draft central city plan

8/3/2019 Draft Central City Plan

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draftAugust 2011 - Volume 1


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Central City PlandraftAugust 2011 - Volume 1

ISBN978-0-9876571-1-4

Adopted on 11 August 2011

Christchurch City CouncilPO Box 237, Christchurch,

New Zealand.Tel: +64 3 941 8999

Fax: +64 3 941 8984Web: http://www.ccc.govt.nz


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Mihi/Prayer

Mihi/Prayer


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Mihi/Prayer

Mihi/Prayer

Ka huri nei te moko ki te hau tere

I heki takamori ai i a Maukatere

Kia pkia K Pkihi o temawhera mata whenua

I te kkumetaka mai a Raumoko ina here ki tnei ao

He mate kai tkata, he mate kaiwhenua

He mate kai hoki i te kkau momotukino nei

Au te mamae e!

Nei r te reo mihi a Thuriri

Tnei te karaka o te iwi hou

Kti Morehu, Kti Waitaha, Ktitautahi

tautahi, maraka, maraka

Kia ara ake an ai te kika nei

Hei nohoaka m te katoa

Tturu kia tika, tturu kia kotahi

Tturu kia whakamaua ake ai kiatina, tina!

Haumi e, Hui e, Taiki e!

Te Ngi Thuriri Rnanga

Explanation:This mihi is given by the Ngi TahuRnanga Te Ngi Thuriri- toacknowledge and respect the people whohave been lost and those whose hearts aregrieving them, and the sorrow of this . Italso acknowledges the losses and pain ofall people in Christchurch and Canterburywho have suffered as a result of theearthquakes. Ngi Tahu recognise theiratua/god Raumoko as having pulled hisumbilical cord and caused so much to

break, including land from the mountainsto the sea. While acknowledging the pain,Ngi Tahu see us uniting us as one people- the survivors (morehu) of Christchurchand Canterbury. The mihi is a call toChristchurch to rise up, and together torebuild Christchurch brighter and better.


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Draft Christchurch City Council Central City Planiii

Foreword

Foreword

Christchurch City Council

Out of adversity comes anunprecedented opportunity.We are embarking together onone of the most exciting projectsever presented to a community inNew Zealand, perhaps the world.

The opportunity to rebuild our CentralCity.

To face the challenges of a new century ina way that embraces a new awareness ofnot just our local environment and needs,but also of the global reality we face.

The end result is still in our collectiveimaginations - all of them slightlydifferent, but in common we have somestrong themes. These themes form thebasis for the plan.

It is the beginning of our next communityconversation, not the end of the process.

We want the best for Christchurch. A cityfor opportunity and investment, a city ofgreen spaces and artistic endeavour, acity for people and a legacy for those whofollow us.

Please engage constructively in thisprocess, weve seen destruction over thelast year to fill many lifetimes.

We dedicate this discussion to those weloved that we lost, to those who reachedout from around the globe and NewZealand who helped us and inspiredus when we most needed it, and to thepeople of this great city and province who

in turn inspired the world.

This is our city, it will rise again.

Bob ParkerMayor of Christchurch


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Foreword

Ngi Tahu Environment Canterbury

Tr te r e whiti ana kei tua atuTwauwau.

E ttaki ana ng kapua o te rangi, keirunga te Mangroa e kpae p ana.Ahakoa ng nekeneke, ng korikori oRaumoko, ka t tonu ttou te manoppokorua mia o tautahi, o Waitaha. Kite kore he whakakitenga ka ngaro te iwi.H ake ana he r whatiwhati k. Ko ng

ihu ki te one, ko rau ri nga ki te mahi, heioranga m te iwi. Me manawa tt ttoukia haumuiui te whai. Tn an ttoukatoa.

Ngi Tahu continue to share with you thetragedies and triumphs of this time. Theevents of September and February wereinitially devastating yet they have alsoprovided fertile ground for a renewedvision of ourselves and Christchurch.Never before in our time have we hadan opportunity to value and appreciate

ourselves and each other more.He aha te mea nui o te ao? Hetangata! He tangata! He tangata!What is the most important thing in theworld? It is people! It is people! It ispeople!

I am delighted to see an approachto rebuilding the Central City whichacknowledges the needs of our familiesand our old people in how the city isaccessed, lived in and enjoyed. Andwhich puts remembering our losses at the

heart of the Plan. I am especially gratefulto see how well Council have respondedto our call to take this unprecedentedopportunity to design a cityscape thatacknowledges our shared past, our sharedexperiences and our common future, thatacknowledges the importance of this forNgi Tahu and Mori in Christchurch, andthat reflects the importance of the waters,the natural environment and the need tocreate a sustainable city.

While we see areas of the Plan wherewe would like to see more, the plan is a

Christchurch is a city with acritical part to play in the futuresuccess and prosperityof Canterbury and indeedNew Zealand.

In recent months I have been heartened tosee the breadth and depth of communityinput into the Central City Plan through

Share an Idea and a range of otherforums. Those who live and work herehave taken a strong interest in how theCentral City moves forward to regain itsstrength and vibrancy.

Environment Canterbury commissionersand staff have been regularly briefed bythe Christchurch City Council as it hasdeveloped the recovery plan, and we havebeen pleased to have been involved. It isobvious that a great deal of thought hasbeen put into planning to create a moresustainable, people-scale environment,

where the citys waterways and naturalenvironment play a substantial role. Howthe community moves in and around thecity in terms of public and private formsof transport is also central to creating athriving future city.

More than anything, Christchurch must bea place people want to spend time in, andinvest in. I encourage everyone with aninterest in the future of the city and regionto do as I and my fellow commissionerswill be doing - reading the draft Plan, and

providing input so the final recovery planis the best it can possibly be to guide therecovery of the Central City.

Dame Margaret BazleyChair of CommissionersEnvironment Canterbury

positive and encouraging framework forour future, and Ngi Tahu look forwardto a strong relationship with Councilas the City redevelops under this plan.

I congratulate Mayor Bob Parker, theCouncillors and staff for the extraordinaryeffort and achievement that is reflectedin this Plan. I also congratulate all thosecitizens who contributed, including ourown people who have assisted Councilto develop a plan that invites a future inwhich Mori, and especially Ngi Tahuin this city, can see themselves reflectedwithin.

This Plan is rightly a people plan - aboutpeople, by people, for people! In thewords of one of our whnau Aroha

Reriti-Crofts, Build the whnau and youwill build the city. This sums up ouraspirations and this is reflected in theCentral City Plan. I am optimistic that theunfolding of the city redevelopment candeliver this for us all.

Mark Solomon KaiwhakahaereTe Rnanga o Ngi Tahu


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Mayor & Councillors

MayorBob Parker

CouncillorJamie Gough

CouncillorGlenn Livingstone

CouncillorHelen Broughton

CouncillorAaron Keown

CouncillorClaudia Reid

CouncillorTim Carter

CouncillorBarry Corbett

Mayor & Councillors

CouncillorSally Buck

CouncillorChrissie Williams

CouncillorSue Wells

CouncillorJimmy Chen

CouncillorYani Johanson

Deputy MayorNgaire Button


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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Market City102 Introduction103 Overview104 The Plan105 Compact CBD107 Incentives107 Land consolidation108 Free parking108 Restrict ions on suburban development109 Retail strategy110 Covered market

110 International quarter111 Future employment111 Hospital redevelopment112 EPIC112 Smart city113 Attracti ng visitors114 Convention Centre114 Visitor Information Centre

Transitional City116 Transitional Market City117 Transitional Green City117 Transitional City Life118 Transitional Distinctive City118 Transitional Transport Choice

Implementation119 Introduction120 Funding121 Summary of projects125 Staging overview127 Monitoring and review130 Incentives programme133 Infrastructure programmes136 Marketing

Disclaimer

Under the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act2011, the Christchurch City Council was givenresponsibility for developing the recovery plan

for the Central Business District, referencedthroughout this document as the Central City

Plan. In the legislation the Central BusinessDistrict is defined as the area bounded bythe four avenues, that are Bealey, Fitzgerald,

Moorhouse, Deans and also Harper Avenue.

This has been done in consultation with CERA,Ngi Tahu, ECan and the Greater Christchurchcommunity.

Council is undertaking further consultation onthis draft plan. The information used is the basisof this draft plan is the most up to date availableat the time of writing.

