases, riles
By Shawn McAvinue
Horse droppings must be cleaned from Dunedin tracks by riders but they can remain on footpaths and roads, a new bylaw states. A community board head says the new rules are a “step in the right direction”, but a horseman reckons the bylaw is “ridiculous”. Dunedin City Council recreation and planning facilities manager…said under the recently adopted Reserves and Beaches Bylaw, horse owners were expected to remove horse droppings from  or near access tracks as a courtesy to other users. The bylaw allowed for enforcement, [they] said. […] Council transport group manager Richard Saunders said  under the council’s Roading Bylaw owners were not required to clean up if their horse left droppings on a public road or footpath. The council received few complaints about the issue, he said. […] Horseman Keith Roberts (69), of Berwick, said he had ridden around New Zealand four times on his horse Zara and had never picked up her droppings. The bylaw would not change his behaviour, he said. “Never.”
Read more

TIME TO CLEAN OUT THE STABLE

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Related Posts and Comments:
● 30.5.17 The Boil Over : DCC and Freedom Camping, Reserves and Beaches bylaws
● 13.5.17 Condition of Warrington Domain screwed by DCC lack of enforcement #CampingControlBylaw23
● 9.4.17 DCC obfuscates : Open slather for freedom campers at Warrington
● 16.3.17 WE have the information, unreasonable delay providing it #LGOIMA
● 15.2.17 Warrington : DCC dictates loss of community’s grassed recreation reserve to freeloaders
8.2.17 Hands Off Enjoyment of OUR Beaches #DCC
● 6.2.17 Uncontrolled freedom camping at Warrington Domain this weekend —DCC ‘hell model’ [no enforcement]
● 1.2.17 “Fake news” from DCC boffins & Community Board re freedom camping at Warrington Domain #TheBlight
10.2.16 Dunedin freedom camping #DCC #enforcement
16.12.14 DCC: Freedom Camping issues
7.12.09 Coastal protection zones

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

ALL THESE THINGS BELONG ON BEACHES

Burt Munro Challenge [southlandexpress.co.nz]

[slohorsenews.net]

“We Shall Fight on the Beaches” –Winston Churchill, 4 June 1940

West Harbour Recreation Trail —Devastation caused to Rotary project

The three-year $200,000 West Harbour Recreation Trail project by the Rotary Club of Dunedin aims to beautify the edges of a 3km section of the cycleway-walkway, from the Otago Boat Harbour to Maia.

On May 26, a Friday afternoon, two Rotarians turned up at the boat harbour end of the Trail to set out the location of new exercise equipment for public use (in preparation for a June 10 working bee) – the next phase of the harbourside project. The men were astounded to find a council contractor, ostensibly there to repair the harbour wall, running heavy machinery across the mown green strip, seriously damaging the designated public amenity area.

While Rotary’s West Harbour Recreation Trail is a council approved project, and the extended site receives maintenance from Taskforce Green, the DCC had completely failed to advise and coordinate with Rotary before earthworks commenced for repair of the seawall. How does this happen ??!

Not such a bad job until you look westward, other side of the orange safety nets:

DCC Webmap – West Harbour Recreation Trail (damaged section)

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Apparently, DCC has assured Rotary that the damage will be put right by the contractor. However, because of no drying for some time Rotary’s scheduled work at this site is on hold (at least a five month delay).

Rotarians had raised funds from the public to carry out the project.

One of the Rotarians said he was ‘incandescent with rage’ over it – and did not often get incandescent!!

On Tuesday (May 30) I visited the area to take photographs.

This is yet another example of council ineptitude where the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand’s doing. The council’s lack of oversight and the resulting damage may necessitate deeper foundations for the exercise equipment than Rotary had anticipated and budgeted. Their working bee planned for June 10 will be reduced in scale, with only installation of exercise equipment at Ravensbourne Footbridge taking place. The working bees for July and August have been cancelled as the site won’t be in a fit state to work on. Timing of the provision of barbeque facilities as part of the landscaping project is also affected.

There is the Huge Irony that Rotary have only just been awarded 1st Place by Keep Dunedin Beautiful, for their work on the recreation trail. The award came with a $100 cash prize.

Thankfully, say Rotarians, the damage wasn’t done until after the Trees for Babies planting was done on Mother’s Day (14 May).

The Keep Dunedin Beautiful Awards “celebrate and honour the people of Dunedin who are committed to beautifying their city and caring for their environment through volunteer action”.

