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Healthy heart, healthy future
The motivation for central city planning
is the idea that the heart of Christchurch
must continue to beat strongly if the city
as a whole is to have a bright future. Around the western world there are
many cities which have been unwilling or
unable to deal with the gradual
hollowing out of their
centres — the doughnut
effect. To their detriment,
these cities generally
have become poorer, lost
their sense of identity,
receive very little
reinvestment and are
places tourists seldom
wish to visit. Research over the
years by the Christchurch City Council
showed that the city’s centre needed
support to make sure it continued to be
healthy, growing and vibrant. From that
came the Central City Mayoral Forum
and, in February last year, the Central
City Strategy — the first phase in a 25-
year blueprint to ensure Christchurch
always has a heart to be proud of. This issue of City Scene explains that
strategy and a number of individual
projects now under way or planned which
illustrate how the strategy’s aims are being
used to influence and manage change. The projects illustrated are the High
Street Heritage Precinct, the retail future
developments along Colombo Street
between Cashel Mall and Lichfield Street,
the First Hour Free parking scheme, and
the proposed new inner-city park and
residential development on the Turners
and Growers site. To varying degrees, all these projects
are contributing to the
Central City Strategy and
revitalisation objectives
and represent
partnerships between
private interests and the
City Council. The central city is the
area bounded by Bealey,
Rolleston, Moorhouse
and Fitzgerald avenues. It
is the business, cultural, retail and
entertainment centre of our city.
In February last year, Christchurch City
Council adopted the first stage of its
strategy to stimulate a more vibrant
central city. Its goals are to make sure the heart of
Christchurch remains an excellent place
to live, work, play, shop, socialise, invest,
visit and learn. The Strategy has as a key objective the
desire to “maintain and enhance the
central city as the principal commercial,
administrative, employment, cultural and
tourism focus of the city, and the venue
for a diverse range of activities.” |