Disaster Recovery: Learning from New Zealand

22 May 2025

Practice Partner Cameron Davies recently visited New Zealand with community relocation expert Jamie Simmonds to attend the NZ Planning Institute Conference and to visit Otautahi Christchurch to review the process of recovery following two earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. Cameron and Jamie are currently working on the reconstruction of Lismore together, and the trip was a significant learning opportunity. In Otautahi Cameron and Jamie visited most of the CBD and met with Jonathan Boston, Peter Matthews, and Andrew Willis to discuss the post-earthquake disaster recovery and reflect on the learnings that came about from this process. Jonathan, Peter, and Andrew are all experts in their fields, with experience as follows:

  • Jonathan Boston is a researcher with Victoria University of Wellington, who has a focus on the challenges of governance and economics in the face of climate change.
  • Peter Matthews is Otakaro’s principal landscape architect and has led several recovery projects throughout the city.
  • Andrew Willis led the team that developed Christchurch City Council’s Central City Recovery Plan planning framework and was active in delivering CERA’s recovery plan and blueprint.

Cameron reflects on his learnings from the trip below.

Otautahi/Christchurch is one of the world’s most striking examples of urban revival following a major natural disaster.  Before colonisation, Otautahi was already a major trading centre set on the beautiful Otakaro Avon River.  From the mid 1800s it rapidly grew with a distinctive grid of streets imposed upon it like many of Britain’s colonies. The geologically active land that lies beneath preceded all settlements and is shaping the city’s future.

In 2010, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit 40km outside of Otautahi, followed by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake in early 2011 which hit only 4km from the city centre, causing extensive damage, several deaths, and trauma for the whole city.  The cumulative effect of both earthquakes destroyed 90% of the downtown area and displaced over 65,000 people from their homes- a total of 17% of the population.

Immediately post disaster, the physical damage varied from building collapse to liquification of soil swallowing up entire suburbs of housing.  The human cost and emotional damage were severe.

The evidence of the earthquake is still visible today, with a patchwork of undeveloped sites, abandoned suburbs and steel exoskeletons scaffolding remnants of the city’s rich architectural heritage.  As in many disaster-affected communities, the community rallied together through the long recovery.

In areas affected by liquefaction, housing has been removed, leaving just streets and domestic gardens.  Although development of these areas is now prohibited, some residents and community groups have reclaimed this space and are reactivating it with community purpose.  Vacant sites within the urban core have been taken up with temporary urban activation projects such as skateparks by Gap Fillers, and blank exposed walls have been reanimated with artwork from local street artists.

Perhaps the most visible change has been the reorientation of the city towards the river, the development of a permeable pedestrian grid across the centre, and the introduction of denser housing within the urban core.  These urban design big moves have simultaneously provided revitalisation and the captive population needed to activate it.  Signature projects like the Te Pae Convention and Exhibition Centre along with Turanga Central Library have also helped reestablish the civic importance of this urban place.

 

It is important to reflect on these journeys.  We heard that progress was slow at the start, with the city centre inaccessible for an extended period after the events.  Many of the displaced residents moved to other towns and cities, and have yet to return.  Those involved in the recovery carried the weight of the city on their shoulders and at times felt deeply unpopular.  On reflection ten years later, looking at the scale of not just reconstruction but genuine urban renewal the progress is impressive to say the least.  Christchurch today is a bustling and vibrant city with a strong local economy.  The evidence of the disaster will always be there, but the narrative is now less about recovery and more about thriving. These are important lessons for the work we are undertaking in the Northen Rivers currently to help guide the recovery following the 2022 floods.  The community there is currently in one of the most challenging phases of recovery; there is good planning being done, in the face of an increasing sense of urgency to deliver.  As with Christchurch, I am sure we will look back in 10 years and see the benefits of investment in the region with renewed strength in the local economy.

Not wanting to stop the conversation there Jamie, Narelle Pool and Cameron continued on to the New Zealand Planning Institute conference in Invercargill.  The conference has a specific focus on planning for change and building resilience in our urban and natural environments.  At the conference we heard from Jamie himself, who provided an inspiring account of the reconstruction of Grantham in 2011 and several other managed retreat initiatives globally.  Other conference highlights included the planning context for the expansion of renewable energy in New Zealand, Eloy van Hal and the incredible Hogeweyk dementia care community, and Wayne Langford reflecting on the evolution and trajectory of dairy farming in New Zealand.