How to contribute to urbanity when the city centre is gone: A design-directed exploration of temporary public open space and related notions of urbanity in a post-disaster urban environment

Abstract

The paper explores concepts of temporary public open space and related notions of urbanity in a post-earthquake urban environment. The sudden absence of the familiar physical urban constituents, the built environment and public open spaces, is an extreme and disturbing experience. The residents of Christchurch (New Zealand) have been in such a situation since 2010/11 when a major earthquake and a series of devastating aftershocks turned the city centre into rubble. Following the earthquakes, Christchurch has become a “transitional” city characterized by ongoing demolitions, new constructions and temporary urban spaces that keep on changing as time passes. The paper examines students’ design proposals for a temporary public open space in Christchurch’s post-earthquake city centre and explores concepts of urbanity in a post-disaster situation where defining spatial components such as adjacent buildings do not exist anymore.