Rebuilding, Respectfully

You may have heard of Christchurch, New Zealand for a variety of reasons, but since I've been in this country, one issue has predominated: the earthquakes of September 2010 and February 2011 that absolutely devastated New Zealand's second-largest city. Almost everywhere I've been in this country, I've met Kiwis who have been forced out of Christchurch in the past year. But despite being fairly close to the city, most of what I know about it I've heard from other people. I was recently given a brief holiday from work, and decided to get a closer look at the still struggling "Garden City."

The February 2011 earthquake was the weaker on the Richter scale, but was also the more devastating because of where and when it struck: downtown at lunchtime. In terms of the human cost, optimists mention that it being lunchtime meant fewer people were in the buildings that collapsed - it's a thin silver lining, but it's something. Structurally, the damage to central Christchurch has ensured a slow recovery, and plenty of former residents have given up and relocated.

But some people remain committed to rebuilding (among them my friend Marcus and his family, whom I must thank for putting me up while I was there), and my main interest in this visit was the Re:Start mall. Some of the city centre's retailers have reconstituted their shops in shipping containers. The last time I saw these rectangular metal boxes used in construction was in Nome, Alaska, where they represent the absolute nadir of housing possibilities. Given that experience, I expected to see the Re:Start mall as a symbol of the city's collapse.

But I was impressed. The shops have done a nice job of using the space available and making metal boxes look attractive. I'm a bit of an urban planning nerd, and I was fascinated by the new dynamics at play in such unique circumstances. Although much of downtown remains inaccessible, this small portion of it indicates the commitment that some people feel to this city, at least from my outsider's perspective. At the same time, I had to remember that while I see a clever usage of newly available space, some locals see the place where their friends died. No reconstruction can heal wounds of that magnitude. I suppose this is the major challenge facing Christchurch at the moment - rebuilding, respectfully.   

Part of the fenced-off red zone (I was reaching over the fence).

The Re:Start mall.