La Trobe University has announced an updated vision for its $5 billion masterplan to redevelop its 225-hectare Bundoora campus in Melbourne’s north. This long-term “University City” plan will provide housing for 15,000 people—including 15 percent affordable housing—and facilities to support a projected 45 percent increase in student numbers, aiming to serve 40,000 students in total.

Over time, elements of this masterplan have already been implemented, including a student accommodation project by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects, which provides 624 student beds, and the La Trobe Sports Park, a major precinct focused on sport and community activity, designed by Warren and Mahoney.​

The expanded 30-year vision divides the campus into three distinct precincts:

• North Village, prioritizing residential development and situated near existing homes.

• East Village, the closest district to Macleod Train Station, which will integrate student accommodation and mixed-use neighbourhoods.

• South Village, catering to research, innovation, and commercial activity.​

At the campus heart, the existing city centre will grow westward, incorporating new commercial, retail, and academic facilities. A core feature of the plan is more than 1 million square metres of climate-resilient, regenerative open space. This includes the enhancement of the Nangak Tamboree eco-corridor, improving ecological connections and providing access to nature.​

The masterplan will also introduce upgrades to transport infrastructure, including expanded pedestrian and cycling paths, new streets and thoroughfares, and a planned Suburban Rail Loop station on campus.​

Chancellor John Brumby highlighted the plan’s potential economic impact, forecasting a $440 million yearly boost to the region’s gross product and $202 million in additional annual spending from new interstate and international students. Vice-Chancellor Professor Theo Farrell emphasized the masterplan’s vision for a vibrant, integrated campus community combining education, health, industry, housing, sport, and green space, and described it as a model for knowledge-led placemaking.​

Construction is already in progress on key components, including an $82 million University Health Clinic designed by Woods Bagot, which is expected to open by mid-2026.

Source: Architecture, Au