Draft Central City Plan

The Big Picture1 Our Central City2 The Plan3 Share an Idea5 What you told us6 Themes7 What will change8 Implementation9 Christchurch

Introduction11 How to make a written comment11 Who is involved?12 Purpose of the Plan12 The five guiding principles13 The way ahead15 Tangata whenua

Past Present Future17 Settlement18 Natural Heritage18 Pre-1950s19 1850 - 1880

19 1880 - 191420 1914 - 195920 1960 - 201021 Effects of the earthquakes22 Geotechnical summary22 Our future city

Remembering/Maumaharatia24 Earthquake memorial24 EPIC-Centre25 Earthquake Interpretation25 Interpretation: Self-directed25 Interpretation: Multimedia26 Interpretation: Ruins and fragments26 Remembrance anniversaries

Green City28 Introduction29 Overview30 The Plan31 Avon River Park/ Papawia takaro35 Greening Cathedral Square37 Cranmer and Latimer Squares39 Central City Parks39 Central City Greenway40 Community gardens40 Pocket parks

40 Family-friendly parks41 Eco Streets42 Greening the roof42 District heating43 Green technologies43 Green pledge44 Build it back green44 Incentives for Green Star buildings

Distinctive City46 Introduction47 Overview48 The Plan49 A distinctive city49 A low-rise city50 Strong and resilient buildings51 Our history, our heritage51 Respect for the past51 Recognition of character52 Familiar landmarks53 Our future53 Post-earthquake heritage conservation53 Adaptive reuse and strengthening54 Retention and reuse of materials54 Facade retention55 Height and human scale57 Good urban design57 In the front

58 On the corner58 Out the back59 Strengthening the grid61 City blocks, lane and courtyards62 Core lanes62 Fringe lanes62 Edge lanes63 Precincts and neighbourhoods

City Life66 Introduction67 Overview68 The Plan69 Metro sports facility71 Art in the city72 Community performance and rehearsal

facility72 Arts and crafts studio assistance72 Professional theatre73 Public art network

74 Central playground75 Learning in the city75 School choice76 New Central Library77 Tertiary education78 A place for everyone79 Lighting in the city79 Safety through design79 Christchurch Community House80 Living in the city80 Residential incentives81 Social housing81 Affordable housing82 Neighbourhood initiat ives

82 Housing showcase

Transport Choice84 Introduction85 Overview86 The Plan87 Transport choice89 People on public transpor t89 Light rail91 Buses and street stations92 Heritage tram93 Streets for people93 Slow core94 Main streets

95 Streets for cycling95 Recreational cycle paths96 Cycle lanes96 Slow core96 Cycle streets toolbox97 Avenues97 Enhanci ng the avenues98 One-way to two-way99 Parking and servicing100 Wayfinding


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The Big Picture

Our Central City

Our Central City will be strong, vibrant andprosperous, at the heart of a 21st centuryChristchurch.

Our Central City will be home to athriving cosmopolitan communitywho cherish their past, celebrateits unique and engaging vibe andembrace its bold commitment to

urban sustainability. It will be aplace of both energy and refuge, acity in a garden, with a distinctivemodern urban identity.

Our Central City will champion businessand investment, will be a delight to visitand a great place to call home.

Our redeveloped Central City willbe achieved through courageouscivic leadership and the decisions ofindividuals, businesses and organisations

who are the lifeblood of its success. TheCentral City Plan provides the frameworkto achieve this, built out of the ravages ofthe devastating earthquakes of 2010 and2011. The Plan responds to the opportunityto develop new and different physicalspaces, learning from the past, embracingthe future, and creating an exciting andcompelling urban centre for our city.

Central Christchurch will be redevelopedas a low-rise, resilient, safe andsustainable city. It will be easy to getaround, with a business-friendly compact

central area, an array of inviting greenspaces and plenty of activities to drawpeople into the Central City.

The Central City Plan has more than 70projects to be implemented during thenext 10 to 20 years, each designed to helprebuild the area within the four avenuesand create a vibrant, prosperous area forresidents and visitors to enjoy.

Christchurch will become a city forpeople, a place recognised globally as oneof the great cities of Australasia. The Plandescribes the key changes the city willmake to help create this new future. Thetop ten changes are:

Avon River Park/Papawai takaro the banks of the Avon River/takaro will be widened andcelebrated as Christchurchs newriverfront park with boardwalksand spaces inviting people downto the waters edge. Avon RiverPark/Papawai takaro will bea pedestrian and cycle friendlyarea offering a continuousjourney through the CentralCity, recognising the rivers rich

cultural heritage and the naturalenvironment.

Compact CBD shops and officeswill be encouraged to re -locateinto a smaller, defined andconcentrated area, bounded byLichfield, Manchester and Kilmorestreets and the Avon River/takaro,to create a more vibrant compactcity centre with high-quality,people-friendly streets and spaces.(Retail and commercial businesses

will still be able to operate outsidethis area).

Light rail - a light rail system isplanned for Greater Christchurch tosupport planned significant growthin public transport patronage asthe Central City redevelops. Theshort-term route will be developedfrom the University to the CentralCity, with the strategic long-termgoal being a shared regionalpriority to establish a light railsystem linking settlements in

Greater Christchurch, includingLyttelton, Rolleston and Rangiorato the Central City and keyattractions.

Metro-sports hub a new sportshub, home to world-class sportingfacilities including a state-of-the-art aquatic centre, indoor stadium,a health and fitness centre andelite performance training facilities

will be built in the south-easterncorner of the Central City. Thiswill provide great facilities forresidents and strengthen thecitys reputation as a premierinternational sporting destination.

Christchurch Hospital redevelopment of ChristchurchHospital will provide the city withmodern, safe and resilient tertiaryhospital facilities to serve thegreater Christchurch region and

South Island, and act a catalystto attract a range of health andmedical businesses and researchand training institutes to establisha health precinct.

Cathedral Square the greeningof the civic and cultural heart ofChristchurch will create a greatplace to visit, meet friends, enjoya picnic or simply linger and enjoythe sun.

Central Library a new centrallibrary will be built to provide thecommunity with a learning hub; aplace to celebrate cultural diversity,where everyone can enjoy reading,access digital information and beinvolved in lifelong learning.

Transport choice the Central Citywill be easier to get to and about.Christchurchs new transportnetwork will be designed tocreate a safer and more pleasant

environment in which to walk,cycle, use public transport or driveand park with ease.

Convention Centre a world-class convention centre will bedeveloped to attract new andexciting events to the city whichwill support a thriving hospitalityand tourism sector.

Neighbourhood Parks a networkof neighbourhood parks andgardens spread throughout theCentral City will provide innercity residential and mixed useneighbourhoods with a variety ofgreen spaces to enjoy a healthy,active lifestyle.

These changes also provide the frameworkfor new investment in community,business, and in the civic fabric of the city.These are complemented by incentives,regulatory changes and programmes thatwill help bring the Central City back tolife, creating a city that epitomises thespirit of Christchurch.

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9

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Light Rail

Compact CBD

Main Streets

One Way to Two Way Streets

Avenues

Bike Network

Neighbourhood Parks

Legend

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2

3

4

5

6

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Share an Idea

The Big Picture

Within 10 weeks of the Februaryearthquake, the Christchurch CityCouncil launched Share an Idea,a public engagement campaignaimed to maximise communityinvolvement in the Central Cityredevelopment.

With about half the buildings in theCentral City needing to be demolished,along with much of the heritagewhich gave the city its international

reputation as an English city, it wasquickly recognised that the face ofChristchurch had changed forever. Thelevel of destruction meant the CentralCity would need to be completely rebuiltin places, opening up the possibility torebuild the city to respond to the needs oftodays residents and also those of futuregenerations.

While aftershocks continued to rattlethe city and its residents were dealingwith damaged homes and lack of basicservices, the Council asked residents tothink about their Central City with thelaunch of Share an Idea.

A website shareanidea.org.nz wasdeveloped to make it easy for residentsto share their ideas whenever it wasconvenient; at 3pm before the childrenwere home from school, at 1am after theyhad finished their night shift or at 9pmafter completing chores and heading tobed.

The website generated more than 58,000visits during the six weeks it operated, the

average length of visit being five minutesand 14 seconds this compares with justover two minutes for popular sportingwebsites.

Above: The New Zealand Wood team of

Jasper van der Lingen, Dr Jacky Bowring,Chris Speed, Ben Carter, Paul King, Di

Lucas and Jason Guivers winning 48 hourDesign Challenge entry for the redesign of

the Orion site displaying adaptive reuse,innovative architecture and

civic landscape.

Initially the website asked people for theirthoughts on how they wanted to moveabout the Central City, what public spacesand activities they would like to see in thearea, the type of businesses they thoughtwere appropriate for the Central City, andwhat was needed to attract people backto the Central City to live, work and play.As ideas continued to flow in, the websitewas used to ask targeted questions in thefour key areas of move, market, space andlife.

A two-day Share an Idea Community Expowas also held in May, more than 10,000residents attended the event. They sharedtheir ideas on Post-it notes, by making avideo clip, building their Central City outof Lego, filling out questionnaires, goingonline and/or leaving a last thought asthey left the venue.

In addition to the Share an Ideacampaign, a series of 10 public workshopswere attended by 450 residents, therewere drop boxes for ideas at theUniversity of Canterbury and Christchurch

Polytechnic and schools were alsoinvolved. Ideas were sought throughFacebook and Twitter.

