An entry from Ruth Gardner's Blog for 24 March 2014 entitled, "Kia Kaha Ti Kouka!".
An entry from Ruth Gardner's Blog for 03 July 2014 entitled, "Daily Disruption".
An entry from Deb Robertson's blog for 20 February 2014 entitled, "Reflection".
To the casual observer, community gardens may look like places where people just come to grow fruit and vegetables. Through digging beneath surface appearances, however, the research literature suggests that there is more to the creation of and participation in community gardens than that which is immediately apparent. The overall aim of this research was to explore and interpret the meaning of community gardens in terms of the sought and experienced well-being of the individuals who participate, and their associated communities. This research was undertaken in the Christchurch/Selwyn district, in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes of 2010-2011. This research utilised the technique of photo-elicitation interviews to study the meanings attributed to community gardening, in the post-earthquake environment. Five gardens were investigated. Results show that a range of meanings, and well-being outcomes are experienced through a combination of physical, educational, aesthetic appreciation, contemplative, creative and social connections within the garden and within the overall context of nature. Significantly, within the post-earthquake environment, the community gardens can offer participants the opportunity to appreciate life and what it means for them.
An entry from Deb Robertson's blog for 26 March 2014 entitled, "The value of Reflection...."The entry was downloaded on 3 November 2016.
The repair of Christchurch's earthquake damaged arts centre has revealed details hidden from view for forty years including a badminton court and the site of an old swimming pool.
The Canterbury electricity lines company, Orion, says electricity use in its region is starting to recover following the earthquakes, helping it lift both annual profit and sales 3 percent.
Some of the men and women who risked their lives to save others in the aftermath of the February 2011 earthquakes in Christchurch have been recognised for their bravery.
A book written by two Christchurch women to help the region's children deal with the stress of the earthquakes has been endorsed by the director of Civil Defence, John Hamilton.
An entry from Jennifer Middendorf's blog for 14 August 2014 entitled, "All Right?".
An entry from Ruth Gardner's Blog for 19 January 2014 entitled, "Nostalgic Narrative".
A fruit and vegetable co-operative in Canterbury that started with just 140 members has grown to more than two thousand members in the three years since the region's earthquakes.
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Topics - A new two million dollar fund has been launched to urgently help community groups to meet increased demand after Canterbury's earthquakes. The Need Help Now Fund is part of a special 25 million dollar earthquake allocation set up (last year) by the Canterbury Community Trust. The Mana Party leader Hone Harawira is prepared to lose senior party figures such as founding member Sue Bradford over a proposed link with Kim Dotcom's Internet Party. And what about Gareth Morgan's idea of a Universal basic income? John Minto is proposing a universal basic income paid to every New Zealander, out of government tax revenue.
This report to RCP Ltd and University of Canterbury summarises the findings of a 5 month secondment to the CERA Port Hills Land Clearance Team. Improvement strategies were initiated and observed. The Port Hills Land Clearance Programme is the undertaking of the demolition of all built structures from the Crown’s compulsory acquired 714 residential red zoned properties. These properties are zoned red due to an elevated life risk as a result of geotechnical land uncertainty following the 2011 Canterbury Earthquakes.
Christchurch's Graffiti House... This Cranford Street house was damaged in the earthquakes and is due for demolished this week but has been given a Graffiti Makeover by local Street Artists.
This paper presents a qualitative study with multiple refugee background communities living in Christchurch, New Zealand about their perspectives and responses to the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010-2011 (32 semi-structured interviews and 11 focus group discussions comprising 112 participants). Whilst the Canterbury earthquakes created significant challenges for the entire region, several refugee background communities found multiple ways to effectively respond to such adversity. Central to this response were their experiences of belonging which were comprised of both ‘civic’ and ‘ethno’ conceptualisations. This discussion includes an analysis on the intersectionality of identity to highlight the gendered, contextual and chronological influences that impact people’s perspectives of and responses to a disaster. As the study was conducted over 18 months, the paper discusses how social capital resources and experiences of belonging can help inform urban disaster risk reduction (DRR) with refugee groups. http://3icudr.org/program
Professional and personal partners Victoria Flight and John Drew about the nutritional benefits of coconut oil, and the decision to develop their business 'Blue Coconut' after experiencing a deeply traumatic event in Christchurch's earthquake of February 2011.
An entry from Jennifer Middendorf's blog for 24 February 2014 entitled, "VIPs, flowers and hail".
An entry from Jennifer Middendorf's blog for 25 August 2014 entitled, "Tohoku 2011".
Police link a West Coast attack on two tourists with the death of another woman in Christchurch. A swarm of earthquakes in Hawkes Bay and Teina Pora will be released on parole.
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Three years on from the earthquakes that crippled Christchurch's infrastructure, the city has yet to see costings and timeframes for the delivery of a revamped transport system for the central city.
The 6.7 magnitude earthquake which struck Christchurch three years ago didn't just destroy large amounts of the city's infrastructure, it also had a profound effect on the natural environment.
A Line of Best Fit explores weakness and disconnection in the city. Weakness: There are over 600 earthquake prone buildings in Wellington. The urgency to strengthen buildings risks compromising the aesthetic integrity of the city through abrasive strengthening techniques, or losing a large portion of our built environment to demolition. The need for extensive earthquake strengthening in Wellington, Christchurch and other New Zealand cities provides an exciting opportunity for architecture. Disconnection: In Wellington pedestrian activity is focused around three main routes: Cuba Street, Lambton Quay and Courtney Place. The adjacent areas are often disconnected and lack vibrancy due to large building footprints, no-exit laneways and lack of public spaces. The Design proposes a strategy for earthquake strengthening, preserving and upgrading the built environment, and expanding and connecting the pedestrian realm. The site is two earthquake prone buildings on the block between Marion Street and Taranaki Street in central Wellington. A cut through the centre of the Aspro and Cathie Buildings ties the buildings together to strengthen and create a new arcade as public space. The cut aligns with existing pedestrian routes connecting the block with the city. The Design is divided into three components: Void, Curve, and Pattern and Structure. Void investigates the implications of cutting a portion out the existing buildings and the opportunities this provides for connection, urban interaction, and light. Curve discusses the unusual form of The Design in terms of scale, the human response and the surrounding spaces. Pattern and Structure considers the structural requirements of the project and how a void enveloped in perforated screens can strengthen the earthquake prone buildings. The importance of connection, providing strength in the city, a dialogue between old and new, and engagement with the unexpected are evaluated. Opportunities for further development and research are discussed, with particular reference to how the principles of The Design could be implemented on a larger scale throughout our cities. A Line of Best Fit is an architectural proposal that creates strength and connection.
A project manager for a company doing home repairs in the Christchurch earthquake rebuild says it is highly likely as many as 60-thousand people have been exposed to potentially lethal asbestos fibres.
Ports of Auckland says incidents such as the strikes which crippled its operations and the Canterbury earthquakes which disrupted the Port of Lyttelton's operations shows New Zealand needs a resilient port sector.
Three years on from the Canterbury earthquakes there is a huge focus on getting the central city back up and running, but some suburban shopping areas are also struggling to attract customers.
Most of Christchurch's earthquake damaged red zones are now almost clear of homes, but just over a hundred homeowners are now learning what life will be like once everyone else has gone.
A Christchurch man who's made his name battling the Earthquake Commission says he has secured a forty-five-million-dollar joint venture with a Chinese company that will regenerate Christchurch's residential areas.