New research suggests about half the Christchurch businesses which left the central city after the Canterbury earthquakes are unlikely to return.
Blog of New Zealander Helen Leggatt who is researching church headstones in Canterbury. In 2012 she photographed headstones damaged during the Canterbury earthquake.
A research dissertation by Jessie Ford, submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Commerce with Honours in Management.
Interview with Engineering Geologist, Shamus Wallace. This interview was conducted by Emma Kelland as part of Deidre Hart's Coastal and River Earthquake Research project.
An entry from Ruth Gardner's Blog for 01 November 2013 entitled, "Bonus Boost for Blog".
Interview with Surface Water Planner, Graham Harrington. This interview was conducted by Emma Kelland as part of Deirdre Hart's Coastal and River Earthquake Research project.
Interview with Coastal Procces Geomophologist, R.M. Kirk. This interview was conducted by Emma Kelland as part of Deirdre Hart's Coastal and River Earthquake Research project.
Interview with Coastal and River Geomorphologist, Murray Hicks. This interview was conducted by Emma Kelland as part of Deirdre Hart's Coastal and River Earthquake Research project.
Aotearoa has undoubtedly some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, a privilege for its inhabitants. However, as our cities have developed post-colonisation, the connection between the natural environment and its occupants has diminished. Designers play a vital role within an ever evolving world to progress the built environment in a way that reflects and restores vital values that have been deprioritised. Future practice should prioritise diversity, care for the land, enhancement of community space, and sustainable practices. This research sets out to demonstrate that new design methodologies can encourage kaitiakitanga, whilst meeting the needs of urban public space. Initially through critical analysis and literature based research, a study of Ōtautahi Christchurch, the South Island’s largest city, was undertaken. The principles of a ‘15 minute city’ were also explored and applied to the city, establishing issues within the built environment that drove the overall research direction. Through the tools of critical reflection and a research through design methodology, a design toolkit was constructed. This toolkit sets out to provide designers with a simple streamlined method of developing urban interventions that are sustainable and beneficial for human well-being. The toolkit incorporates an abstraction of the ‘15 minute city’ ideology and introduces the concepts of evolving green transportation routes within cities. Ōtautahi Christchurch, a city with a significant history of earthquake-caused damage, was chosen as the primary site for the application of this research’s proposed toolkit. The city becomes a canvas for an urban rebuild that explores and aims to set a precedent for a progressive 21st-century city. A key finding as the toolkit research developed was the idea of a ‘temporary’ phase or intervention, being added to traditional design methodologies prior to permanent building. The research explains how this temporary phase could more actively engage diverse user groups and create active conversations between communities and designers. The refined toolkit sets outs proposed timeline phases, methods of site analysis and development of design drivers. Alongside this, a modular architectural system establishes a design proposal for the temporary phase of an individual site within an evolving green route. This outcome provides further opportunity for realistic testing, which would actively involve communities and aims to shift our priorities within urban development. The introduction of the ‘temporary’ phase is beneficial in mitigating psychological implications on people and limiting physical impacts on the landscape. The final design stage of the thesis applied the toolkit process to three sites in Ōtautahi Christchurch. Through a holistic lens, the toolkit framework set out methods to collate information that provides guidance for development on the sites. While some layers are initiated simply by recognising site characteristics, others are informed through software such as GIS. Connected by a proposed green transport route, the three initial sites are developed with temporary interventions that utilise the modular design set out previously in the research. Contextualising the interventions on real world sites tested the flexibility of the system and allowed for critical reflection on the applicability of the toolkit to Aotearoa. The research concludes by identifying future research opportunities and speculates on possible applications of its findings within the real world. Temporary Permanence highlights the significant role that we, as designers, have in shifting urban priorities to create more holistic, sustainable, and inclusive cities for people and the planet.
Interview with Canterbury Earthquakes Geospatial Reserach Fellow, Matthew Hughes. This interview was conducted by Emma Kelland as part of Deirdre Hart's Coastal and River Earthquake Research project.
A presentation by Associate Professor John Vargo (Department of Accounting and Information Systems, and Resilient Organisations Research Group) on "Organisational Resilience in Canterbury: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow".
A video of Dr Laurie Johnson of the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Centre and Professor David Johnston, Senior Scientist at GNS Science, responding to questions from the floor during the keynote session at the 2016 Seismics in the City Conference. The keynote session is titled, "The Trajectory of Post-disaster Recovery and Regeneration".
With Tom Love - A principal of consulting firm Sapere Research Group, who was commissioned by the Canterbury District Health Board, to examine the population impact of February's earthquake.