Share an Idea had a presence on YouTube,through radio and print media withadvertising and stories, on televisionand 160,000 households in Christchurchreceived the Share an Idea tabloid.E-newsletters were sent weekly to adatabase of 7000 people during the Sharean Idea phase.

A total of 106,000 ideas were sharedduring the six week campaign that is

one idea from every 2.2 residents. Sharean Idea generated a level of communityinvolvement that has never been seenbefore in New Zealand.

Share an Idea showed the passion GreaterChristchurch and the global communityhad for Christchurch and the CentralCity; the response was overwhelming,highlighting the commitment by everyoneto make Christchurch a great city again.This commitment will be critical as workbegins to redevelop the Central Cityduring the next 10 to 20 years.

More than 100 stakeholder meetings werealso held during this period, includingone-off meetings with individualorganisations, weekly meetings withbusiness representatives and variousworkshop-type gatherings to formulateideas.

Key stakeholders have played a criticalrole in working with Council to identifythe key activities and projects to revitalisethe Central City. During this phase of ideasharing, these stakeholders have hadan equally important role in helping todefine the key issues for the long-termredevelopment of the Central City.

Feedback also came through from

professional institutes, various interestgroups and from numerous conversationsin the community. This included the48-hour Challenge, a key engagementopportunity for professional bodies toshare their ideas on the redevelopmentof the Central City. Elements from theseentries have been used to inform thedevelopment of the Central City Plan.


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The Big Picture

Above: The Share an Idea

Community Expo was at-tended by more than 10,000

residents.

Above and right: Residents share their ideas of

what they want in the redeveloped Central City atthe Expo and one of the 10 Public Workshops.

Above: 45,146 ideas were received through the

Share an Idea website.


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What you told us

The Big Picture

Through the Share an Idea phase,a number of themes emerged,linking the ideas across the fourthemes move, market, space andlife. This is what our communityasked for:

A city full of people

A destination with exciting things todo and places to visit

Full of green and inviting spaces

Easy to get to and to walk around

Low rise with safe, sustainablebuildings that look good and functionwell

More green in Cathedral Square

Walkways, cycle lanes and things todo along a redeveloped Avon River/takaro

A city for all ages and abilities

A business friendly city

A community-led plan

Less cars, less buses, less concrete

pedestrians

localartists &

performers

building

codes

busexchange

performancevenues

greenspacescafs &restaurants

walkways

peopleshopping

mixed usebuildingsgreen

CathedralSquare

rail/tram

entertainment

tourism

sports &

recreation

learning

socialising

safetymemorials

free wifi

Avon River

laneways

architectualdesign

specialisedretail

day/nightmarkets

producemarkets

boutiqueshopping

separatecycle lanes

parking

eco-friendly

affordablepublictransport

smallshops

commercialinitiatives

riversidefeatures

less cars

malls

precincts

buses

cycling buildingheights

squares

centralcity living

lighting

Rght: The ideas the community shared to createvibrant, prosperous Central City.


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What will change

The Big Picture

Green CityA greener more attractive city, supported bya wider and upgraded Avon River/takarocorridor, a greener Cathedral Square, newstreet trees throughout the Central City,500 new Green Star-rated buildings, raingardens, surface stormwater treatment anda new network of neighbourhood parks.

Stronger built identityA low-rise city with safe, sustainablebuildings that look good and function well,supported by urban design controls, newregulation and incentives, strengthenedheritage buildings with adaptive reuse,new lanes and courtyards and precincts ofdistinct activities and character.

Compact CBDA more compact Central Business District(CBD) supported by business incentives,new regulation, well-designed streetscapes,a redeveloped Convention Centre, newregional and central government offices,ultra-fast broadband and free WiFi, short-term free car parking in Council-controlledcar parking buildings and bus routesaround the edges of the CBD.

Live, work, play and learnMaking the Central City a great place to

live, work, play and learn, supported byhigh-quality inner city housing optionsand demonstration projects, residentialincentives, improved access to a wide rangeof schools, new metropolitan sportingfacilities, a new Central Library, newpublic art and a performing arts venue andplaygrounds.

Accessible cityA city easy to get to and around, supportedby excellent walking and cycling paths,high-quality public transport, short-term

free parking, a network of green two-waystreets, and an efficient and attractivering road for traffic around Moorhouse,Fitzgerald, Bealey, Harper and Deansavenues.

Left: The before and after graphics

showing the five key initiatives toredevelop the Central City.

From the wealth of ideas shared by the community andstakeholders, the five key initiatives which will ensurethe Central City is redeveloped to be a strong, resilient,vibrant and economically prosperous city again are:


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Implementation

The Big Picture

Three broad methods ofimplementation are proposed inthe Central City Plan:

1. Rebuilding InfrastructureAn essential part of the Plan is to rebuildthe core infrastructure necessary forthe Central City to function, includingroads, pavements, water supply,wastewater, sewage, electricity, streetand traffic lights, and communicationnetworks. Although this work will be

largely invisible, it is likely to be the mostsignificant cost of the rebuild.

Generally this work will involve replacingor restoring damaged infrastructure,however, in specific areas theinfrastructure will be enhanced when itis replaced, in order to support privateinvestment and the recovery of the CentralCity.

Areas of enhancement will include theroll-out of ultra-fast broadband servicesto support businesses, investment inhigh-quality public spaces in the compact

core to support private investment and tocreate an attractive environment for staffretention, surface stormwater treatment toenhance water quality in the Avon River/takaro and changes to the use of streetsto support better access to the Central Cityand restrict the amount of through traffic.

2. Public InvestmentA second strand of the Plan is thepublic investment in catalyst projects.An essential part of restoring businessconfidence in the Central City will comefrom public agencies leading by exampleand investing in projects which act ascatalysts for further developments andclusters of activities.

Proposed catalyst projects include:

Metropolitan Sports Facility an aquaticcentre with international competition

50-metre and diving pools, and indoorrecreation courts, artificial sports turfs,and a high-performance sports facility(Christchurch City Council)

Expanded Central Library enhanceddigital access, performance spaces,meeting rooms, potentially co-locatedwith National Library and Archivesservices (Christchurch City Council/central government)

Hospital redevelopment fast-tracked tosupport recovery through provision of asafe and resilient hospital and associated

health precinct (Canterbury DistrictHealth B oard/central government)

Avon River Park/Papawai takaro showcasing the Avon River/takaroand transforming it into Christchurchsriverfront, a green corridor for peoplelinking Hagley Park to the Estuary(Christchurch City Council/Te Runanga oNgi Tahu)

Performing Arts Centre providing anew mid-size performing arts venue andrehearsal spaces (central government/

Christchurch City Council)Professional Theatre a new state-of-the-art theatre to support the citysperforming arts groups and theatrecompanies (Christchurch City Council/private and public funders)

Local and central government officeshub providing shared services for localand central government departments,reinforcing the collaborative model ofinter-agency cooperation establishedsince the Canterbury earthquakes (centralgovernment/local government).

EPI-Centre a national earthquakeinstitute, sited close to Latimer Square,providing earthquake related information,educational programmes and researchservices nationally (central government/Christchurch City Council).

3. Supporting Private InvestmentAs part of the recovery of the Central Cityit is anticipated that the private sector willinvest up to 10 times more than centraland local government.

The third strand of the recovery plan isproviding a framework to guide privateinvestment and to protect its value wherepossible. There are four key components:

a. Leadership having an agreed planfor recovery and facilitating andsupporting private investment whichfits within this plan

b. Regulation using regulation wiselyto ensure that new developmentwill support the recovery plan forthe central city while not undulyrestricting developments

c. Incentives using financial and otherincentives to encourage and directnew developments which support therecovery plan for the Central City

d. Partnerships with private developersto achieve specific outcomes in thepublics interest.


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Introduction

Christchurch is located on theeast coast of New Zealands SouthIsland and in June 2010 was hometo 376,700 people about 8.5 percent of New Zealands population.

As the second largest city in New Zealand,Christchurch is the gateway to the SouthIsland for tourism and business.

Canterbury is estimated to account for14.2 per cent of New Zealands totalproduction and employs about 13 per

cent of the nations workforce, withmanufacturing, health and educationcontributing more than average amountsof Gross Domestic Product (GDP)compared with the remainder of thecountry.

Christchurch

Below: Moments after a 6.3 Magnitude earthquake hitsChristchurch on 22 February, 2011.

GettyImages

Before February 2011 and the earthquakethat shutdown the central businessdistrict, resulting in job losses anddestroying homes and neighbourhoods,Christchurchs Central City was home tomore than 6000 businesses, employing51,000 people, and annually hosted 1.8million visitors.


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Introduction

Introduction

The magnitude 6.3 earthquakewhich ripped through Christchurchin February 2011 was the mostdestructive earthquake to strike aNew Zealand city in 80 years; thelast being in Napier in 1931.

