Quake-hit NZ city aims to rebuild with campus feel

Essentially given a blank slate, government planners on Monday unveiled a blueprint for the city that replaces office towers with green spaces, urban apartments and innovation "hubs" they say will give the city the feel of a college campus. Under the plan, the city will be smaller, the buildings lower in height and constructed to higher earthquake standards.

The plan has been eagerly awaited. It has been nearly 18 months since the magnitude-6.1 quake struck, killing 185 people and irreparably damaging 1,400 downtown buildings including the century-old Anglican cathedral in the city center.

"It will be safe, modern, green and will leave a legacy that makes Christchurch one of the best places in the world to live and work for many generations to come," Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said in a statement.

Many residents have become frustrated at the slow pace of recovery in Christchurch. Hundreds of substantial aftershocks have hampered progress and made insurers skittish, while government and city officials, including Mayor Parker, have been accused of dithering and bickering. Even before the plan was released, some wondered if they would end up footing a chunk of the bill through rate hikes.

Yet for many, the plan is a welcome step forward. Some see it as a unique chance to correct problems in the city, such as an excess of older-style office space that was evident even before the earthquake. The plan also comes as the aftershocks appear to be finally abating.

Government officials have not yet identified an overall cost for the rebuild or specific funding sources for all the new projects. Nick Bryant, a spokesman for earthquake recovery minister Gerry Brownlee, said Monday that the funding will come from a variety of sources, including local councils, private investors, insurance payouts and from the central government, which has so far set aside 5.5 billion New Zealand dollars ($4.4 billion) for the recovery efforts.