“Each Autumn, in partnership with Rotary Dunedin, Keep Dunedin Beautiful organises tree plantings for babies and other family members in city reserves. Trees for Babies is a long-term native tree-planting project where family members can celebrate the birth of a child or any significant family milestone. It also contributes to a native re-vegetation project in a city reserve.”

Related Post and Comment:
7.8.15 Dunedin Rotary Club | West Harbour Recreation Trail

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

Town Belt Traverse 2017

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

DCC Proposed Reserves and Beaches Bylaw : Real-deal submission

[click to enlarge]

Dunedin City Council
Current consultations: Proposed Reserves and Beaches Bylaw 2017

****

Received from JimmyJones
Sat, 17 Mar 2017 at 10:03 p.m.

Subject: RE: Reserves and beaches consultation failure

Message: Find attached an outstanding submission on the horse-hating bylaw. I am sure there were many good subs, but I noticed this one from an 11-year-old who has a horse called Tonka. She makes a very good case for freedom. Like many of the other submitters, she bypassed the professionally organised DCC misinformation and understood that the DCC are threatening a total ban on horses on beaches.

I think other people should see it, I have removed her name from the submission in case she wasn’t expecting widespread publicity.

The submitters tell us that no other Council has a ban on horse riding on beaches in New Zealand.

—

Related Post and Comments:
8.2.17 Hands Off Enjoyment of OUR Beaches #DCC

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

Hands Off Enjoyment of OUR Beaches #DCC

OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE TRADITION IS HORSES ON THE BEACH
—P*** OFF DCC

[tikitouringnz.blogspot.co.nz]

NO Sand Dunes are at risk if DCC gets off its dung-darkened tail to clearly mark Community-agreed entry and exit points to relevant/historical beaches for horses, light vehicles with training rigs, and sulkies.

WE OWN THE FRIGGING BEACHES

No one we know doesn’t love the sight of powerfully fit horses exercising on rural and urban beaches as they’ve done for generations, according to tides typically discreet and in harmony with other beach users and the coastal environment generally.

If there’s a problem it means DCC hasn’t bothered to consult properly on practical measures and agreed outcomes that enable All beach users to ENJOY OUR COASTAL RESOURCE.

Instead: RED-TAPE COUNCIL BUREAUCRATS WITH GREENIE AGENDAS
dccmakeworkschemesdccmakeworkschemesdccmakeworkschemes

No doubt influenced by ‘academics’ from the University of Otago dune study.

WHO ARE the environmental lobbyists within DCC moving to SHUT DOWN our freedom to move ?

Cast the morons out of this church.

****

█ DCC is currently consulting on the Proposed Reserves and Beaches Bylaw 2017 and seeks public submissions by Friday, 10 February 2017.

DCC would like to know what you think about the proposed bylaw. Your views will shape the final document. The focus of this bylaw review is to direct recreational users and our community to the best reserve and beach spaces for their activities. Your feedback is an important part of the review and we appreciate the time you take to make a submission.

An information pack is available from the DCC Customer Services Centre, by phoning 477 4000 or online.

****

At Facebook:

Council staff would not be interviewed yesterday, but in written responses to questions stressed the need to protect dune systems.

### ODT Online Wed, 8 Feb 2017
Plan for horses on beaches ‘overkill’
By Chris Morris
Nostrils are flaring as the Dunedin City Council faces a backlash over tougher new rules for horses on the city’s beaches. The proposal would restrict horses to thin strips of sand between dunes and high-water marks at four beaches where the animals were permitted to run. The idea has triggered an outcry from riders, as trainers warned of injuries to their animals while one horse trek business owner feared it could spell the end of his venture. The changes were included in the council’s reserves and beaches bylaw, which would remain the subject of public consultation until Friday.
Read more

—

Related Posts and Comments:
6.2.17 Uncontrolled freedom camping at Warrington Domain this weekend —DCC ‘hell model’ [no enforcement]
1.2.17 “Fake news” from DCC boffins & Community Board re freedom camping at Warrington Domain #TheBlight

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

Dunedin rugby’s manifest advantage, and ratepayer subsidy, Again

Received from Rob Hamlin
Fri, 17 Jun 2016 at 9:30 a.m.

[begins]

ODT article today:

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/387120/rugby-clubs-fear-viability

Response posting:

“Until quite recently I was the president of a major Otago sports club that has been operating since the 1870s. The club is located on Dunedin City Council recreational land.

