The Dunedin City Council Retail Quarter project is a major redevelopment aimed at transforming the heart of Ōtepoti Dunedin into a vibrant, accessible, and culturally enriched urban space. This initiative, led by Dunedin City Council in partnership with the Ō3 Collective (which includes AECOM, Isaac Construction, and Jasmax), focuses on modernising the streetscape and renewing aging infrastructure while honouring local heritage and embedding Māori cultural values. AECOM played a crucial role in both the design and delivery phases.
The Retail Quarter, centred on George Street, is Dunedin’s premier retail destination. Over time, its infrastructure and streetscape aged significantly, requiring upgrades to create a safer, more accessible, and vibrant public space. The project focuses on improving pedestrian areas, creating green spaces, and integrating cultural narratives.
AECOM’s involvement began in 2019 with the development of business cases to guide the design and construction. The detailed business case (DBC) was approved by the Council in late 2020, setting the stage for construction, which commenced in 2021 and concluded in 2024.
Key benefits
- Enhanced accessibility and safety: Redesigning George Street with pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users in mind.
- Māori cultural visibility: Embedding local cultural stories and symbols in the streetscape.
- Sustainable design: Reducing the carbon footprint and increasing infrastructure resilience.
- Resilience: Reducing flood risk for Retail Quarter businesses and providing greater firefighting protection for the area.
AECOM’s work on the project spanned multiple disciplines, from infrastructure upgrades to cultural integration and environmental sustainability.
Three Waters infrastructure upgrades
A major component of the project involved renewing Dunedin’s aging three waters infrastructure (potable water, wastewater, and stormwater). Many of these assets, some over 150 years old, required rehabilitation or full replacement.
- Water Supply: AECOM completed strategic water supply modelling to inform the detailed design to reconfigure the aging water supply to meet strict fire supply requirements to provide greater pressure and firefighting access.
- Wastewater: AECOM completed condition assessments on the existing wastewater which showed significant damage. AECOM designed the renewal of the water network and assisted with construction queries due to the congested central city corridor.
- Stormwater Brick Barrel: AECOM used UV-cured cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining to rehabilitate 4.3 km of heritage egg-shaped brick stormwater mains, preserving their historical significance while modernising them.
- Stormwater and flood mitigation: New stormwater mains, including a 1350mm diameter pipe, were installed to mitigate flood risks, especially in vulnerable areas like St. Andrews Street. Feedback from key stakeholder following the recent flooding in Dunedin shows that flood-prone properties along St Andrews Street were not impacted by the recent events.
Streetscape redesign and pedestrianisation
George Street has been transformed into a pedestrian-first zone. The design includes flush street levels for improved accessibility, rain gardens, and passively irrigated green spaces to manage stormwater. Māori cultural motifs, such as bespoke pavers etched with local symbols, were integrated into the design, reflecting the city’s heritage.
Sustainability and decarbonisation
The project focused heavily on reducing its carbon footprint by designing pavements with less carbon-intensive materials. This included using deep lift asphalt instead of traditional concrete, resulting in a 15% reduction in emissions. Additionally, Isaac and DCC recycled and donated over 16,000 existing pavers to local community groups, reducing waste.
The project lined 4.3km of 150-year-old egg-shaped brick barrel pipe and a significant number of gravity wastewater pipes. These assets would have otherwise been renewed through traditional trenched methods. By using a trenchless method of renewal, the project reduced embodied carbon emissions and reduced the impact of construction to the local businesses.
Safety and accessibility improvements
The project team worked closely with the disability community to ensure the new design was safe and accessible for everyone. Special textured concrete pavers were developed to assist the vision-impaired, and mobility parking spaces were expanded throughout the area.
Key challenges and solutions
The Retail Quarter project faced several challenges, particularly around heritage preservation and urban design constraints.
- Heritage infrastructure: AECOM’s innovative use of CIPP lining preserved Dunedin’s 150-year-old brick stormwater mains, minimising disruption while maintaining structural integrity and reducing waste and carbon.
- Flood risk mitigation: Flood risk mitigation: Dunedin’s central city has faced a recent history of flooding during significant rain events. To address this, AECOM designed a new stormwater system capable of managing 100-year flood events, providing enhanced protection for the city’s central areas.
- Community engagement: Stakeholder engagement was key to the project’s success. AECOM facilitated workshops that allowed the community to shape the project’s design, ensuring cultural narratives were embedded and community concerns were addressed.
The Dunedin City Council Retail Quarter project exemplifies a successful collaboration between modern infrastructure needs and cultural preservation. AECOM’s involvement, from early planning through to the implementation of innovative engineering solutions, has been instrumental in bringing this vision to life. The Retail Quarter stands as a model of sustainable, community-centric urban design, enhancing the vibrancy and accessibility of Ōtepoti Dunedin’s premier shopping district.
Awards
- Civil Contractors NZ Finalist
- ACE NZ Silver Award Winner
- South Island Property People Awards Winner (Urban Design)