The paper examines community benefits provided by an established community garden following a major earthquake and discusses possible implications for community garden planning and design in disaster-prone cities. Recent studies show that following extreme storm events community gardens can supply food, enhance social empowerment, provide safe gathering spots, and restorative practices, to remind people of normality. However, the beneficial role played by community gardens following earthquakes is less well known. To fill this gap, the study examines the role played by a community garden in Christchurch, New Zealand, following the 2010/2011 Canterbury Earthquakes. The garden's role is evaluated based on a questionnaire-based survey and in-depth interviews with gardeners, as well as on data regarding the garden use before and after the earthquakes. Findings indicate the garden helped gardeners cope with the post-quake situation. The garden served as an important place to de-stress, share experiences, and gain community support. Garden features that reportedly supported disaster recovery include facilities that encourage social interaction and bonding such as central meeting and lunch places and communal working areas.
A photograph of the Fitzgerald Avenue Community Garden.
A photograph of the Fitzgerald Avenue Community Garden.
A photograph of volunteers at the Fitzgerald Avenue Community Garden.
A photograph of volunteers working at the Fitzgerald Avenue Community Garden.
A photograph of the empty site which is to become the Fitzgerald Avenue Community Garden.
A photograph of high school students working at the Fitzgerald Avenue Community Garden.
An entry from Gallivanta's blog for 31 October 2012 entitled, "Packe Street Community Garden".
An entry from Gallivanta's blog for 4 November 2012 entitled, "Sanitarium Factory Garden".
An entry from Ruth Gardner's blog for 11 February 2012 entitled, "Guerilla Garden Growth".
An entry from Sue Davidson's blog for 24 October 2012 entitled, "Steps and garden walls".
An entry from Gallivanta's blog for 14 November 2012 entitled, "Garden, may I be your house?".
Outdoor seating and garden beside the Triton Dairy, Colombo Street. The garden was a project supported by Greening the Rubble.
Outdoor seating and garden beside the Triton Dairy, Colombo Street. The garden was a project supported by Greening the Rubble.
The Coffee Zone garden beside the Coffee kiosk on Colombo Street. The garden was a project supported by Greening the Rubble.
A bed of sunflowers growing in the garden surrounding the Coffee Zone kiosk, with some sweet peas behind. The garden was a project supported by Greening the Rubble.
A bed of sunflowers growing in the garden surrounding the Coffee Zone kiosk, with some sweet peas behind. The garden was a project supported by Greening the Rubble.
A bed of sunflowers growing in the garden surrounding the Coffee Zone kiosk, with some sweet peas behind. The garden was a project supported by Greening the Rubble.
A PDF copy of pages 304-305 of the book Christchurch: The Transitional City Pt IV. The pages document the transitional project 'Fitzgerald Ave Community Garden'. Photos with permission from Greening the Rubble
Flowers in the Botanic Gardens.
Flowers in the Botanic Gardens.
Overgrown garden on Chester St East.
A residential property in Bexley with an overgrown garden. A wheelbarrow has been abandoned in the garden, and the garage door is tagged with graffiti. Dried liquefaction silt still covers the ground. The photographer comments, "Today I took a drive around the residential area between Bexley and New Brighton. It was a stark reminder to be thankful for the situation we're in and perhaps not complain too much that our garden wall hasn't yet been rebuilt".
An overgrown garden surrounds a damaged house.
An overgrown garden surrounds a damaged house.
Liquefaction around flowers in the Botanic Gardens.
A "sand volcano" of liquefaction silt in a garden.
Scaffolding around the Peacock Fountain in the Botanic Gardens.
Scaffolding around the Peacock Fountain in the Botanic Gardens.
A sculpture in the Botanic Gardens represents the ground moving in an earthquake.