The lease of this land very clearly stated that we were not permitted to hire out the facilities on this site for ANY commercial purposes. A breach led to immediate forfeiture of the lease. This was a condition that both this club, and others like it, adhered to.

It is adhered to because, penalties aside, this condition seems fair enough. The land upon which the club stands is leased for recreational purposes at what were, and are, well below the income that could be raised by the DCC for this publicly owned asset, had the land been zoned and leased for commercial purposes.

If anything the many rugby clubs in this town are even more privileged in terms of their subsidised occupation of public assets, as they have rooms that are on an even grander scale and sit in large and potentially very valuable areas of publicly owned land that are specifically contoured and laid out for rugby, and are maintained for this purpose at considerable public expense.

I am surprised that the DCC recreational leases for their facilities apparently do not contain similar blunt conditions to the one that my committee and I worked with. However, it is rugby, so perhaps I am not so surprised after all. Maybe the leases are rugby ‘specials’ or alternatively, the leases are the same and the apparently regular infringements are just winked at.

For rugby clubs to then maintain that they then have the ‘right’ to routinely operate these recreational facilities, that are largely provided and maintained by the the wider public, for their own commercial benefit, and thereby create a regular nuisance for said wider public within what are largely residential areas, speaks volumes for the ongoing and unreasonable sense of relative entitlement displayed by this small (and shrinking) subset of the community.

For those who become irritated by noise and other nuisances emanating from functions in nearby rugby venues, they may be well advised to acquire a copy of the DCC lease concerned to see if the club concerned are in breach of its terms, and what the penalties/remedies for any such breach are.”

[ends]

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Dunedin Rotary Club | West Harbour Recreation Trail

Link and information supplied by Douglas (Mick) Field.

█ Message: I have been involved with Rotary doing the West Harbour Recreation project. I did a video of this as a means of describing the project – it sets out the scope of the work. I had a chat to Darrel Robinson who is in charge of the project for Rotary. He is happy for me to put it on YouTube which I will be doing shortly. Take a look.
Cheers, Mick

Douglas Field Published on Aug 4, 2015
West Harbour Recreation Trail 29 10 14
The West Harbour Recreation Project has been taken up by Rotary to provide and improve recreational activity as well as enhance the landscape along the shared pathway from the Boat Harbour to Maia. Already a lot of work has been completed. At present Rotary is completing the section at Ravensbourne Station and it is anticipated that the major recreational facility just north of the Boat Harbour will begin this year. Working ‘Bees’ are held once a month in conjunction with Dunedin’s Task Force Green team who do a great job in support and keeping the momentum up.
This clip outlines the scope and nature of the project.

—

█ Message: As a matter of interest, the seat installed at the end of the clip is in memory of Robin Archer, ex city councillor – donated by his widow. Robin was chief architect for the Otago Education Board before it was decommissioned.

Douglas Field Published on Aug 6, 2015
Ravensbourne Station BBQ site 23 5 15
The Dunedin Rotary Club has a working ‘bee’ every month on the West Harbour Recreation Trail Project. This one was in May when they installed BBQ equipment at the Ravensbourne Station site. As you can see these people work very hard and – fast. As always, they were ably assisted by Task Force Green workers.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Town Belt Traverse 2015 —SUNDAY

● More walk/traverse details at the DAS website

Related Posts:
18.3.15 Town Belt Traverse 2015
13.3.15 Town Belt Traverse 2015
11.3.15 Town Belt Traverse 2015
4.3.15 Town Belt Traverse | Sunday 29 March
24.2.15 Town Belt Traverse 2015 —Sunday, 29 March

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Posters supplied by Dunedin Amenities Society

Town Belt Traverse 2015

● More details at the DAS website

Related Posts:
13.3.15 Town Belt Traverse 2015
11.3.15 Town Belt Traverse 2015
4.3.15 Town Belt Traverse | Sunday 29 March
24.2.15 Town Belt Traverse 2015 —Sunday, 29 March

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Posters supplied by Dunedin Amenities Society

Town Belt Traverse 2015

● More details at the DAS website

Related Posts:
11.3.15 Town Belt Traverse 2015
4.3.15 Town Belt Traverse | Sunday 29 March
24.2.15 Town Belt Traverse 2015 —Sunday, 29 March

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Town Belt Traverse 2015

█ More details at the DAS website

Related Posts:
4.3.15 Town Belt Traverse | Sunday 29 March
24.2.15 Town Belt Traverse 2015 —Sunday, 29 March

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Town Belt Traverse | Sunday 29 March

█ More details at the DAS website

Related Post:
24.2.15 Town Belt Traverse 2015 —Sunday, 29 March

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

███ What if? Dunedin supports SENSIBLE WALKING SHOES

Town Belt Traverse 2015 —Sunday, 29 March

Link received from Paul Pope, Dunedin Amenities Society
Tue, 24 Feb 2015 at 2:53 p.m.

