Pools, free parking, and a bar? Staff and students share ideas for Manawatu campus

Over 200 staff and students attended workshops in July and August to share ideas on how to reimagine the Palmerston North Massey campus.  

There were 70 suggestions for free parking, 70 suggestions for more art, 50 suggestions for more music, and more than 300 people wanted more events, according to the Reimagining Our Spaces reports.  

Requests for a swimming pool popped up, and the other top options were a student bar, more activities and games. 

Allanah Ryan, associate director sustainability said the idea of a pool was quite common, however, she commented that this would be expensive.  

She felt the idea of free parking wasn’t environmentally sustainable.   

“It encourages students and staff to use cars, use more fossil fuel. It would be more beneficial to use electric scooters, bikes, or the free buses or walking to lessen that footprint.”  

The university was thinking about plans to become more climate resilient through the ‘sponge campus’ idea, which would use less drainage and more grass to avoid flooding and clogging drains. 

The workshop also brought forward requests for more Māori, Pasifika and other cultural representatives around campus. 

Sal Lampkin, senior sustainability advisor said the campus revitalisation work is also being done with the Wellington and Albany campuses.  

“Specific events are being run on each campus by myself and three colleagues as a first step in an extensive university-wide programme of work.” 

The Wellington event will take place on September 25th from 9am-30pm in Block 5 Level H 11/12.  

The Albany event will be held on October 2nd from 9am-3pm in at Atrium Round Room.