How colonialism created an unwitting benefit for an earthquake-struck city: Christchurch, the grid and the Victorian square

Abstract

The degree to which residents can successfully navigate a post-earthquake situation relies to a considerable extent on the structure of the city. An efficient structure allows for easy movement of vehicles and people through the damaged areas, and also provides flexible space to be used for a range of emergency activities. While the grid has been widely criticised for its uninspiring urban form, it offers unexpected benefits in a disaster situation. Along with another surprisingly useful design legacy – Victorian park design – the grid has proven itself in the times of chaos following a disaster. With widespread disruption and disorientation, elements which aid in organisation and navigation are vital. In Christchurch, the Army was responsible for the securing of the city centre, following the earthquakes of September 2010 and February 2011. The grid form and distinctive legacy of the ‘walking city’ (an ideal, utopian plan for a city which could be traversed on foot in less than half an hour), meant a legible city form which allowed for distressed locals and visitors to be moved relatively easily by the army through the city. Further, the grid form allowed for effective use of geometry to efficiently control and eventually reduce the cordon around the central Red Zone area. A grid system also affords layering of temporary circulation patterns, such as creating a hierarchy of heavy through to light vehicular use, and mid-block crossing for pedestrians. The predictability of a grid form allows for a durable mental map to be kept in the minds of city residents, and for visitors to easily find their way around even during an emergency. Further, the path layouts of Victorian-era parks offered readymade devices for organising emergency services who needed to set up camps in the central city. Successful and effective post-disaster management is a vital aspect of resilience, and through better understanding the elements of the city which support emergency response future urban design and planning can be more meaningfully undertaken.