Looking backward: How the legacy of Christchurch's past is playing a role in its future

Abstract

As Christchurch begins rebuilding after the devastating earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, the city’s past lingers in a range of ways. This presentation explores three key legacies from the 19th century, when the city of Christchurch was established by English settlers, and reflects on how these factors might influence the future. First, utopian thinking was an underpinning motivation for the city’s establishment and design. This is apparent in the urban form, as well as the comments from the time from influential individuals like John Robert Godley, the city’s founder. Arguably the current ‘blueprint’ for the central city rebuild echoes utopian dreaming from the past, and physically repeats some of the design moves of the first city plans. Second, the structuring devices put in place by these early plans remain relevant in unexpected ways in the context of disaster resilience. While motifs such as the grid and Victorian park design might have been targets for critique by those seeking a more organic and ‘natural’ city form, interviews with emergency personnel reveal that it is precisely these devices which became valuable tools for disaster response. And third, the aesthetic convention of the Picturesque shaped the ways in which the settlers both appreciated and modified the landscape they encounter. In turn, the Picturesque remains an ambivalent factor in the visions for the future, as ecological concerns are balanced against entrenched ideals.