It was the third in what was to be foursignificant earthquakes/aftershocks to hitthe city in 10 months. It caused extensivedamage to Christchurchs Central City; i tresulted in the loss of 181 lives, injured

many others; destroyed buildings, badlydamaged many more; forced the closureof business, resulted in many job losses;and changed the face of the Central Cityforever.

The natural disaster shut down theCentral City, with up to 50 per cent ofthe buildings in what is known as theCentral City cordon (red zone) needing tobe demolished, along with it much of ourheritage.

As Christchurch looks to rebuild andredevelop the heart of the city, it must payrespect to the heritage of what remainsin the Central City as it develops a bold,new future for the city. The city needs tobe strong, resilient and vibrant, and mostimportantly bring people back into itsheart.

Christchurchs Central City must be aplace where people feel safe, where theywant to go to shop, do business and beentertained; and where more people wantto live because of the lively atmosphere -day and night.

Since April, the Christchurch City Councilhas been working on the redevelopmentof the Central City, having been givenresponsibility to develop the draftCentral City Plan under the CanterburyEarthquake Recovery Act 2011, workingwith Canterbury Earthquake RecoveryAuthority (CERA), Te Rnanga o NgiTahu, Environment Canterbury (ECan)and the Greater Christchurch community.

Within 10 weeks of the earthquake,the Council launched Share an Idea, acampaign designed to get the community

involved by sharing their ideas on howthey would like the Central City to beredeveloped following the earthquake.This yielded 106,000 ideas from ourcommunity and key stakeholders whichwere read and entered into data analysisprogram to be coded into commonthemes. This allowed the searching ofcommon themes, topics and words; theinformation being sorted and groupedinto emerging themes, and to reveal greatone-off ideas.

The Central City Plan has been writtenbased on these themes, identified both bythe community and key stakeholders.

The Central City Plan will guide theredevelopment of the Central City duringthe next 10 to 20 years. It sets out how theCouncil will work with CERA, ECan andNgi Tahu, as well as central government,private investors, developers, businessesand the community to rebuild andredevelop the Central City in line withwhat the community identified as criticalto make Christchurch a great city again.

Why are we keeping the grid andrebuilding in the Central City?Christchurch has lost large parts of itsarchitectural heritage as a result of therecent series of earthquakes. The longestlasting heritage feature of cities are theirstreet patterns which survive long after

the original buildings have disappeared.Christchurchs street grid was laid out byEdward Jollie in 1850 and is an essentialpart of Christchurchs identity andcharacter - it is how we know and find ourway around the Central City. It is part ofthe core architecture of the city.

There are also strong economic reasonsfor keeping the grid. Although largenumbers of buildings and parts of thepublic infrastructure in the Central Cityhave been damaged or destroyed, therewill be a significant number of surviving

buildings and public infrastructure thatremains. To change the grid significantlywould involve replacing or moving thesesurviving buildings and infrastructure,adding substantial additional costs onto a city already struggling to deal withearthquake damage.

Similarly, any rearrangement of the grid

would have significant effects on existingproperty rights and would be likely toinvolve both financial compensationand legal disputes. The expense andfrustrations of such a process wouldfurther burden an already damaged cityand would overshadow any positiverebuilding progress.

Preliminary geotechnical advice suggeststhat rebuilding is possible throughout theCentral City. Internationally, grid streetpatterns have proved to be highly efficientand resilient and the grid has servedChristchurch well, providing good accessto all parts of the Central City and a strongnetwork of public spaces.

Christchurch has grown concentricallyaround the original city grid forminga radial city structure. This structureis shaped by key radial streets such as

Papanui, Pages, Riccarton and Blenheimroads and Cranford and Colombo streetswhich provide direct access to theCentral City. It would be difficult, if notimpossible, to move the Central Cityto a new location which was equallyaccessible to different parts of the city andwhich could be linked efficiently into city-wide transport networks.

Above:Christchurchs Central City will be redeveloped to

be a strong, vibrant and resilient city again.


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How to make a written comment

Under the Canterbury EarthquakeRecovery Act 2011, the Council was giventhe job of leading the development of arecovery plan for the Central City. Thishas been done in consultation withthe community and with CanterburyEarthquake Recovery Authority, TeRnanga o Ngi Tahu and EnvironmentCanterbury. Their feedback has beeninvaluable in helping to refine the Planand ensure it aligns with the expectationsof their own organisations.

The community contributed 106,000 ideas

to help inform the direction for the draftPlan. This highlights the communityspassion, commitment and personalinvestment in the redevelopment ofwhat is the heart of their city. Theseideas were generated from the Sharean Idea Community Expo, the Sharean Idea website, public workshops,interest groups, stakeholder meetings,professional bodies and variousconversations within our community.

Introduction

The Draft Central City Plan can beviewed from Tuesday 16 August2011

online at www.centralcityplan.org.nz or

on CD and in hard copy from openChristchurch City Council servicecentres and libraries, and upon requestfrom our call centre - phone 941 8999or 0800 800 169.

It can also be viewed and discussed at a

series of roadshows around Christchurchbetween 23 August and 4 September andat a drop-in centre from 5 to 11 September.

Written comments can be made:

via the web www.centralcityplan.org.nz

via email [email protected]

on the printed form or in a letter either

posted to Freepost 178Central City Plan commentsChristchurchCity CouncilPO Box 73001Christchurch8154

or delivered to a drop-box atChristchurch City Council servicecentres.

Comments will be accepted from Tuesday16 August to 5pm on Friday 16 September2011.

To ensure receipt, please hand deliverlast-minute hard copies to the drop-boxin the foyer of the HSBC building,62Worcester Street, Christchurch.

Council will acknowledge receipt of allwritten comments.

HearingsThe Council will hold public hearings forpeople who wish to appear and be heard.These will be held in the week beginning 3October 2011.

The intention is that this opportunity isused to make comments that are necessaryto clarify those made in writing.

No-one will be denied the opportunity toappear and be heard, if that is requested.However, depending on the number ofrequests received, the time available may

be limited.People requesting to be heard will receiveinformation about the hearings in writing,by email or by telephone.

The Council will meet in mid December toapprove the final Plan to go to the Ministerfor Earthquake Recovery.

Who is involved?

The draft Central City Plan was alsodeveloped by taking into account thework already done by Council to revitalisethe Central City and in line with otheradopted Council strategy and policy,including the Greater Christchurch UrbanDevelopment Strategy (UDS).

The Council met regularly with andworked closely with Te Rnanga oNgi Tahu, ECan and CERA during thedevelopment of the draft. Their feedbackhas been invaluable in helping to refinethe Plan and ensure it aligns with the

expectations of their own organisations.


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Introduction

The Plan sets out how the CentralCity will be redeveloped andrebuilt following the Februaryearthquake.

As the heart of the city, much had alreadybeen done by the Council to revitalisethe area. The purpose of this Plan is tobuild a strong, prosperous place wherepeople want to invest for the future, whereresidents want to spend their time andwhere tourists want to stop for a few days.

However, to future-proof Christchurch,the redevelopment of the Central Cityprovides an opportunity to look beyondthe next 20 years. The Central City Plan isrobust, enduring and achievable; it looksto create a Central City to serve the needsof the community today and for the next150 years.

Christchurch has always been a plannedcity. This last happened comprehensivelywhen the city was founded in 1850. Morethan 160 years later a natural disaster haspresented with a rare opportunity in a

citys history to do it again.The Plan gives the Central City a newlook, new energy and new confidence, itensures it is a place with improved urbandesign, public facilities, communityservices and a vibrant heart.

It provides the platform to attractnew investment which will makeChristchurchs Central City a prosperousplace for business, retail and professionalindustries to develop and thrive.

How it is funded?The Plan includes projects and tools toredevelop the Central City which totalseveral billions of dollars. Fundingof these projects will need to be inpartnership with central government, andin particular the private sector, buildingand landowners, who will be responsiblefor redeveloping their properties.

Council will look to form partnerships anddevelop projects as detailed in the Plan,as well as working to attract national andinternational investment into the Central

City which will achieve elements of thePlan.

How will the Plan be implemented?Projects in the Plan will be staged andimplemented during the next 10 to 20years. Each project has been prioritised,giving a time frame for implementation.

Regulatory changesIn order to facilitate the implementationof the Plan, changes have been proposedto the Christchurch City Council City Plan

2005 (the operative District Plan). Thesechanges remove existing restrictions thatmight hamper some projects, expresslyprovide for the achievement of otherprojects, and introduce changes togenerally achieve the built environmentthat the Plan envisages. Changes havealso been made to the Global StormwaterConsent requirements.

The development of the draftCentral City Plan has been guidedby five principles defined by theCity Council as vital to creating avibrant and prosperous city.

