The characteristics of the area are distinctive. The gender, age, income distributions, and dwelling types in particular, stand out as unique to this environment.

The central city is a commercial centre, which attracts people from all over Christchurch and outside the city, for both business and recreation. These workers, business visitors, shoppers, tourists and service users all bring new characteristics, perceptions and expectations to the area.

The particular uses of the central city, and those who use it vary depending on the time of the day and the day of the week. For example, it is a night time hotspot for recreation, and at the weekends fewer workers and more shoppers are about.

Young people are an important subset of these visitors and are a strength of the central city. The central city is an important service center, with medical and community facilities and specialist service providers. These features play an important role in bringing visitors into the area, and enhance the amenity of living in the city centre.

The residential and commercial functions of the central city are related. Visitors to the commercial areas increase pedestrian and traffic flows, but can also contribute to a greater potential for traffic accidents.

Those living in the central city range from high to low income earners, with generally higher income earners living to the west, and lower incomes to the east. Income differences influence other features, such as levels of community cohesion. The physical characteristics of eastern and western properties correspond with these income differences.

Although the central city has a high short-term population there are also a number of long-term residents who choose to live in the central city and have a strong sense of identity and community cohesion.

The property market also reflects these differences. The prevalence of students, and low income characteristics of many parts of the eastern central city, combined with the nature of ownership of properties there, contributes to the short-term nature of its population. Multiple joined units also contribute to a central city with less permanent flatting, non-family or couple only situations rather than family occupation.

The lower-income groups which occupy deteriorating properties are strongly affected by gentrification. In recent years inner-city bedsits, which traditionally housed low-income single men and women and people with disabilities, have been knocked down and replaced with higherdensity more expensive townhouses.