
Building rubble behind cordon fencing at the corner of Salisbury and Montreal Streets. In the background is the Victoria Clock Tower, with the clock stopped at 12:51, the time of the 22 February earthquake.
A line of shipping containers along the base of the cliffs in Sumner protects the road from rockfalls. On the right is the rubble of a house which has partially fallen from the cliff.
A view of Hereford Street, looking east. On the road is a sprinkler system, used to spray rubble carried by trucks out of the CBD, in order to keep dust levels down.
Within four weeks of the September 4 2010 Canterbury Earthquake a new, loosely-knit community group appeared in Christchurch under the banner of “Greening the Rubble.” The general aim of those who attended the first few meetings was to do something to help plug the holes that had already appeared or were likely to appear over the coming weeks in the city fabric with some temporary landscaping and planting projects. This article charts the first eighteen months of Greening the Rubble and places the initiative in a broader context to argue that although seismic events in Christchurch acted as a “call to palms,” so to speak, the city was already in need of some remedial greening. It concludes with a reflection on lessons learned to date by GTR and commentary on the likely issues ahead for this new mini-social-environmental movement in the context of a quake-affected and still quake-prone major New Zealand city. One of the key lessons for GTR and all of those involved in Christchurch recovery activities to date is that the city is still very much in the middle of the event and is to some extent a laboratory for seismic and agency management studies alike.
A temporary public space created by Greening the Rubble. The space is on Gloucester Street and includes three giant green armchairs and a coffee table. The road has been spray-painted with daisies.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Demolition of SBS Building, corner of Manchester and Worcester Streets".
A vehicle that was smashed by fallen masonry from the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. In the background, the broken building can be seen.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Demolition site of Allan McLean building, corner of Colombo Street and Oxford Terrace".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Bailies in the Warners Hotel is under demolition in Cathedral Square".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "A view looking west from the intersection of Manchester Street and Worcester Street, towards Cathedral Square".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Octagon Live restaurant, old Trinity Congregational Church, corner of Worcester and Manchester Streets".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Octagon Live restaurant, (formerly Trinity Congregational Church), corner of Worcester and Manchester Streets".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Octagon Live restaurant, old Trinity Congregational Church, corner of Worcester and Manchester Streets".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Diggers move with precision and skill while demolishing the former Druids Building, 239 Manchester Street".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Armagh Street. The Colombo Street Copthorne Hotel is behind the digger arm".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The Cranmer Centre on the corner of Armagh and Montreal Streets, formerly the Christchurch Girls High School".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "St John the Baptist, Latimer Square".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Octagon Live restaurant, old Trinity Congregational Church, corner of Worcester and Manchester Streets".
The site of a demolished building on Hereford Street, with a crane and two skips. Piles of rubble can be seen to the left. The site has been cordoned off with wire fencing.
Photographs of the Brick Art unveiling, Greening the Rubble, on the former Asko site - corner of Victoria and Salisbury Streets, Christchurch 8 February 2011. From the collection of Christchurch City Libraries CCL-Brickart-2011-IMG_2482
Photographs of the Brick Art unveiling, Greening the Rubble, on the former Asko site - corner of Victoria and Salisbury Streets, Christchurch 8 February 2011. From the collection of Christchurch City Libraries CCL-Brickart-2011-IMG_2462
Photographs of the Brick Art unveiling, Greening the Rubble, on the former Asko site - corner of Victoria and Salisbury Streets, Christchurch 8 February 2011. From the collection of Christchurch City Libraries CCL-Brickart-2011-IMG_2485
Photographs of the Brick Art unveiling, Greening the Rubble, on the former Asko site - corner of Victoria and Salisbury Streets, Christchurch 8 February 2011. From the collection of Christchurch City Libraries CCL-Brickart-2011-IMG_2487
Photographs of the Brick Art unveiling, Greening the Rubble, on the former Asko site - corner of Victoria and Salisbury Streets, Christchurch 8 February 2011. From the collection of Christchurch City Libraries CCL-Brickart-2011-IMG_2478
Photographs of the Brick Art unveiling, Greening the Rubble, on the former Asko site - corner of Victoria and Salisbury Streets, Christchurch 8 February 2011. From the collection of Christchurch City Libraries CCL-Brickart-2011-IMG_2495
Photographs of the Brick Art unveiling, Greening the Rubble, on the former Asko site - corner of Victoria and Salisbury Streets, Christchurch 8 February 2011. From the collection of Christchurch City Libraries CCL-Brickart-2011-IMG_2483
Photographs of the Brick Art unveiling, Greening the Rubble, on the former Asko site - corner of Victoria and Salisbury Streets, Christchurch 8 February 2011. From the collection of Christchurch City Libraries CCL-Brickart-2011-IMG_2467
Photographs of the Brick Art unveiling, Greening the Rubble, on the former Asko site - corner of Victoria and Salisbury Streets, Christchurch 8 February 2011. From the collection of Christchurch City Libraries CCL-Brickart-2011-IMG_2492
Photographs of the Brick Art unveiling, Greening the Rubble, on the former Asko site - corner of Victoria and Salisbury Streets, Christchurch 8 February 2011. From the collection of Christchurch City Libraries CCL-Brickart-2011-IMG_2466
Photographs of the Brick Art unveiling, Greening the Rubble, on the former Asko site - corner of Victoria and Salisbury Streets, Christchurch 8 February 2011. From the collection of Christchurch City Libraries CCL-Brickart-2011-IMG_2490