These are:

1. Foster business investment

2. Respect for the past

3. A long-term view of the future

4. Easy to get around

5. Vibrant central city livingFoster business investment

a. Rebuild an economically viable andaffordable city

b. Attract new business and talent

c. Support business through high qualityand innovative infrastructure

Respect for the past

a. Enhance the beautiful setting ofChristchurch beside the Avon Riverand Hagley Park, at the foot of the Port

Hillsb. Celebrate the citys unique Maori and

European culture and heritage, andnatural environment, for today's andfuture generations.

c. Respect the existing street pattern

A long-term view of the future

a. Build-in safety and resilience towithstand natural disasters andclimate change

b. Promote a green and sustainable

garden cityc. Support a complementary balance

between the central city and suburbancentres

Easy to get arounda. Promote a city that is easy and safe to

get around

b. Support a balance between walking,cycling, public transport and driving

Vibrant central city living

a. Create an attractive and vibrantcentral city to attract people to live inChristchurch

b. Encourage a healthy mix of housing,schools, entertainment, offices andshops in the central city

c. Ensure that public spaces andbuildings are people-friendly andliveable

Purpose of the Plan The five guiding principles


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The Way Ahead

The way ahead

The Draft Plan will be developedfurther before the final plan ispresented to the Minister forEarthquake Recovery inDecember 2011.

It will take into consideration thechanges following written public

comments and Council hearings, aswell as the development of the projectsand incentives into more a detailedimplementation plan. This sectionprovides further detail on what will beprepared by the Christchurch City Councilas it develops the final Central City Plan.

The projects contained in the Plan will beimplemented within the built and naturalenvironments of the Central City. Theadditional complexities of the earthquakeand its associated uncertainties for thecommunity and economy, mean all the

projects will need to be supported byrobust implementation plans.

The following provides details on thecomponents of these plans that will bedeveloped before the Central City Plan isfinalised in December 2011.

Public and key stakeholderconsultationProjects and incentives detailed in thePlan were developed in consultation withTe Rnanga o Ngi Tahu, ECan, CERA,the community, business and industryrepresentatives and key stakeholders.The Plan and projects will be developedtaking into consideration written public

comments and Council hearings. Asummary of the public consultation andkey stakeholder engagement summarieswill be in the Appendices of the finalCentral City Plan.

Geotechnical factual andinterpretive reportsGeotechnical reports will help providecertainty on land suitability for theprojects detailed in the draft Plan andalso assist private development decision-making. Tonkin & Taylor will produce two

reports to be included in the Appendicesof the final plan. All geotechnical reportsfor the city are being coordinated by CERAand will require the Ministers approvalbefore being released.

A Geotechnical Factual Report will detailthe results obtained from boreholes,Cone Penetration Tests and GeophysicalSurveys and samples taken on a gridpattern throughout the Central City.

In addition, a Geotechnical InterpretiveReport will provide conclusions, based

on the factual report data, which willguide those tasked with implementingthe development of new buildings andinfrastructure.

The information contained within thesereports will provide more detailed datarelative to the projects contained withinthe Central City Plan.

Specific project site informationA number of the projects currentlyidentified in the Plan repair or replaceexisting facilities. Further informationregarding the status of these buildings/infrastructure will be provided duringthis next phase and will be detailed in thefinal Plan.

InsuranceInsurance companies and their reinsurersare facing what they describe asunprecedented events and Canterburysearthquake risk level remains a realconcern to the insurance i ndustry. Theprimary issue revolves around the levelof ongoing seismic activity to the extentthere is no appetite for insurers to take onnew risk (i.e. risk they do not currentlyhave). This has a significant impact onrebuilding with little (if any) ability tosecure insurance for these projects. The

banking industry is wanting certaintythat standard insurance cover, includingearthquake cover, is in place at the outsetof a project. This issue is well known atall levels including central governmentand is a significant risk factor that couldimpact on delivery of the Plan.

Development of the draft Plan into the finalCentral City Plan.


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The Way Ahead

Population forecasts anddemographicsProjects in the draft Central City Planhave been proposed based on populationand demographic forecasts in the GreaterChristchurch Urban Development Strategy.This does not take into account the long-term effects of the February earthquakein displacing households and businesses,

which are not yet known.

Development of the projects in theCentral City Plan, including the numberof commercial and residential incentives,and infrastructure requirements, will beinfluenced by population growth.

Details of the forecasts and the modelused to detail this growth will be outlinedin the Appendices of the final Plan toassist with the phasing of the projectsand build-up of the new Central Cityinfrastructure requirements.

Market demand analysis andsupplementary economic studiesDemand from both businesses andresidents for space within the CentralCity will be further analysed and subjectto additional demand modelling andanalysis to provide a time and volume-based estimate. The results of this marketdemand analysis will be summarisedin the final Plan and reflected in thedevelopment of the projects.

Supplementary economic studies will be

undertaken based on any market feedbackduring the consultation phase where thisindicates potential economic, financial orcommercial barriers to the redevelopmentof the Central City. Essentially, the studieswill consider the commercial or marketimplications and, where applicable,develop solutions to be included in thefinal Plan.

Peer reviews of retail, tourism andtransportation strategiesThree separate peer reviews will beundertaken on how the Plan meetsthe needs of the retail, tourism andtransportation industries. Retail andtourism strategies are available and theirrecommendations will be used to refinethe projects and incentives in the final

Plan.

Integrated sustainabilityassessmentAn integrated sustainability assessmentwill consider the Plans likely impact on aset of measures for sustainability, healthand social wellbeing. An assessmentframework has been developed andtested during preparation of the draft.This framework will be applied to thecompleted draft and the results includedin the Appendices of the final Plan.

Integrated plan and projectassessmentsAn assessment of the draft Plan andthe projects against the five GuidingPrinciples will be undertaken and anygaps addressed in the final Plan and theAppendices.

Economic assessmentsHigh-level cost-benefit assessments of allsignificant projects in the draft plan areto be undertaken to identify the effectsof these projects on the Christchurch

community.

Traffic, public transport andparking demand analysisAn essential element of the transportationcomponents of the integrated CentralCity Plan are the detailed modelling andanalysis of road traffic, public transportand parking demands within the CentralCity and these components and linkagesacross the wider city transportationnetworks.

Results of the analyses will be includedin the Appendices of the final Plan andwill help support the transportationcomponents of the Plan.

Specific project implementationplansWhile most supporting analysis andstudies are applicable across the Plan,project level implementation plans willbe developed for all projects. Theseimplementation plans will consider thefollowing for each project:

Detailed cost estimates including allassumptions and exclusions

Funding, governance structures andprocurement strategies for each project

Risk and opportunity analysis withmitigation actions for each project

Interface and stakeholder analysis foreach project

Schedule of works for each projectplus an integrated phasing plan for allprojects referenced in the final Plan

Value management analysis for each

project Economic cost benefit analysis for

projects identified during consultationas having a potentially significantcost on the community, business ordevelopers.

It is intended these plans will ensureall required elements to begin work oneach project are further developed whenthe final Plan is completed in December2011. Detailed implementation planningwill continue over the life of the CentralCity Plan. It is noted, the implementationof some projects will take several yearsand some will not be scheduled to startuntil after other projects in the Plan arecompleted. These implementation planswill be reviewed regularly, as defined inthe Plan.

Other relevant information to consider whenreading the draft Central City Plan is:


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Tangata Whenua

Tangata whenua


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Ngi Tahu are recognised underthe CERA legislation, as a keyorganisation to have input in theCentral City Plan, and aspects ofthis Plan reflect the aspirationsof Ngi Tahu as a vital part of adynamic, inclusive 21st centuryChristchurch tautahi.

While this Plan necessarily presentsa shared vision and programmes forthe redevelopment of the Central City,it also presents Christchurch with theopportunity to both incorporate andshowcase Ngi Tahu cultural identityand values in a more visionary andintegrated way. It takes the approach ofintertwining Mori culture into a plan forredevelopment of the Central City, andas such, can be celebrated as a soundfoundation for a 21st century relationship.

Ngi Tahu have been a part of the fabric

of this city for centuries. Tribal mythologytakes the whakapapa connections forChristchurch back to the early ancestorTterakiwhnoa who made this landhabitable for people with abundantresources. Later Ngi Tahu ancestorsmigrated from the north and succeededto the rich resources of the area throughintermarriage and conquest of the earlieriwi of Ngti Mamoe and Waitaha.

The rich resources of the wetlands,rivers and lowland forests becameimportant mahinga kai (food and other

resources) and travel routes for tpuna/ancestors, based at Pari P and TautahiP,and for travellers between the kainga(settlements) further afield. The Moriname for Christchurch tautahi links Christchurch back to the ancestorTautahi he was one of several importantancestors of this area.

From these places of occupation,connections were traced to other mahingakai resources and settlements acrossChristchurch, Banks Peninsula andCanterbury. The Ngi Tahu group which

holds the traditional relationships with

Ngi Tahu and the Central Citycentral Christchurch are the whanauand hapu of Te Ngi Thuriri basedat Tuahiwi marae in North Canterbury.Te Ngi Thuriri Rnanga areacknowledged as holding manawhenua(traditional authority) over this area ofthe city.