—

Town Belt Traverse 2015

Walkers in the sun

It’s time to get your walking shoes on again and explore one of Dunedin’s great natural and historical landscapes.

The Town Belt Traverse is an 8.2 kilometre walk from the Southern Cemetery to Woodhaugh Gardens taking in the heart of the Dunedin Town Belt on Sunday, 29 March. The great thing about it is it’s absolutely free!

The route is a pram friendly event for people of all ages, stopping off at five points along the way. The Participants will receive a map and ticket at the car-park inside the Southern Cemetery.

The traverse starts between 10:00am – 10.30am and all participants must complete the traverse by 1:30pm. Collect a stamp at all five marshal points and you can be eligible for some great local prizes. The route is marked and there will be marshals at road crossing points along the way.

█ More information at the DAS website.

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Today the Town Belt is an important recreational and ecological asset for the city and provides invaluable habitat for kereru, bellbird, tomtit, tui, rifleman, morepork, and shining cuckoo. The vegetation is an eclectic mix of exotics that dominates the southern area of the ‘belt to the more kanuka and fuchsia dominated ridges and gullies of the northern areas. At Woodhaugh an old stand of kahikatea remains as a reminder of a significant wetland forest that once stood there.

For the Dunedin Amenities Society the protection and enhancement of the Town Belt was the beginning of its foundation in 1888. The Society was founded through the energy of Thomas Brown and Alexander Bathgate to protect, enhance and promote Dunedin’s landscape and biodiversity. The Town Belt Traverse is your opportunity to explore through a self-guided walk one of New Zealand’s great reserve sites.

The Dunedin Amenities Society established in 1888 is New Zealand’s oldest environmental society.

Visit their website http://www.dunedin-amenities-society.org.nz
Follow the Society on Twitter
Visit the Society on Facebook

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: Dunedin Amenities Society – Town Belt Traverse

DCC says Logan Park Dr trees to go —pressure from Otago Cricket

Twelve Ontario poplars in Logan Park Dr between the entrance to the University Oval and the Logan Park tennis courts are to be removed. No consent was required to fell the trees because they were considered to be a shelter belt.

### ODT Online Sat, 13 Sep 2014
Logan Park tree removal sparks anger
By Debbie Porteous
As the chop looms, plans to remove 12 established poplars in Logan Park Dr have fired up Dunedin residents, some of whom say the decision appears to be out of the blue and even “horrifying”. But the Dunedin City Council says the removal of the trees, which will come down next week, is part of a 2007 plan to redevelop Logan Park. This included the eventual removal, and partial replacement, of the entire avenue of poplars. […] Concerns aired range from a loss of ambience, to whether the options had been fully canvassed, to giving in to sporting codes’ demands and confusion about process.
Read more

****

### ODT Online Tue, 9 Sep 2014
University Oval poplars to be removed
By Debbie Porteous
Twelve trees that threatened the future of international cricket fixtures in Dunedin will be removed next week. The Otago Cricket Association has pushed for the trees on Logan Park Dr to be removed for several years, but the Dunedin City Council, which has been deferring the trees’ removal because of the cost, says its decision to bring the work forward is not purely the result of cricket’s demands. The Ontario poplars were originally scheduled for removal as part of the redevelopment of Logan Park.
Read more

****

Updated post 14.9.14 at 3:07 p.m.

█ Comment from UglyBob (@UglyBobNZ)
Submitted on 2014/09/14 at 2:14 pm
What about Otago Cricket’s annual plan request around closing the road, making a grass embankment where the trees are now and installing lights. This is strangely absent from all talk about the removal of the poplars.

