Damage to Christchurch city following the 22 February earthquake 2011. A crack in the road where the asphalt has lifted, possibly due to liquefaction. Cones have been placed along the crack to warn drivers of the irregular surface.
The Canterbury earthquakes, which involved widespread damage in the February 2011 event and ongoing aftershocks near the Christchurch central business district (CBD), presented decision-makers with many recovery challenges. This paper identifies major government decisions, challenges, and lessons in the early recovery of Christchurch based on 23 key-informant interviews conducted 15 months after the February 2011 earthquake. It then focuses on one of the most important decisions – maintaining the cordon around the heavily damaged CBD – and investigates its impacts. The cordon displaced 50,000 central city jobs, raised questions about (and provided new opportunities for) the long-term viability of downtown, influenced the number and practice of building demolitions, and affected debris management; despite being associated with substantial losses, the cordon was commonly viewed as necessary, and provided some benefits in facilitating recovery. Management of the cordon poses important lessons for planning for catastrophic urban earthquakes around the world.
The Earthquake Recovery Minister, Gerry Brownlee, is offside with the business community in Christchurch over the decision to permanently relocate nearly 500 public servants outside of the central business district.
The study contributes to a better understanding of utilisation and interaction patterns in post-disaster temporary urban open spaces. A series of devastating earthquakes caused large scale damage to Christchurch’s central city and many suburbs in 2010 and 2011. Various temporary uses have emerged on vacant post-earthquake sites including community gardens, urban agriculture, art installations, event venues, eateries and cafés, and pocket parks. Drawing on empirical data obtained from a spatial qualities survey and a Public Life Study, the report analyses how people used and interacted with three exemplary transitional community-initiated open spaces (CIOS) in relation to particular physical spatial qualities in central Christchurch over a period of three weeks. The report provides evidence that users of post-disaster transitional community-initiated open spaces show similar utilisation and interaction patterns in relation to specific spatial qualities as observed in other urban environments. The temporary status of CIOS did apparently not influence ‘typical’ utilisation and interaction patterns.
Aerial image of the Christchurch central city taken by the Royal New Zealand Air Force for the Earthquake Commission. High Street can be seen in the middle of the image.
A central-Christchurch property owner says attempts by insurance companies to limit the amount of money they end up paying out for earthquake damage, is just part of doing business.
As we go to air, Christchurch property and business owners people are being allowed into the cordoned-off central city for the first time since the earthquake twelve days ago.
A photograph of a member of the Wellington Emergency Management Office Emergency Response Team using a sledgehammer to break open the window of a building in the Christchurch central city.
Members of the central and lower North Island Territorial Forces clearing silt from a resident's garden in Christchurch. Sapper Nelson Lambert from Palmerston North can be seen pushing a wheelbarrow.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to a house in the Christchurch central city. The bricks walls of the building have collapsed and the bricks have spilt into the garden.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The lights are on at the new Press building, the first office workers to return to the central city red zone".
Fire Service Assistant Area Commander Dave Burford with LT Gore on the HMNZS in Otago. The ship travelled to Lyttelton after the 22 February 2011 earthquake to help in the relief effort.
The rebuild of central Christchurch has been taken out of the control of the city council and will now be managed by a newly formed unit within the Government's Earthquake Recovery Authority.
The historic Townsend Teece telescope in Otautahi Christchurch was badly damaged in the 2011 earthquake, but has been expertly restored and is now reinstalled back in its central city home at the Arts Centre.
An aerial photograph of the Christchurch central city. The photograph has been captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The central city, with the Majestic Theatre in the centre of the photograph. Lichfield Street runs from bottom left diagonally up the photograph to the top right. The City Council building is prominent in the bottom left corner and Latimer Square in the top left corner".
Much of the CBD is still cordoned off and without power (as you should be able to spot) as a result of the damage caused by February's deadly earthquake. This photo clearly shows the extent of the lean that the Hotel Grand Chancellor is now on. Apparently it is out by 1m at the top leaning east. Demolition will start about mid June and is expec...
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.
Player for the Blackburn Rovers football team, Ryan Nelson, with LT Gore. Ryan Nelson visited the HMNZS Otago in Lyttelton after the 22 February 2011 earthquake to thank the sailors for their support.
Player for the Blackburn Rovers football team, Ryan Nelson, with LT Gore. Ryan Nelson visited the HMNZS Otago in Lyttelton after the 22 February 2011 earthquake to thank the sailors for their support.
Damage to the former Lyttelton Public Library on Sumner Road in Lyttelton. The facade of the building has crumbled onto the road. Tape and cones have been placed around the building to warn people off.
A photograph of a side table and stool outside a temporary café in the Christchurch central city. The café was set up in a house after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of a side table and stool outside a temporary café in the Christchurch central city. The café was set up in a house after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Looking into Christchurch Central over cordon fencing and road cones. A crane can be seen in the background and on the right is the empty site where the CTV building once was.
A photograph of a model city at the Rebuild Central office on Lichfield Street. The model was created by members of the public as part of the Christchurch City Council's Transitional City consultation project.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The Edmonds Telephone Booth on Oxford Terrace, near Madras Street".
A photograph of snow covering the '185 Empty Chairs' memorial installation.
A photograph of a film being projected on the side of a building. The outdoor cinema was part of Gap Filler's first project.
A photograph of a volunteer laying a foundation for the Life in Vacant Spaces headquarters.
A photograph of Mike Hewson's installation 'View from the Studio' in Re:Start Mall.
A photograph of a UK Fire and Rescue International Search and Rescue tent in Latimer Square.