La Trobe University City masterplan unveiled

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus will house three distinct villages and a thriving city centre for Melbourne’s north under an ambitious masterplan, bringing housing to 15,000 people and facilities for 40,000 students.

The university unveiled the masterplan for La Trobe University City, an ambitious $5 billion initiative that will transform its north Melbourne campus into a vibrant, sustainable and innovative city.

The long-term vision, developed through extensive consultation with stakeholders and the community, will further develop the 255-hectare campus as a dynamic centre of innovation, knowledge and sustainability.

La Trobe University Chancellor John Brumby AO, said University City reimagined La Trobe’s place in the broader community.

“University City could boost Gross Regional Product in Melbourne’s north-east by an estimated $440 million each year by the completion of the project, while additional interstate and international students could spend around $202 million per annum in the Victorian economy,” the Chancellor said.

“La Trobe University City will not only transform our campus, it will create a thriving community that drives innovation and economic prosperity.”

The 30-year project has at its core a research and innovation ecosystem, leveraging La Trobe’s strengths in health innovation, artificial intelligence, sustainable agriculture and food and digital transformation.

La Trobe Vice-Chancellor Professor Theo Farrell said the initiative would enhance the quality of life for students and staff and contribute significantly to the economic and social fabric of Melbourne’s north.

“University City is a bold, purpose-built innovation city where education drives everything – and sparks so much more,” Professor Farrell said.

“With world-class research, teaching and talent at its core, University City is a connected ecosystem of industry, health, housing, culture, sport and green space. It’s a new model of how knowledge, place and imagination come together.

“La Trobe University will be a thriving city that brings together living, learning and working in a sustainable environment designed for future growth.”

In 2022, Plenary was selected as the university’s preferred master development partner. Earlier this year, Plenary started work on an $82 million University Health Clinic.

Plenary Group Head of Infrastructure Damien Augustinus said University City would redefine how university precincts in Australia and abroad were designed, developed and delivered.

“University City will cement La Trobe as a global university of choice for students and staff, increase engagement with government, industry and the community, and showcase it as a sustainability exemplar,” Mr Augustinus said.

“Our experience in forming long-term partnerships that deliver complex projects, combined with the depth of experience that we have in the education, life sciences and living asset classes, make us ideally placed to deliver on La Trobe’s University City vision.

“In terms of applying a capital strategy that helps realise this ambitious masterplan, each individual development will be assessed on its own merits, but we will always look to be a long-term capital investor in these projects. It’s an approach we have had great success in doing across our infrastructure and real assets investments to date. But, when appropriate, we will also look to bring in other capital partners that share ours and the university’s long-term investment and development approach.”

University City life

La Trobe University City will encompass four connected neighbourhoods, providing housing for up to 15,000 people, including 15 per cent affordable housing, in technology-enabled and ecologically sustainable city living.

The North Village, adjacent to existing homes in the Polaris and Springthorpe communities, will have a residential focus. East Village, the closest to Macleod Train Station, will be a mixed-use neighbourhood built on student accommodation. South Village has a research, innovation and commercial focus, expanding on existing activity and providing new opportunities for industry, academia and commercial partnerships. City Centre is the existing campus core, growing westward with new commercial, retail and academic developments.

Highlights of the masterplan include:

• Education and research: The masterplan envisions state-of-the-art education facilities for more than 40,000 students (a 45% increase on current student numbers), alongside high-quality workplaces for research and innovation. This will foster greater collaboration between academia and industry, driving economic growth and creating new opportunities for research, teaching and learning.
• Housing and community: The development will provide housing for up to 15,000 residents in liveable and walkable neighbourhoods, offering new lifestyle experiences and a sense of community.
• Economic impact: La Trobe University City is expected to create employment for 33,500 people across various sectors, including 3000 in construction.
• Active lifestyle: The masterplan includes an already completed world-class sports precinct for teaching, research, community participation and elite sport.
• Sustainability: More than 1 million square metres of regenerative, climate-resilient open space, including the Nangak Tamboree eco-corridor, will be protected and enhanced, connecting the city to the wider environment and bringing its inhabitants closer to nature.
• Transport and connectivity: The masterplan includes a connected transport network with expanded pedestrian and cycling links, new streets, laneways and roads, and improved transport infrastructure, including a proposed Suburban Rail Loop train station.

View the La Trobe University media release.