Related Posts and Comments:
16.6.11 Logan Park redevelopment
4.12.10 Old Logan Park Art Gallery
19.11.09 Logan Park Redevelopment: Compromise for Old Art Gallery
9.10.09 Former Logan Park Art Gallery talks
30.7.09 Logan Park hits the brakes

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: DCC Webmap – Logan Park Drive (avenue); [thumbnail] odt.co.nz – Ontario poplars at Logan Park

DCC bylaws (good governance?)

LONG LIVE CITY SKATEBOARDING

### ODT Online
Wed, 19 Feb 2014
Board bylaw reviewed
By Debbie Porteous
Having the ability to confiscate skateboards in the inner city would be ”extremely useful”, Dunedin police say.
City councillors seem set to recommend that the power to confiscate boards from people riding in prohibited areas in the central city be added to a reviewed skateboarding bylaw.
Read more

—

Worthy comment at ODT Online:

Where’s the problem?
Submitted by Challispoint on Wed, 19/02/2014 – 9:59am.
Sometimes I really wonder at the focus of our Dunedin City Council. With all the major issues and challenges they are facing they have decided to focus on . . . . skateboarding. After two days of public hearings (attended by four groups I understand) the staff are recommending that the current by-law be strengthened to allow “recreational vehicles” to be confiscated and the owner fined $100 if caught riding their scooter or skateboard in the central city area, the Gardens or St Clair.
Read more

—

Related comments at another thread…
https://dunedinstadium.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/university-of-otago-starter-questions-for-harlene/#comment-45578
https://dunedinstadium.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/university-of-otago-starter-questions-for-harlene/#comment-45585
https://dunedinstadium.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/university-of-otago-starter-questions-for-harlene/#comment-45586

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: schidt.com – skateboarder adds shape to Dunedin streets
re-imaged by whatifdunedin

Eiontown killing it: Plans for upmarket convention centre + NTT hot pools

Another reason to avoid fubar stadium at Dunedin for hosting your little seminar of six people. It’s all over to Queenstown….

Artist’s impression of a $25 million hot pools complex proposal for QLDC’s Lakeview Holiday Park site [image via Mountain Scene]

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### scene.co.nz Monday 16 Dec 2013
Tribe and Queenstown council in $25m hot pools talks
Maori tribe Ngai Tahu wants to make a bigger splash on Queenstown’s tourism scene with a $25 million hot pools complex. Today’s announcement says Ngai Tahu Tourism is in early discussions with the resort council over leasing 0.75 hectares of prime public land in the Lakeview site on Man Street. The Lakeview site is being pushed by Queenstown Lakes District Council as the preferred home for a $50m convention centre proposal, possibly linked to a casino-hotel complex to be built by SkyCity Entertainment Group. Ngai Tahu’s proposed development would include about 12 large public hot pools, four smaller private hot pools, changing facilities, a health spa, reception and retail building, and a café-restaurant. Annual patronage is projected at 300,000 to 350,000 customers. Ngai Tahu is already a major property and tourism player in the resort.
Read more

ODT: $25m hotpool plan for resort

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Town Belt Traverse | Sunday 3 Nov

Originally published on October 14, 2013.

—

This year is the 125th anniversary of the foundation of
the Dunedin Amenities Society.

The Town Belt plays a special role in our history and is one of New Zealand’s oldest and most unique landscape, recreational and biodiversity assets.

The Society is holding the Town Belt Traverse on Sunday 3 November as a self-guided 7.9 km walk that takes in just a few of the historical and natural highlights of this unique area.

This is a family friendly non-competitive event designed for people to re-acquaint themselves with the Town Belt and enjoy its beauty.

The generosity of many local businesses means the Society has some great prizes to give away for those who take part and complete the walk.

So get your walking shoes, grab your dog lead or your pram and do the Town Belt Traverse with your friends and family.

Check this link for the details…..

Paul Pope
DAS website editor

———
The Dunedin Amenities Society established in 1888 is New Zealand’s oldest environmental society.

Visit our website www.dunedin-amenities-society.org.nz
Follow the Society on Twitter
Visit the Society on Facebook

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Dunedin Amenities Society on district plan review

Received by email today.

The Dunedin Amenities Society have held strong concerns over aspects of the District Plan for some time, particularly over the way the Plan is integrated with management of public open space and reserves. Sites like the Town Belt are actually being hampered in their management by the imposition of the Urban Landscape Conservation Area rules, which fails to have regard for its status under the Reserves act 1977. The Minister of Conservation approved a management plan for the Town Belt in 2007, but what is the point if the District Plan overrides its principles.