A researcher of the Israeli spy agency MOSSAD says the suspicious activity of four Israeli students during the Christchurch earthquake bears all the hallmarks of a classic intelligence operation.
A public talk by Dr Colin Meurk, Senior Ecologist at Landcare Research. This talk, entitled 'Crunch city to cool Christchurch', formed part of the Plenary Three session, 'Designing the future'.
A video of an address by Liz Macpherson, Government Statistician and Chief Executive at Statistics New Zealand, at the 2014 Seismics and the City forum. This talk was part of the Building Confidence section.
Topics - the latest twist in the Kim Dotcom saga is that the police have announced they're investigating the Government Communications Security Bureau's illegal surveillance of the internet mogul. New research has shown that membership of all mainstream Christian denominations has fallen to historic lows - except for Catholicism. New research has uncovered the role underground rock structures played in stopping the September 2010 Christchurch earthquake from linking up with the Port Hills faultline and causing greater damage to Christchurch.
Site of industry representative organisations provides a one-stop portal where Cantabrians can research and engage local reconstruction professionals from plumbers and electricians to builders and civil contractors. Includes advice and tips.
A presentation by Emma Kelland titled, "Masters in Environmental Science 690, Department of Geography". The presentation outlined the research Emma would undertake alongside Dr Deirdre Hart as part of her Masters Thesis.
An interview with Coastal Resources Scientist, Justin Cope, and Natual Hazard Analyst, Marion Irwin. This interview was conducted by Emma Kelland as part of Deirdre Hart's Coastal and River Earthquake Research project .
A video of a keynote presentation by Dr Laurie Johnson, Project Scientist at the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Centre, at the 2016 Seismics in the City Conference. The presentation is titled, "The Trajectory of Post-disaster Recovery and Regeneration: Learning from other cities".The abstract for the presentation reads, "What does regeneration look like and how long does it take? A look at what we can learn about regeneration from other cities that have experienced disasters. An exploration of the innovation needed to fulfil the recovery vision, as well as the value of collaboration in the next five years."
Aerial footage of a site in Avondale where several liquefaction remediation options are being tested. Gelignite explosives have been buried throughout the site. These will be set off to simulate liquefaction caused by an earthquake. The result, if successful, will help EQC protect people's houses from future earthquakes, and settle land claims. The video was recorded using a drone aircraft.
A lecturer at Canterbury University's School of Forestry, Justin Morgenroth on new research into the lifesaving role played by trees in the Christchurch earthquakes - and the importance of urban forests for the future of the city.
A video of a presentation by Justin Kean, Director of Research and Consulting at JLL, at the 2016 Seismics in the City Conference. The presentation is titled, "Factors Shaping the Industrial and Commercial Evolution of Greater Christchurch".
Toni Collins is a Canterbury University PhD researcher in law, who is investigating how commercial leases could be written to better deal with the aftermath of earthquakes, and how cases of disputes could progress through the courts.
As a researcher for Underground Overground Archaeology, I spend my time searching written and visual sources for historical information on the sites the archaeologists are working on. The newspapers available on Papers Past are some of the best sources for rediscovering … Continue reading &...
A video of the controlled explosion of a 40-tonne boulder above the Summit Road. The boulder is being removed using explosives after an assessment by United Research Services found that the rocks supporting the boulder have become unsafe.
<b>Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste contributes to over 50% of New Zealand’s overall waste. Materials such as timber, plasterboard, and concrete make up 81% of the C&D waste that goes into landfills each year. Alongside this, more than 235 heritage-listed buildings have been demolished in Christchurch since the 2011 earthquakes. This research portfolio aims to find a solution to decrease C&D waste produced by demolishing heritage buildings.</b> With the recent announcement of The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament’s demolition, this will be another building added to the list of lost heritage in Christchurch. This research portfolio aims to bridge the relationship between heritage and waste through the recycling and reuse of the demolished materials, exploring the idea that history and heritage are preserved through building material reuse. This research portfolio mainly focuses on reducing construction and demolition waste in New Zealand, using the design of a new Catholic Cathedral as a vessel. This thesis will challenge how the construction and design industry deals with the demolition of heritage buildings and their contribution to New Zealand’s waste. It aims to explore the idea of building material reuse not only to reduce waste but also to retain the history and heritage of the demolished building within the materials.
It’s very easy to think of 19th century New Zealand as being a place isolated from the rest of the world. Yet as we research and investigate colonial Christchurch, we are constantly being reminded of the connections that existed between … Continue reading →
At the start of an archaeological investigation we often consult historical documents to learn as much as we can about a site’s past. Such research can identify the buildings that were once present, the people associated with the site through … Continue reading →