Draft Christchurch City Council Central City Plan
[Original PDF on the Christchurch City Council website
Scoop copy of full report: 13.Attachment1Volume1.pdf]
The Big Picture
Our Central City
Our Central City will be strong, vibrant and prosperous, at the heart of a 21st century Christchurch.
Our Central City will be home to a thriving cosmopolitan community who cherish their past, celebrate its unique and
engaging vibe and embrace its bold commitment to urban sustainability. It will be a place of both energy and refuge, a
city in a garden, with a distinctive modern urban identity.
Our Central City will champion business and investment, will be a delight to visit and a great place to call home.
Our redeveloped Central City will be achieved through courageous civic leadership and the decisions of individuals,
businesses and organisations who are the lifeblood of its success. The Central City Plan provides the framework to
achieve this, built out of the ravages of the devastating earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. The Plan responds to the
opportunity to develop new and different physical spaces, learning from the past, embracing the future, and creating an
exciting and compelling urban centre for our city.
Central Christchurch will be redeveloped as a low-rise, resilient, safe and sustainable city. It will be easy to get
around, with a business-friendly compact central area, an array of inviting green spaces and plenty of activities to
draw people into the Central City.
The Central City Plan has more than 70 projects to be implemented during the next 10 to 20 years, each designed to help
rebuild the area within the four avenues and create a vibrant, prosperous area for residents and visitors to enjoy.
Christchurch will become a city for people, a place recognised globally as one of the great cities of Australasia. The
Plan describes the key changes the city will make to help create this new future. The top ten changes are:
Avon River Park/Papawai Ōtakaro – the banks of the Avon River/ Ōtakaro will be widened and celebrated as Christchurch’s
new riverfront park with boardwalks and spaces inviting people down to the water’s edge. Avon River Park/Papawai Ōtakaro
will be a pedestrian and cycle friendly area offering a continuous journey through the Central City, recognising the
river’s rich cultural heritage and the natural environment.
Compact CBD – shops and offices will be encouraged to re-locate into a smaller, defined and concentrated area, bounded
by Lichfield, Manchester and Kilmore streets and the Avon River/Ōtakaro, to create a more vibrant compact city centre
with high-quality, people-friendly streets and spaces.
(Retail and commercial businesses will still be able to operate outside this area).
Light rail - a light rail system is planned for Greater Christchurch to support planned significant growth in public
transport patronage as the Central City redevelops. The short-term route will be developed from the University to the
Central City, with the strategic long-term goal being a shared regional priority to establish a light rail system
linking settlements in Greater Christchurch, including Lyttelton, Rolleston and Rangiora to the Central City and key
attractions.
Metro-sports hub – a new sports hub, home to world-class sporting facilities including a state-of-theart aquatic centre,
indoor stadium, a health and fitness centre and elite performance training facilities will be built in the south-eastern
corner of the Central City. This will provide great facilities for residents and strengthen the city’s reputation as a
premier international sporting destination.
Christchurch Hospital – redevelopment of Christchurch Hospital will provide the city with modern, safe and resilient
tertiary hospital facilities to serve the greater Christchurch region and South Island, and act a catalyst to attract a
range of health and medical businesses and research and training institutes to establish a health precinct.
Cathedral Square – the greening of the civic and cultural heart of Christchurch will create a great place to visit, meet
friends, enjoy a picnic or simply linger and enjoy the sun.
Central Library – a new central library will be built to provide the community with a learning hub; a place to celebrate
cultural diversity, where everyone can enjoy reading, access digital information and be involved in lifelong learning.
Transport choice – the Central City will be easier to get to and about.
Christchurch’s new transport network will be designed to create a safer and more pleasant environment in which to walk,
cycle, use public transport or drive and park with ease.
Convention Centre – a worldclass convention centre will be developed to attract new and exciting events to the city
which will support a thriving hospitality and tourism sector.
Neighbourhood Parks – a network of neighbourhood parks and gardens spread throughout the Central City will provide inner
city residential and mixed use neighbourhoods with a variety of green spaces to enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle.
These changes also provide the framework for new investment in community, business, and in the civic fabric of the city.
These are complemented by incentives, regulatory changes and programmes that will help bring the Central City back to
life, creating a city that epitomises the spirit of Christchurch.
[…]
[Full report: 13.Attachment1Volume1.pdf]