The Society urges all members and people of Dunedin to consider how the reserve conservation areas that we have in Dunedin should be managed and how the District Plan should complement their management rather than impede it.

● The Dunedin Amenities Society established in 1888 is New Zealand’s oldest environmental society.

Visit their website at www.dunedin-amenities-society.org.nz
Follow the Society on Twitter
Visit the Society on Facebook

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Here is the latest update from the Society’s website:

A Conservation Conundrum
By daseditor

The Dunedin City Council is presently undertaking a review of the District Plan and that review will mean that the Dunedin Amenities Society will also be looking at the implications of those changes. The review includes looking at creating a new open space, reserves and recreation zone which would “reflect the different types of open space and recreation areas”. The current District Plan does not recognise reserve, conservation or recreation areas as distinct entities, but rather classifies them within the zone of the surrounding land. The problem with that approach is that the activities and land use that is associated with reserve, conservation or recreation sites is often quite distinct to the surrounding land use zones. Reserve sites such as the Town Belt are often over-arched with a wider zone classification such as the “Urban Landscape Conservation Area”. Thus the rules of the District Plan override the legal protection status of the reserve under the Reserves Act 1977 without fully understanding the nature of the reserve or its values. This creates inherent problems for reserves like the Town Belt when dealing with very real conservation management issues.
In one example the current District Plan actually hampers the ability of the Council to manage areas of high conservation significance. The rules (13.8.2) associated with the management of bush within Urban Landscape Conservation Areas have inadvertently protected the highly invasive Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus). Vegetation removal in these zones is a discretionary activity, which is infinitely sensible as it protects flora and fauna on private land. However, under the District Plan the rule “does not apply where the plants to be removed are listed in any Regional Pest Plant Management Strategy applying to the district of Dunedin City”. Here lies the conservation conundrum because sycamore is not included in the Otago Regional Council’s Pest Plant Management Strategy (that’s a whole other post at a later time). Which means that under the current Urban Landscape Conservation Area rules sycamore becomes classified as “bush” and the removal of individual mature seed bearing sycamore cannot be undertaken without resource consent.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Shopping Malls – United States

Thanks to wirehunt for this link.

—

### theatlanticcities.com Jul 13, 2012
Urban Wonk
The Shopping Mall Turns 60 (and Prepares to Retire)
By Emily Badger
The enclosed suburban shopping mall has become so synonymous with the American landscape that it’s hard to imagine the original idea for it ever springing from some particular person’s imagination. Now the scheme seems obvious: of course Americans want to amble indoors in a million square feet of air-conditioned retail, of course we will need a food court because so much shopping can’t be done without meal breaks, and of course we will require 10,000 parking spaces ringing the whole thing to accommodate all our cars. The classic indoor mall, however, is widely credited with having an inventor. And when the Vienna-born architect Victor Gruen first outlined his vision for it in a 1952 article in the magazine Progressive Architecture, the plan was a shocker. Most Americans were still shopping downtown, and suburban “shopping centers”, to the extent they existed, were most definitely not enclosed in indoor mega-destinations.

At the mall’s peak popularity, in 1990, America opened 19 of them. But we haven’t cut the ribbon on a new one since 2006.

Gruen’s idea transformed American consumption patterns and much of the environment around us. At age 60, however, the enclosed regional shopping mall also appears to be an idea that has run its course (OK, maybe not in China, but among Gruen’s original clientele). He opened the first prototype in Edina, Minnesota, in 1956, and the concept spread from there (this also means the earliest examples of the archetypal American mall are now of age for historic designation, if anyone wants to make that argument).
Read more

● Emily Badger is a contributing writer to The Atlantic Cities. She also writes for Pacific Standard, and her work has appeared in GOOD, The Christian Science Monitor, and The New York Times. She lives in the Washington, D.C. area.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southdale_Center

Southdale (b.1956) two overlays – WAI Architecture Think Tank

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Dunedin: Artificial islands for upper harbour?

“Basically, Port Otago has no objections to the concept provided that there is widespread community support for it.”

