Wikipedia
Titled Christchurch Rebuild One Year On, this series of photos provides immediate post-disaster photos with others taken one year later.
Aerial Photos of NZ Earthquake Recovery
Reply
Category Archives: New Zealand
Recap of the NZ Earthquake Recovery – one year later
Image via Wikipedia
See this article “Slow progress in Christchurch one year after quake.”
I cannot ever recall a major disaster after which citizens says the recovery is going too slowly. People are always impatient for things to go back to “normal.”
Human Cognitive Performance Suffers After Natural Disasters
In an article titled Natural Disasters Influence Mental Mistakes, the site PychCentral provides a short account of a sessiion on Human Cognitive Performance Suffers Following National Disasters, delivered at the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society; February 2012.
The Society has provided an abstract: Human Factors article. Note that the sample size is quite small, but perhaps more research will be done on this topic in the future. Some excerpts from the news article follow:
A new study finds that survivors of natural disasters may experience intellectual challenges in addition to stress and anxiety. This mental decline may cause survivors to make serious errors in their daily lives.
Experts say attention to these phenomena is important given the prevalence of hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes.
The study on how cognitive performance can decline after earthquakes is published by New Zealand researchers in the journal Human Factors.
In the report, University of Canterbury’s William S. Helton and James Head discuss how prior studies have found that more traffic accidents and accident-related fatalities occur following human-made disasters such as the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Experts believe the mishaps are due to increased cognitive impairment that can lead to higher stress levels and an increase in intrusive thoughts. However, until this time, no research has been conducted on the effects of natural disasters on cognitive performance.
New Organizational Approach to Recovery – CERA in NZ
Image via Wikipedia
The Christchurch/Canterbury region has formed a new organization to lead its recovery efforts, namely the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority. Here are some details from the NZ press: Cera could emerge as star of Canty recovery . Some excerpts follow:
A Canterbury fixture for a few more years, Cera will be either the star of recovery or the target of an embittered public…It started with a handful of government department phone-ins and Civil Defence hangers-on, in a shabby office smelling of fresh paint, hammering out a plan to rebuild Christchurch. Now they are everywhere. They hold meetings with grumpy, earthquake-stricken residents and offer bus tours of devastated central Christchurch. They buy thousands of homes, order the demolition of 20-storeyed buildings and politely tell the public where they can and cannot go.
It easy to forget that the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) has existed for less than a year. Since the state of emergency was lifted after the February 22 quake, the authority has assumed the central role in Christchurch’s recovery.
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act, passed in April, has given Cera and Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee unprecedented power. They can change laws, bypass courts, seize property and take over almost any responsibility normally left to local councils.
For those who want more information, here is the direct URL for CERA.
The closest analogy to this type of organization that I can think of in the U.S. is the use of an urban renewal authority, with eminent domain powers, to lead the recovery planning process. I would like to hear from folks in the U.S. how this approach would be greeted in their localities.
Related articles
- NZ govt to make decisions on Chch future (news.smh.com.au)
PLEASE PATRONIZE OUR SPONSOR: DisasterBookstore.com
Recovery planning that shows imagination and vision – Christchurch, N.Z.
The public officials and planners working on the recovery and reconstruction of Christchurch, NZ are aware that the eyes of the world are upon them. Apparently, significant efforts are being made to incorporate some significant scientific and design innovations in the rebuilding process. Some excerpts from the article follow:
After nine months of work, the final draft of the Central City Plan will be adopted by the Christchurch City Council on Thursday. Mayor Bob Parker discusses development of the framework that will guide the redevelopment of our central city.
This week is significant in the history of Christchurch – it is when the city council adopts the framework to guide the redevelopment of the earthquake-damaged central city which will see Christchurch evolve as one of the most modern cities in the world.
Christchurch has already been recognised internationally by American- based Foreign Policy magazine as one of the top 10 global cities in the world to watch as the city begins to rebuild its urban landscape.
This is guaranteed to keep the spotlight on Christchurch in coming years and encourage international investment, so vital to regenerate our city.
For the council, the process of developing the final draft Central City Plan has been challenging.
If any New Zealanders are reading this, we would like to hear your views on how the process is going.
Update on Recovery in Christchurch, N.Z.
According to a news report, the city of Christchurch has adopted the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Plan; December 1, 2011. For updated versions of the Infrastructure Strategy, go to this website. For more information about the recovery process, check out this additional site.
See also this article about Christchurch being one of the 9 Cities to Watch in the Future. Dec. 2, 2011.