As a result of the settlement with theCrown in 1996, Ngi Tahu today area strong people. Ngi Tahu as an iwicomprise both contemporary and

traditional associations and structures.For the recovery of the Central City, theCouncil will work with the representativeorganisations of Ngi Tahu Te NgiThuriri Rnanga as manawhenuaand Te Rnanga o Ngi Tahu as the iwiauthority - to implement the CentralCity Plan and deliver the aspirations ofNgi Tahu for the citys recovery andfuture generations. Ngi Tahu also havesubstantial property and commercialinterest in Christchurch and the Councilwill work with these agencies where

appropriate to deliver outcomes beneficialto the redevelopment efforts.

Ngi Tahu and the Citys RecoveryThe plan includes places and conceptsthat hold strong connections and valuesfor Ngi Tahu. These connections andvalues are held by the current NgiTahu generations who have a culturalresponsibility to pass on this place tofuture generations in better conditionthan it is today. The concepts of greeningthe city, embracing and improving the

health of the water and the river, anda strong sustainability focus to theredevelopment of public and commercialspaces make this an important plan forNgi Tahu aspirations for their culture,values and identity. Ngi Tahu have calledfor a more visible cultural presence in thecity, and respect for the shared culturaland natural heritage. This call is reflectedin some specific Ngi Tahu focussedaspects and in some of the other elementsof this plan.

Ngi Tahu Values EmbraceRecoveryThe articulation and embodimentof values in the lives of people isfundamental to Mori culture. For NgiTahu, it is essential that the values ofsignificance to them, as tangata whenua,are included in the redevelopment ofChristchurch, as this is an unprecedentedopportunity in the history of the city to beacknowledged and hold a place in the city

landscape. Council has sought to ensurethat in its formulation and implementationthese values can be reflected.

This Plan is strongly focused on peopleand place, community aspirations,sustainability and the environment.Through this focus, and the inclusionof elements important to Ngi Tahu, theredevelopment of Central Christchurchreflects some important Ngi Tahu values:

Whakapapa/Manawhenua/Rangtiratanga (genealogy/authority/leadership) Ngi Tahu are able toparticipate in matters of significanceto them through recognition andprovision for Mori culture and identityin the city redevelopment and throughthe partnership established under theCERA legislation.

Kaitiakitanga (stewardship) Ngi Tahuwill have greater opportunity to planand care for the environment and itsresources, and through this care for thewellbeing of people. The Central CityPlan reflects this through componentsthat address: the protection and

enhancement of water and waterways(ng wai tpuna); the protectionand acknowledgement of places thatare special and sacred (whi tapu/whi taonga); and the protection andenhancement of native flora, fauna,ecosystems and significant species(mahinga kai/ng otaota Mori);

Whakapapa/Matauranga (genealogy/knowledge) the Central CityPlan provides for recognition andincorporation of tangata whenuarelationships and knowledge within

the programmes for the environment,places and the lives of people, as wellas through the use of strong urban

design and sustainability approachesfor the redevelopment;

Whanaungatanga/Maanakitanga(making connections and caringfor people) the Central City Planreflects these through a focus in theplan on spaces for people, safety andenvironmental stewardship.

Tohungatanga (includes wise andconsidered evaluations and decisions)as the Central City Plan aspires to

incorporating sound technology anddesign solutions to make the city asafe, enjoyable and healthy place tolive, work and play, so it reflects thisimportant value for Ngi Tahu.

The ability of the Central City Planto provide for new, innovative andsustainable ways for the city to fulfil theaspirations of the community also enablesit to reflect important values to Ngi Tahu.The Council will continue to work withNgi Tahu to ensure that implementationof the Plan is able to continue this

approach.

- written by Ngi Tahu

Tangata Whenua

Maori legend has it thatRuaumoko, the Maori god ofearthquakes, is the youngestchild of Rangi (Sky Father) andPapatuanuku (Earth Mother),who lies with his motherunderground and causes the

earth to shake when he moves.When Ruaumoko stirred inChristchurch in February 2011,he shook its people to thecore. For Ngi Tahu, stories ofRuaumoko are never far fromthe tales of old, but generationshave lived in Christchurchwithout facing the challenge ofthe incredible forces when thisatua/god moves.


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Settlement

Past Present and Future

Christchurch has developed froma natural landscape to a modernbuilt city, retaining layers of itsnatural, tangata whenua andEuropean heritage.

Although severely damaged by the seriesof earthquake events since September2010, the identity of the city still remainsassociated with this site on which theCentral City will continue to be rebuilt anddeveloped.

The City of Christchurch was founded in1850 on flat, swampy ground where theCanterbury Plains meet the Port Hills.This area was a rich mahinga kai totangata whenua who had used the naturalresources of the Avon River/takarofor centuries. The uniform grid of thesurveyors plan was laid over this naturalenvironment, relieved by riverbanks, opensquares and Hagley Park.

Since the earthquakes, the nature ofthe land on which the city was built hasbeen revisited through the black maps

showing the pre-European landscape.Early geotechnical advice shows the landwithin the Central City can support aresilient 21st century city.

A large regional network of servicesand infrastructure is supported by theCentral City. An understanding of thedevelopment of the Central City and itsrole in supporting greater Christchurchand the region, supports the retention ofthe city centre in its historical location.As the Central City is rebuilt, there is theopportunity to take a long-term view and

create a more resilient and sustainablecity.

Pre 1850s

1960 - 2010

1914 - 1959

1884 - 1913

Natural Heritage

1850 - 1880

Black Maps WaterwaysLush Older Plains Ecosystem*

Older Plains Ecosystem*

Mid-age Plains Ecosystem*

Peatland Plains Ecosystem*

P/Kinga/Noho (settlement)

Urupa (Burials)

Dry Grass Land

Harakeke/Flax

Raupo Swamp

Ara Tawhito (Trail)

Market Square

Pre 1880 Buildings

1880-1914 Buildings1914-1959 Buildings

1959-2010 Buildings

Edward Jollie Plan

Sewerage System

Railway Line

Road Network One Way Systems

All information is Indicative Only

* Indigenous Ecosystems of tautahi/Christchurchsourced from Lucas Associates, I Lynn and C Meurk.

Building sites reflect the earliest building date* All information is indicative only

P t P t d F t


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Natural heritage

Christchurch before SettlementSeven thousand years ago the site ofChristchurch was below sea level. Theland on which Christchurch stands wascreated by the accumulation of sedimentsin geologically recent times.

The site was swamps, waterways andsandhills drained by two small rivers.Christchurch was located up the AvonRiver/takaro, where the ground rises tobetween six and seven metres above sealevel. Swampier ground lay to the east andnorth of the city. The natural vegetation

was a mix of flax, tutu, grass, scrub andremnant patches of forest. The earlier,more extensive forest cover had beenreduced by natural and Maori fires.

In the 1840s, the future site ofChristchurch was considered for theNelson and Otago settlements, but thewetlands persuaded those seeking sitesfor those settlements to look elsewhere.

The site of the city had anotherdisadvantage - which the founders ofthe city recognised when water fromthe Waimakariri River flowed downthe Avon River/takaro in 1868 - it wasa flood plain. Earthquakes were notconsidered a hazard, although the citywas shaken by minor earthquakes in

1869, 1881, 1888 and 1901.

Pre-1850sTangata Whenua Pre-1850Before European settlement andestablishment of Christchurch, NgiTahu, and before them Ngti Mamoeand Waitaha, maintained a number ofpermanent and temporary kinga andp (habitation sites) within the CentralCity area. From these settlements, NgiTahu gathered and used natural resources

from the network of springs, waterways,wetlands, grasslands and lowlandpodocarp forest patches that aboundedthe Avon River/takaro.

The principal settlements were Puari,tautahi and Little Hagley Park. Ithas been documented that Puari wasestablished by Waitaha more than 700years ago on a large island-like areabetween what is known today as CarltonMill Corner and the loop in the river nearthe Christchurch Hospital. In the 1500s,Ngti Mamoe migrated from Te Ika a Maui

(the North Island) and settled within theCanterbury area, before spreading furthersouth.

This was followed by the migrationof Ngi Tahu from the north ontoBanks Peninsula, into Canterbury andthroughout the South Island during the1700s. With the establishment of KaiapoiP by Ngi Thuriri chief Turakautahi,Puari became an important trading postand mahinga kai.

Later, Ngti Huikai chief Tautahi

established a kinga (settlement) furtheralong the river near the Kilmore Street FireStation between Madras and Barbadoesstreets, and used several other mahingakai within the Christchurch city area. Hisname is now taken as the contemporaryMori name for Christchurch, tautahi.



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1850 - 1880

1880 - 1914


Christchurch 1850-1880In 1848, Ngi Tahu chiefs entered intoa sale and purchase agreement withthe Crown for the Canterbury area. TheKemps Deed (as it later became known)specifically set aside particular areas forNgi Tahu.