### ODT Online Mon, 9 Jan 2012
Growing support for Harbour Islands plan
By John Lewis
A necklace of islands mooted for the upper harbour, using 7.2 million cubic metres of spoil dredged from lower Otago Harbour, is gaining traction. The Harbour Islands project was first floated last year during consent hearings of Port Otago’s application to deepen the harbour. Harbour Restoration Group member Peter Hayden said there was common consensus development was vital to the port’s future economic prosperity.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Dunedin Amenities Society: Craigieburn Reserve at Tanner Road

[event information from 2013]

The Dunedin Amenities Society will be holding an open day at the Craigieburn Reserve on Saturday 10 December, starting at 10:00 am.

The open day will be the official opening of the reserve by the Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull and the launch of the heritage interpretation trail developed on site for the Dunedin public.

Gain your first glimpse of the Society’s year-long restoration that has developed an area of regional significance for Dunedin. There will be time to explore the reserve and gain insight into part of Dunedin’s unique settler heritage.

Come and enjoy this important event with the Society and embrace your pioneer spirit at Craigieburn. Billy tea and damper provided.

More Craigieburn information here.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Dunedin Amenities Society: UGLY Dunedin

“Dunedin is a beautiful city but we also have our share of ugly areas that blight our landscape and decrease the value of our city for visitors and the community. The Society would like Dunedin people to cast a critical eye over their city and the communities they live in and consider what is good and bad in their landscape and environment. What makes you sit up and take notice?”

Check out the Dunedin Amenities Society website . . . have your camera ready!

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Post by Elizabeth Kerr

Monorail #NZ.idea

### nbr.co.nz Saturday September 25, 2010 – 05:00am
NZ monorail start-up gets $US1million from Google
By NBR staff
Google has recognised Auckland monorail start-up Shweeb, making it one of five companies worldwide to be awarded $US1 million in its $US10 million 10^100 competition.

In return for its $US1 million injection, Google has taken a 25% stake in Shweeb, with the proviso that any profits made by the internet company will go to a charitable trust for the betterment of public transport.

Shweeb, founded in 2006, is run by Remuera managing director Peter Cossey and Rotorua inventor Geoff Barnett. Its human-powered monorail concept sees a Futurama-style capsule combined with reclining cycle technology.
Read more

Schweeb Monorail Technology

****

www.project10tothe100.com

Project 10^100 by Google is a call for ideas to change the world by helping as many people as possible.

Thousands of people from more than 170 countries submitted over 150,000 ideas. From that group, Google narrowed it to the final 16 ideas for public vote.

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Post by Elizabeth Kerr

Coastal protection zones

### ODT Online Mon, 7 Dec 2009
Public to have say on coastal reserves
By Chris Morris
Members of the public have until mid-January* to have their say on a new management plan for coastal reserves around Dunedin. Dunedin City Council staff have identified 11 coastal reserves across the city – including at Brighton, Karitane, Long Beach, Ocean View, Waikouaiti and Warrington – to be reclassified under the council’s draft coastal dune reserve management plan.
Read more

*There is no way the closing date for submissions would be mid-January.
DCC will need to correct press statements in accordance with its website information.

The Dunedin City Council website entry says:

Draft Coastal Dune Reserves Management Plan
Consultation Starts 25/11/2009
Closes* 12/03/2010

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Proposal

The Dunedin City Council has prepared a draft management plan for those reserves that are located in the coastal dune environment.

The Draft Management Plan includes the following reserves that are vested in the Dunedin City Council:

* Brighton Reserve
* Island Park Reserve
* Karitane Esplanade Reserves
* Karitane Spit
* Kuri Bush Reserve
* Long Beach reserve
* Ocean Grove Reserve
* Ocean View Reserve
* Te Rauone Reserve
* Waikouaiti Domain (Beachfront area)
* Warrington Reserve

Interested parties are invited to lodge written submissions on the draft Plan. Submissions must be received by the Dunedin City Council before 5pm Friday 12 March 2010. For further information please contact the Dunedin City Council by phoning 477 4000.

Consultation documents

The reports and documents are available here in .PDF format.

Draft Coastal Management Plan (PDF, 821.9 kb, new window)
The Draft Management Plan includes the reserves that are vested in the Dunedin City Council:

Submission Form (PDF, 13.3 kb, new window)
Use this form to lodge your submission

Appendices to the Plan (PDF, 2.6 mb, new window)
Appendices

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

The Chronicles of Yarnia

With apologies to CS Lewis, the thread formerly known as “What else! Future options for Dunedin include…”.

Or, How We Ascend/Descend (Your Choice) Into Mud And Cloud Data, Again.

