Bob Jones doubts if Christchurch will be rebuilt!
It is time to face the reality that the Christchurch central business district (CBD) cannot be rebuilt.
Cities have many components, such as libraries, art galleries, council offices, theatres, halls and other public facilities. These comprise the indulgent element, paid for from the public purse. But they cannot exist in isolation and alone constitute a city. Rather, they emanate from the steady organic growth of a city’s commercial activities in the form of shops and offices.
Prior to the earthquakes, Christchurch’s CBD retail heart was already in trouble, with empty shops abounding, while those remaining lived off the office workers, now gone. This was a direct consequence of the construction of large suburban shopping centres, which killed off the CBD as a retail location, just as has occurred in many other cities throughout the Western World. Examples in New Zealand include Lower Hutt and now, increasingly, Hamilton.
Read the full article at: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/rebuilding-christchurch/5696381/Bob-Jones-says-ChCh-CBD-cannot-be-rebuilt
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Bob Jones doubts if Christchurch will be rebuilt!
September 28, 2011 Leave a Comment
It is time to face the reality that the Christchurch central business district (CBD) cannot be rebuilt.
Cities have many components, such as libraries, art galleries, council offices, theatres, halls and other public facilities. These comprise the indulgent element, paid for from the public purse. But they cannot exist in isolation and alone constitute a city. Rather, they emanate from the steady organic growth of a city’s commercial activities in the form of shops and offices.
Prior to the earthquakes, Christchurch’s CBD retail heart was already in trouble, with empty shops abounding, while those remaining lived off the office workers, now gone. This was a direct consequence of the construction of large suburban shopping centres, which killed off the CBD as a retail location, just as has occurred in many other cities throughout the Western World. Examples in New Zealand include Lower Hutt and now, increasingly, Hamilton.
Read the full article at: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/rebuilding-christchurch/5696381/Bob-Jones-says-ChCh-CBD-cannot-be-rebuilt
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Filed under Industry Commentary Tagged with Bob Jones, Christchurch Rebuild