In December 1848, an advance party sentout by the Canterbury Association laidChristchurch out as a rectangular grid ondrier land up the Avon River/takaro. Theuniform grid was relieved by open riverbanks, two diagonal streets and four opensquares.

The Canterbury Association foundedChristchurch with an idealistic wish torecreate the stable, hierarchical society ofpre-industrial Britain. Gothic architecturewas the physical expression of this ideal.By the end of the 1870s, the wish thatChristchurch be a centre of culture andlearning had been realised with thebuilding of schools, a library, a museumand a university college.

From 1853 to 1876, Christchurch wasthe political capital of the CanterburyProvince. The Provincial Governmentbuilt itself imposing premises. Substantialstone churches were further evidence ofChristchurchs transformation from villageto town.

By 1880, Christchurch was firmlyestablished as the commercial capital ofCanterbury, thanks to the developmentof railway lines centred on the city. Themetropolitan area quickly outgrew theoriginal city.

The areas agreed as reserves for Ngi Tahuin the Kemps Deed were not set aside andinstead reserves were allocated beyond thecity for Ngi Tahu to live on. This resultedin numerous petitions by Ngi Tahu tothe Queen and the Crown. Ngi Thuriricontinued to be involved in the city,however, regularly travelling from theirsettlement at Tuahiwi into Market Square(now Victoria Square) to trade producewith the early settlers and camping at LittleHagley Park before returning.

With the completion of the first system ofsewers and stormwater drains in the early1880s, central Christchurch became thethriving heart of a growing metropolitanarea. Buildings of brick and stonereplaced earlier timber shops and offices,most of which had gone by 1914. Notablearchitects gave Christchurch a splendidcollection of public and commercialbuildings in a variety of styles. In thefirst decade of the 2 0th century, thecompletion of the Anglican Cathedraland construction of the Roman CatholicCathedral demonstrated Christchurchsmaturity.

The description garden city was firstapplied to Christchurch at the 1906-07 International Exhibition. By then,plantings to replicate settled, woodedEngland had replaced almost all thenatural vegetation with lawns andspecimen trees, most of them exotics.

The riverbanks, Market (later Victoria),Cranmer and Latimer Squares werelandscaped accordingly.

Until the early 20th century, the CityCouncil governed only the original city.The citys administrative expansion beganwith the 1903 amalgamation of threeadjoining boroughs with the city. At thistime Christchurch was New Zealandsmain centre of manufacturing. Industrialactivity, based on farm products broughtinto the city by rail, remained in the citycentre.

In 1879, the Smith-Nairn commissionbegan to investigate issues around theKemps Deed and other Ngi Tahu-Crownland purchases. The commission howeverwas halted before it could deliver itsfindings and Ngi Tahu continued to liveon reserves beyond the city. The outbreakof World War I saw Ngi Tahu men serveas part of the colonial forces, with many ofthem leaving from King Edward Barracks,west of the Bridge of Remembrance.



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1914 - 1960

1960 - 2010


At the end of World War I, electricity andtrams transformed life in Christchurch.The public supply of electricity began in1903, but electricity became significantonly when power from Lake Coleridgearrived in 1915.

The first electric trams began runningin 1905. The tramway system reachedits maximum extent in 1914. Betweenthe wars, many Christchurch peoplerode bicycles. Trams and bicycles gaveChristchurch a distinctive transportsystem in New Zealand.

Though bungalow suburbs and localshopping centres developed along thetram routes, between the wars peoplecontinued to live in older houses withinthe four avenues. Several blocks of flatswere built in the inner city.

Trams fostered suburban growth but alsoreinforced the focus of Christchurch lifeon the central city. The routes all radiated

from Cathedral Square. People travelledinto the Central City by tram to shop, forentertainment and to work. Departmentstores enjoyed a long heyday from the1900s to the 1960s. From the 1920s to the1960s most of the citys cinemas were onor close to Cathedral Square. Suburbanresidents also came into the inner city forcultural pursuits.

Ngi Thuriri continued to play a rolein the city from their home at Tuahiwi,and through the leadership of Te AritauaPitama in the 1930s made a further push

for a marae to be built in the Central City.From the 1950s both Ngi Tahu and Morifrom other iwi in the north settled andestablished a presence within the city. Thepresent day Rehua Marae in SpringfieldRoad was built in 1960 but started life as ahostel in the early 1950s for young Maoriwho were part of the Maori ApprenticesTrade Training Scheme run at theChristchurch Polytechnic.

The Modern CityIn the second half of the 20th century, theincreased use of private cars transformedthe Central City. The use of publictransport and bicycles declined.

From the 1950s, new suburbs were builton the citys periphery and the populationof the inner city fell. Cathedral Square lostits role as the citys most popular meeting

place. The construction of modern officebuildings and of tourist hotels did notreverse the decline of the Central City.

By the 1960s Christchurch life was fastbecoming decentralised. Suburban mallsproliferated. Downtown retail activitydid not grow at the same rate as the restof the city, and education shifted fromthe Central City to the suburbs. The cityand regional councils remained in theinner city, as did cultural activities. Thetransformation of the universitys formerbuildings to the Arts Centre drew people

back to the inner city.

The Greater Christchurch UrbanDevelopment Strategy included measuresto revitalise the Central City.

Ngi Tahu and North Island Maoriurbanisation continued from the 1960s.The 1980s also saw Ngi Tahu lodgeits Treaty of Waitangi Claim with theWaitangi Tribunal, which led to thesettlement of land-based claims with the

Ngi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998.Ngi Tahu now own a number of siteswithin the Central City, many of whichare within the bounds of Puari p. Morerecently Ngi Tahu, in a public-privatepartnership, have redeveloped the formerNZ Post building as the new ChristchurchCity Council Civic Building or Te Hononga- the first six-star Green-rated building inNew Zealand.



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Effects of the earthquakes


Effects

Christchurchs Central City has beendevastated by the series of earthquakesfrom 4 September 2010. A total of 181people died in the city because of the22 February 2011 earthquake, and manyothers were seriously injured. Manybuildings fell down, others have beendemolished; there has been job lossesand uncertainty; displacement fromwork places and homes; loss of retail,entertainment, social and cultural venuesand events; and the widespread damagein other parts of the city. The earthquakes

have affected everyone in Christchurch.Its munted has become stoicalshorthand for describing catastrophicdamage to homes, heritage buildings,streets and infrastructure.

LandThe earthquakes since September2010 have been located on previouslyunknown active faults and have causedground surface rupture, ground shaking,liquefaction, lateral spread, rock fall,topographic amplification, landslides,regional uplift and subsidence, groundcompaction and ground surface renting.The Central City experienced severeground shaking and liquefaction andlateral spreading, and subsidenceoccurred in the north-east part of the city.

InfrastructureThe earthquakes shaking, liquefactionand effects of ground deformationdamaged Central City roads, bridges,footpaths, tramway, water supply,wastewater, stormwater, electricity,telecommunications and reticulated gas

services. Underground pipe networks,

particularly older wastewater pipes, werethe most susceptible to damage and arehard to repair as the damage is not easilyseen and the work is time consuming.There has been a lot of visible damageto roads and footpaths. Damage toelectricity, telecommunication and gasnetworks services in the Central City hasbeen comparatively light, largely becauseof their greater relative flexibility.

CBD red zoneDuring the State of National Emergencyfrom 23 February to 1 May, the city centre

had an influx of regional, nationaland international urban search andrescue workers, engineers, health andinfrastructure support teams, nationalcivil defence and emergency workers,local agencies and the media.

Enforced shutdown of the inner CentralCity following the February 22 earthquakeand staged reopening has meant acontinued dislocation of workers,businesses, visitors, residents, studentsand worshippers from the Central City

cordoned area.Before 22 February, there were more than6000 businesses, employing about 51,000employees in the Central City. Februarysearthquake caused a massive disruptionto almost all Central City businesses.The vast majority were either forced torelocate to premises outside the CentralCity or they were unable to operate. Inmany cases, these businesses are still notoperational.

Businesses with insurance will generallyhave temporary financial support to retain

key staff and meet fixed operating costs,however, many businesses are eitheruninsured or their policies dont provideappropriate cover. Overall, Central Citybusinesses, and others, are provingresilient.

Heritage lostMore than half of the listed heritagebuildings within Christchurch (more than250) were in the Central City, along with alarge number of the citys older buildings.The scale of loss, within a relatively shorttime period, is extremely rare in bothnational and international terms. Thecondition of heritage buildings within thecity is changing daily due to the continuingaftershocks. As at 4 August 2011, about80 listed heritage buildings have beendemolished within the Central City. This

loss presents a significant challenge inretaining our links to the past. Iconicbuildings, such as ChristChurch Cathedral,the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament,the Arts Centre, Christchurch Town Halland Canterbury Provincial Chambers haveall been severely damaged. The Councilas a heritage building owner is workingthrough assessments of damage andinsurance, as are many owners of heritagebuildings at this time.