Christchurch, NZ – quake analyses are yielding some unique results
Image by geoftheref via Flickr
In an article titled Sobering alarm for cities on faultline; the Press (NZ), Nov. 2, 2011, describes some unusual geologic conditions and sounds and alarm for cities on faultlines. In the report, it quotes Erol Kalkan, manager of the United States Geological Survey’s national strong-motion network, said the February earthquake was “remarkable on several counts”. Some quotes from the report:
“The ground motion was much larger than previously recorded, the high intensity of shaking was greater than expected, particularly for a moderate-size earthquake, and the liquefaction-induced damage was extensive and severe within the central business district of Christchurch.
“Many urban areas are built over soft sediments and in valleys or over basins, for example the San Francisco Bay area and Los Angeles metropolitan. These are urban areas that sit atop geological features that may exaggerate or amplify ground motion, just as Christchurch experienced.
“The question is how to apply or account for such significant, higher-than-expected ground motions, as seen in Christchurch.” The Christchurch quake would have a long-lasting and significant impact on engineering practices and provided a huge opportunity to fuel scientific knowledge, Kalkan said.
GNS Science’s John Callan said the quantity and quality of data collected during the quake was “almost unprecedented internationally”. “Analysis of this data is already having a significant impact on seismology worldwide.”
Tough Decisions re Rebuilding the CBD After an Earthquake – Christchurch, NZ
Image by jay galvin via Flickr
In an opinion piece in a NZ paper, the authors suggests that it is not possible to rebuild the Central Business District in Christchurch, NZ. The issues he raises should be pertinent to other communities facing rebuilding decisions.
CBD can’t be rebuilt – Bob Jones. Some of the essential information is as follows:
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.
It would be possible to build a new, smaller Christchurch CBD with high-rise office buildings to support a smaller retail base, if the office buildings were confined to a tight area. But while that is physically possible, it is absolutely not financially feasible for several reasons.
Related articles
- In limbo (bbc.co.uk)
Recovery Plans for Christchurch, NZ – a few perspectives and updates
One of the reasons I often report on the NZ earthquake efforts is that they provide a useful frame of reference for U.S. and other recovery planners. It reminds us of what enormous efforts are needed to manage tens of thousands of housing units and other structures after a major earthquake. See this article in the Sidney (Australia) Morning Herald, Sept. 5. NZ quake plan will save 10,000 homes.
Almost 10,000 earthquake-hit Christchurch homes have been saved from demolition in a draft recovery plan for the southern New Zealand city.
The long term strategy, which was released on Monday following a four-hour cabinet meeting in Christchurch, covers all aspects of the city’s $NZ25 billion ($A20.07 billion) rebuild.
Its release marks the anniversary of the first of a series of earthquakes that devastated parts of the city, beginning on September 4 last year.
- Another article, this one featuring the public debate that is about to take place re NZ Recovery Plans. Sept. 5.
- Delay in insurance payouts are discussed in this article. Sept. 6.
- The stay or go debate goes on, Sept. 8.
Related articles
- Huge Buyout Planned for Homes Damaged by Earthquakes in Christchurch, NZ (recoverydiva.com)
- N.Z. Quake Victims Are Impatient with Recovery Process. (recoverydiva.com)
N.Z. Quake Victims Are Impatient with Recovery Process.
Image via Wikipedia
It is understandable and predictable that victims of the N.Z. earthquakes are getting impatient with the recovery process. Similar concerns have been expressed in Japan as well, lately. See this article detailing the N.Z. situation: New Zealand’s Christchurch still on knees from quakes.
The once-bustling business district here resembles a wasteland. Along the closed, empty streets lie piles of bricks and steel. Handmade signs hang on the fencing that marks off a large stretch of the city center. “Welcome to Limboland,” says one. Another asks, “When is the recovery starting?”
Damaged buildings in Christchurch, New Zealand, remain abandoned. The aftershocks of February’s earthquake have not only caused deaths but also hindered rebuilding efforts.
The magnitude-7.1 earthquake that hit Christchurch 10 months ago did not directly cause a single death. But there have been more than 7,300 aftershocks, including an especially bad one in February that killed 181 people. The repeated shaking has knocked the city, New Zealand’s second largest, to its knees and kept it there, repeatedly frustrating efforts to get the rebuilding started.
Related articles
- New Zealand’s Christchurch still on knees from quakes (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Aftershocks shake Christchurch, N.Z. (cbc.ca)
Recovery Diva 