Rebuilding a city: Christchurch's recovery two-and-a-half years on

Abstract

Beginning on 4th September, 2010, Christchurch suffered a unique series of earthquakes, one killing 185 people. Approximately 70 per cent of CBD required demolition, and there was also significant damage to horizontal infrastructure due to land damage. The government offered a buyout of land-damaged homes. Insurance problems included multiple insurers and frustrating delays in assessments and settlements. The priority was temporary accommodation for displaced residents — 12,000 homes needed to be replaced and140,000 others needed repair. The horizontal infrastructure repair was New Zealand's biggest ever civil engineering project; with a NZ$40 billion dollar rebuild, the earthquakes were seen as an opportunity to develop a new, modern, state-of-the-art city.