Loss of home and heartThe Central City was home to 8000residents, over half of whom lived in thenorth-east area. Within the four avenues,as of 6 July 2011, 277 residential propertieshad been assessed as red (i.e. unsafe),512 as yellow (restricted access), and1330 assessed as green (no restrictionson entry).

International experiences followingcomparable natural disasters indeveloped countries suggest possible lossof about two per cent of the Central Cityresidential population in the 12 months

following a major natural disaster. Alonger-term trend of population increasein Christchurch, along with a strong pushto increase the amount and appeal ofCentral City homes, can be expected tooffset this; any population loss is expectedto be short-term only.

Experience also shows that those who arealready vulnerable in communities tendto fare worse than others post-disaster.The majority of social services, health anddisability support organisations have losttheir Central City premises, making office

administration and access for clientsdifficult. Much of the damaged housingin the Central City was low rent, single-person bedsit accommodation, oftenoccupied by people with social or healthneeds; these residents may no longer beable to afford to live in a rebuiltCentral City.

In addition to the many heritage andcharacter buildings, key metropolitanbuildings in the Central City have beendamaged or lost, including parts ofChristchurch Hospital and CPIT, AMI

Stadium, the Bus Exchange, socialservices buildings, Central Library andChristchurch Convention Centre. Therehas also been widespread loss of artscreative, display and performance spaces.

The Central City cordon and buildingdamage has meant the temporary loss ofthe citys night-time entertainment anddining hub. Young people, in particular,miss Central City places in which tosocialise, meet and simply hang out withtheir friends. Primary and secondaryschools in the Central City all suffered

damage and were closed temporarily.Some have been forced to co-locate withsuburban schools with major changesto learning schedules and daily tr avelroutines.

Passion for futureChristchurch is different from manyother cities struck by a natural disasterbecause it has suffered from a seriesof natural events rather than a singleevent. The earthquakes and aftershockscontinue, with no certainty when they

will cease. Despite this, Christchurchpeople have proven to be positive andpassionate about rebuilding their CentralCity. Strong, committed interest groupshave formed, existing networks sprunginto action within and outside the city,and conversations thrive. There is anenormous sense of ownership andcommitment to rebuild Christchurch as astrong city for the 21st century in which alltangata whenua and people continue tolive, enjoy and love.



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Geotechnical summary

Tonkin & Taylor have beenengaged by CERA to providepreliminary and detailedgeotechnical reports on groundconditions and geotechnicalissues within and outside theCentral City.

As part of this work, Tonkin & Tayloris prioritising site investigation worksrequested by the Christchurch CityCouncil relevant to the geographical area

covered by the Central City Plan.Preliminary findings will be broadand relate to the principal project sitesincluded in the Central City Plan. Thearea within the four avenues is currentlyclassified as white and will remainso until the factual and interpretativegeotechnical reports are completedby Tonkin & Taylor later this year andapproved by the Minister for earthquakerecovery. The output will result in acomprehensive geotechnical foundationissues map identifying areas within the

Central City that may be susceptibleto liquefaction.

Current findings support that it is feasibleto design and construct future structureson each of the Central City Plan projectprinciple sites and to promote a minimum25 to 30-metre setback from the banks ofthe Avon River/takaro because of thesevere lateral spread and damage that hasoccurred close to the river banks.

Updated information will be received fromTonkin & Taylor as it becomes availablethrough on-going works. This will beused to further inform the plan beforeproduction of the final Plan in December

this year.

Our future city

Taking a long-term view,Christchurch has a uniqueopportunity through the CentralCity Plan to redevelop thearea for future generations bybuilding in resilience to manyfuture environmental, social andeconomic changes.

Within our lifetime, Christchurch canexpect more droughts, floods and a risingsea level associated with our changing

climate. Rising energy costs will createmore demand for efficient and renewableenergy and transport systems. Newtechnologies and competition for globalresources and talent will reshape the waybusiness is done.

Pre-earthquakes, the population ofGreater Christchurch (Urban DevelopmentStrategy projections, 2007) wasanticipated to grow between 2006 and2041 to an additional 53,000 households.Forty-five per cent of this was to havebeen a result of intensification of existing

areas, including 14,000 household withinthe four avenues and the medium densityareas surrounding the four avenues.

In addition to household and populationgrowth, the citys demographic make-up will change due to the ageing of thepopulation. There will be proportionallymore people aged from around 50 yearsof age, particularly post-retirement andelderly, than now. An ageing population,together with changes in the culturalmake-up of the community will placegreater demands on community, socialand health services. It has always beenanticipated that the Central Cityspopulation will reflect these broaddemographic trends.

Enhancing resilience will be built into theCentral City Plan through such things ascreating stronger, more resource efficientbuildings, more flexible transport andstorm water systems, encouraging amore diverse and competitive economy,a renewed emphasis on water and wastemanagement and by fostering communitynetworks and services for now andgenerations to come.

Remembering/Maumaharatia


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A citys identity is made up of itscollected memories which create asense of place.

After a natural disaster, such asChristchurchs destructive earthquakes,memories and a sense of place becomemore important. While this Plan focuseson the Central City, it recognises that theeffects of the earthquakes were city-wide.

The loss of life and so much of the cityshistoric and social amenities brings aheightened need to remember, as well as

to look to the future.Residents remember the city and itsspecial places before the earthquakes.Even before the city was here, thelandscape had a special character thatunderlies the built environment. Theearthquakes have given places in the cityspecial significance.

Remembering can be formal, such asestablishing a national memorial, orit can also be something that happensspontaneously. Remembering willinclude different cultural responses andprotocols. Sometimes memories are partof research, discovering more about thepeople, who they are and what happened.Remembering is also part of getting backinto the city, of developing its legibilityagain; finding landmarks, reflecting onchanges and interpreting the post-quakecity.

Residents will remember different aspectsof the events, from the impressions,sounds and new language, such asmunted and red zone, to the spiritof the people who came to help. Inthe months following, residents willremember the city as strange andsurreal, a foreign place defined by itseerie silence and emptiness. A place isneeded to gather these memories, a placeto share stories and for research andunderstanding.

The dates September 4, December 26,

February 22 and June 13 will becomepart of the citys anniversary calendar.These are times to reflect, dates aroundwhich new rituals will emerge, as each ofthe earthquakes had its own character,and impacted on the city in di fferent ways.

Top: Devastation in Cashel Mall;

Middle: Life Exposed; Bottom Left:The eeriness of the Red Zone; Bottom

Right: Rescue teams in the City.



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A memorial is planned to honourthe lives of those who died inChristchurchs earthquakes andprovide a place to pay respect.It needs to be of a scale toaccommodate large gatheringsand must reflect the internationalsignificance of the tragedy.

A contemporary memorial is proposed,being a space rather than an object; a placevisitors can enter into and experience anemotional response, rather than simplylook at an object.

Christchurchs earthquake memorial willhave some complex challenges, as it willnot recognise a single disaster, but a seriesof events that had a significant impacton the city and its residents. The unusualnature of the disaster is both a challengeand an opportunity for the expression ofmemory.

Earthquake memorialCreating appropriate memorials takestime - like the memorial at Ground Zeroin New York, took 10 years from the timeof the event to the dedication of the site.There is a powerful resonance betweenthe magnitude of a disaster and the timetaken for a memorials completion.

Sites will be considered in the CentralCity for the Earthquake Memorial. Thesewill be assessed for suitability and where

applicable, private landowners and otherparties consulted.

An Earthquake Preparednessand Information Centre orEPI-Centre is a purpose-builtmuseum, research institute,education and entertainmentfacility to learn about earthquakesand recognise the role they haveplayed in transforming the identityof Christchurch.

The facility will be built to the highestseismic and sustainability principles,highlighting Christchurchs role as aleader in environmental design andproviding a new location for the citysCivil Defence headquarters.

With interactive displays and anearthquake simulator, EPI-Centre isfor locals, as well as national and

international visitors. Artefacts andstories from the earthquakes will remindus of the past, while di splays and ongoingresearch on geology and seismic building

EPI-Centre

techniques will look to the future. EPI-Centre includes a resource centre relatedto the built environment, as a point offocus for design professionals to shareinformation and ideas with the publicabout the rebuild of the city, highlightingthe innovative responses developed byarchitects and landscape architects .

Canterbury has much to showcase aboutdisaster management, volunteeringand community response. The city hasdeveloped exciting new technologies forconveying information about earthquakes.Enhanced understandings of everythingfrom the performance of infrastructure tothe social impacts of earthquakes can beincluded in this multi-purpose facility.

EPI-Centre will showcase local researchand best practice which fostersconnections between Christchurch andother seismic activity cities of the world.

Sites will be considered in the Central Cityfor the EPI-Centre. These will be assessedfor suitability and private landowners

draft central city plan

Documents