Part of Dunedin’s charm lies in areas with rich architectural and social history, which offer significant opportunities for urban design. Sitting between the harbour and the heart of the city, the Warehouse Precinct is one of these areas. In recent years, enthusiastic property owners have upgraded a number of buildings in the precinct to meet current safety requirements and adapt to new industrial and retail uses, while simultaneously enhancing heritage values through creative design. The Dunedin City Council’s City Development team has worked alongside these property owners to support heritage re-use and improve the surrounding streetscape, most notably along Vogel Street. The result is a series of improvements that make the area more attractive and useable and have garnered growing local support and enthusiasm.

Further development in the Warehouse Precinct is underway in 2017/18, beginning where Vogel Street passes beneath the Cumberland Street overbridge. Running underneath and alongside the overbridge is Jetty Street, a relatively short accessway with documented traffic safety concerns. Following a consent process and public hearing, Jetty Street has been closed to vehicles and construction is underway to transform the space into a vibrant, people-focused pedestrian area.