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Images, UC QuakeStudies

An aerial photograph of the IRD Building in the Christchurch central city and the surrounding area. The photograph has been captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "There are many empty sites in this part of the CBD. The street running up the photograph from the left to the right is Cashel Street. The empty site left of centre with the trees is where St John's Church has been demolished. To the left of the IRD building, is the site of the CTV Building".

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Detail of damage to a house in Richmond. A double-brick wall has collapsed, and a gap is visible between the house and its foundation. The photographer comments, "These photos show our old house in River Rd and recovery work around Richmond and St Albans. The house and the concrete patio are now 15cm apart. The house took half the dining room's remaining bricks with it as it jumped off the foundations. It gives a good visual indication of the displacement".

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Damage to a residential property in Richmond. The brick wall of the garage has collapse inward, and the roof fallen in on top of it. The photographer comments, "These photos show our old house in River Rd and recovery work around Richmond and St Albans. The neighbours behind us used the kayak to get in to their house - it's flooded by Dudley Creek which runs behind the block, plus major liquefaction. Our old garage provides a good spot to park it".

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Detail of damage to a house in Richmond. A double-brick wall has collapsed. A wire loop which formerly tied the two layers of bricks together has pulled out from one of the layers, showing how the two parts of the wall moved apart during the shaking. The photographer comments, "These photos show our old house in River Rd and recovery work around Richmond and St Albans. The remaining double brick by the back door has been further smashed and twisted".

Images, UC QuakeStudies

An aerial photograph of Manchester Street near Cambridge Terrace. The photograph has been captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The new Christchurch emerges - more colourful than before. The tree wrapped in high visibility is another project from artist Peter Majendie. The newly planted grass on the right hand side of the photo is on the PGC site and an adjoining site and is a CERA initiative. In the foreground of the photos the former site of St Luke's is now attractively laid out, while the splendour of the trees on the site can be fully appreciated".

Videos, UC QuakeStudies

A video of a presentation by Associate Professor John Vargo during the fifth plenary of the 2016 People in Disasters Conference. Vargo is a senior researcher and co-leader of the Resilient Organisations Research Programme at the University of Canterbury. The presentation is titled, "Organisational Resilience is more than just Business Continuity".The abstract for this presentation reads as follows: Business Continuity Management is well-established process in many larger organisations and a key element in their emergency planning. Research carried out by resilient organisations follow the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury Earthquakes show that most small organisations did not have a business continuity plan (BCP), yet many of these organisations did survive the massive disruptions following the earthquakes. They were resilient to these catastrophic events, but in the absence of a BCP. This research also found that many of the organisations with BCP's, struggled to use them effectively when facing real events that did not align with the BCP. Although the BCPs did a good job of preparing organisations to deal with technology and operational disruptions, there was virtually no coverage for the continuity of people. Issues surrounding staff welfare and engagement were amongst the most crucial issues faced by Canterbury organisations, yet impacts of societal and personal disruption did not feature in BCPs. Resilience is a systematic way of looking at how an organization can survive a crisis and thrive in an uncertain world. Business continuity is an important aspect for surviving the crisis, but it is only part of the bigger picture addressed by organisational resilience. This presentation will show how organizational experiences in the Canterbury earthquakes support the need to move to a 'Business Continuity' for the '21st Century', one that incorporates more aspects of resilience, especially the 'people' areas of leadership, culture, staff welfare, and engagement.

Research Papers, Lincoln University

During the 21st century, New Zealand has experienced increasing public concern over the quality of the design and appearance of new developments, and their effects on the urban environment. In response to this, a number of local authorities developed a range of tools to address this issue, including urban design panels to review proposals and provide independent advice. Following the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence, the commitment to achieve high quality urban design within Christchurch was given further importance, with the city facing the unprecedented challenge of rebuilding a ‘vibrant and successful city’. The rebuild and regeneration reinforced the need for independent design review, putting more focus and emphasis on the role and use of the urban design panel; first through collaboratively assisting applicants in achieving a better design outcome for their development by providing an independent set of eyes on their design; and secondly in assisting Council officers in forming their recommendations on resource consent decisions. However, there is a perception that urban design and the role of the urban design panel is not fully understood, with some stakeholders arguing that Council’s urban design requirements are adding cost and complexity to their developments. The purpose of this research was to develop a better understanding on the role of the Christchurch urban design panel post-earthquake in the central city; its direct and indirect influence on the built environment; and the deficiencies in the broader planning framework and institutional settings that it might be addressing. Ultimately, the perceived role of the Panel is understood, and there is agreement that urban design is having a positive influence on the built environment, albeit viewed differently amongst the varying groups involved. What has become clear throughout this research is that the perceived tension between the development community and urban design well and truly exists, with the urban design panel contributing towards this. This tension is exacerbated further through the cost of urban design to developers, and the drive for financial return from their investments. The panel, albeit promoting a positive experience, is simply a ‘tick box’ exercise for some, and as the research suggests, groups or professional are determining themselves what constitutes good urban design, based on their attitude, the context in which they sit and the financial constraints to incorporate good design elements. It is perhaps a bleak time for urban design, and more about building homes.