To recap some of the big things to date: The Brisbane Street Mall was first paved in 1975, and the controversial ‘pillows’ were added. We continued to shift to an eating precinct in Charles Street, and the recent redesign of the Quadrant Mall. What we have now is a small city growing into a disparate landscape of emerging excellence. 

What is coming: the CityHeart Masterplan implementation and activation, the CH Smith developments, the Silos, a start-up culture in its infancy, and the University of Tasmania’s transformation. These ostensibly independent strategies are operated by different organisations, but they can collaborate for the bigger picture. The real question is how? Moreover, how do we do it, so that our future generations of students and young leaders reap the benefits?

That is where the new CityDeal comes in, with its goal to mesh these seemingly unrelated strategies into a cohesive masterplan for the future of Launceston. One that encourages visitation to the CBD fringes and the CBD itself. It is this bombardment of change that offers us a new opportunity. For a smart Launceston. A future jewel of the Commonwealth. 

One piece of this puzzle I want to direct attention to is the clear relationship between the evolving city heart and the emerging university campus. At present, it requires logical synthesis, uniting community identity and economic longevity. The opening scene of this transformation might start with the addition of 16,000 students studying at Inveresk and their newfound access to the CBD. 

Move to the heart of Launceston and it is evident that the challenge of its dwindling nightlife, sporadic bursts of traffic, and a seasonally dependent culture are still holding the city from achieving its potential as an innovation centre. A smart city. The opportunity is to address these at the same time as the University seeks to achieve its social mission. Next is the opportunity to identify our value proposition as a city to attract and retain quality students and young professionals. Young professionals who could go on to create the next big FinTech firm or a second Tasmanian Prime Minister perhaps. 

So, what might this look like? It could look like using carparks for accommodation facilities, for hundreds of students. A flagship entrepreneurship degree through night classes at Macquarie House and Enterprize. A coordinated end-of-class schedule with the peaks and troughs of inner city life. Public lectures in public spaces and local bars. Visual arts, drama, and music assessments live in the Quadrant Mall. Research students discovering new things on the greens of City Park. A business campus embedded in the underpinnings of the business community. Students want more flexibility in their courses. The 9-5 model of study is not appealing to young leaders and new students seeking to work and have impact whilst they study, not after graduation. 

Amenities like city-based gyms, a library, workspaces at Princes Square, and coworking spaces offer direct opportunities to ensure that the desired CityDeal connectivity is achieved. Access to networking spaces and community research partnerships within the University precinct offers the reverse, allowing the community to engage in new and innovative ways. Engagement with the cityscape is what will provide new opportunities for students to become globally mobile thought leaders. 

The landscape of the city can, and should, be a site for learning and teaching. Educating students into future professionals and civic leaders should be embedded into everything we, as a city, stand for. Ensuring our students receive a cultural and civic education, firsthand, is so much more valuable than a purely theoretical exercise of learning. Generating meaning comes from learning theory, and being apply our understanding into practice. Into the real world. If the city and University can successfully integrate student life and city life, we might just have ourselves a world-class university city. We might also have a student experience that convinces Tasmanians to stay, and international students to attend.

So, what do the new Silos, a city campus, an office complex, a redeveloped Brisbane St Mall, and two new walking bridges have in common? They offer the city a new prospect. For students to be better prepared for lifelong learning in their community. For young professionals to find and have the impact they crave. For a city to reach its potential as a place worthy of national acclaim. As a city, our goal should be to bridge the gaps between all our plans, our strategies, and our new buildings, and deliver the connectivity that we so ambitiously aim to achieve.

The University has a strong leadership role in this cityscape evolution, and this requires a reframing at the highest levels. With the forthcoming departure of the Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Students and Education), the University must appoint successors who understand the critical importance of the city heart. Who understand Launceston. The role of the University is crucial in successfully extending Launceston’s vibrancy. Yet, students must remain at the forefront. Students are our future leaders, innovators, and employers. The construction must add to Launceston’s evolving identity as a regional innovation hub and city of learning.