In the (slight but positive) delay to launch duned.in, the multi-author blog Paul is working to develop, I’m starting this new thread – it’s a BRAINSTORMER looking-forward place for your ideas and comments.

What if? threads will flow into the new duned.in so nothing’s lost. Time to ‘generate’. I’ve copied over comments received at High Street Cable Car to start things off. Away we go.

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Peter November 25, 2009 at 11:22 am

Is the High St cable car option the only other one available if the upper Stuart St option is not viable? Isn’t it possible to run a rail car of some description – somewhere flat – like up to the North End, past the uni and Botanical Gardens to, say, the bottom of Baldwin St or out to South Dunedin / St Clair? It strikes me that the cost of going uphill makes the project more prohibitive because of health and safety issues and engineering difficulties. I’m no expert or authority on this. Just a curious citizen.
Whatever happens we need a railcar system that is practical and cheap for both city commuters and tourists. The Christchurch tram system is expensive to run, and to buy tickets for, and just seems to do a little meander around a relatively small area for the tourists. You may as well walk. There’s something kind of fake about it too.
For those real visionaries who are promoting this project – as opposed to the ’stadium visionaries’ – I don’t fancy the chances of anything happening soon or at least for many many years. (We know why, don’t we). I wouldn’t feel encouraged, but nevertheless good on them for persisting. Call me cynical, but the council’s response seems a nice way for gently letting people down and not completely dashing their hopes. If I was a cunning politician I would give such a sop to a sincere and dedicated group who are seen to be promoting something that is beneficial for ALL the people of Dunedin. The city kitty, unfortunately, has already been plundered – and the council knows it.

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Phil [Cole] November 25, 2009 at 8:57 pm

I have to agree with you there, Peter. I think the idea of a cable car or tram system is great. And I congratulate Richard and the team for their work to date. Bill Campbell must be as pleased as. I’m not convinced about the route, however. Ok, it’s historical. So maybe it will mean something to the people who live in the area. But is that the target audience? No, I don’t think it is. The market, if not for commuters, is the tourist market. And the history of a tram route means absolutely nothing to them. I just wonder, when they get to the top of High Street, what are they going to do? What are they going to spend their tourist dollars on during the 24 hours they have in Dunedin, when they are spending 2 or 3 of those hours in Mornington? And, to be fair, the view on the way up is not going to make it onto a lot of video cameras to show back home.

Brilliant idea, and I don’t want this to appear as a brickbat. I do question that we have the best location for the market we’re hoping to attract. Stuart Street would have been ideal, down to the Railway Station, through the CBD, or a route to the beach. But no one will get past Don I suspect.

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Elizabeth November 25, 2009 at 10:11 pm

I diverged off the Dunedin Cable Car organising group before it formed the charitable trust to do further investigation. A very nice group all up.

I hesitated at the time to take on another trusteeship due to workload and priorities – but also, as discussed with the group members, I’m interested in contemporary forms of transit, design and engineering, mobility access (the accessible journey) – and yes, BEST future market(s)… they being on the “flat”, and via route(s) looped, as I see it.

I can’t live in museums. San Francisco is a great experience. Christchurch trams are not. What can Dunedin do differently with new forms of public transport into the future, utilising the city’s great engineering base!!?? Remains one of my deepest interests.

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Richard November 26, 2009 at 8:22 am

Now that’s the line of thinking, I applaud. One in which I am trysting with ‘Pukeko’ at ODT Online. His interest is an aviation musuem on lines (planes?) that have little connection with Dunedin.

I’ll come back and develop my thoughts on cable cars, trams et al when I get some time. The sort of things that form part of what Dr. Rodney Wilson sees as making Dunedin “a heritage city”.

“Big thinking does not happen in small spaces.”

We need a new thread, EK?

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Calvin Oaten November 26, 2009 at 9:47 am

I can’t believe that anyone genuinely thinks that a cable car would fit into the modern transport modes of this city. On the basis of economics, the hopeless task of integration and so called novelty factor, it wouldn’t get past first base. Move on, get over it. Look to the future, not the past. Think outside the square, and outside current traffic ways. For a similar amount of expenditure a gondola from Bethunes Gully up to Mount Cargill would give an experience to die for. The trip would be memorable, the views from the top are 180 degrees, and the overview of Dunedin total. Take a trip up by road and see if I am not right. But hey! don’t forget, the stadium has put paid to any of these dreams.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr