Draft plan - Stuff

Green City
Introduction
Christchurch will promote
healthy, sustainable and active
living in the Central City through
the natural environment and
innovative green technology.
Christchurch has a strong garden city
identity with its parks, rivers, squares
and trees. Projects in the Green City
will enhance this unique natural
heritage, bringing it together in a diverse
park network and innovative green
technologies to celebrate Christchurch as
modern, resilient and green.
Through Share an Idea, the community
asked for more green open spaces for
socialising, leisure, recreation and
entertainment, and a range of green areas,
including pocket and larger sized parks,
with seating, picnic tables, playgrounds,
sculptures, street/public art and
amphitheatres.
They also said the Avon River/Ōtakaro
should be enhanced to become a key
asset for the city with continuous wide
walkways, cycle lanes, footbridges, cafés,
restaurants, vendors and lots of lighting.
Building design, they said, should
incorporate open space features,
including set backs from streets,
courtyards and rooftop gardens, and
Cathedral Square should become a focal
point of the Central City, with plenty
of green space, ground floor cafés,
restaurants and retail. They also asked
that Cathedral Square include seating,
water features and a playground.
In conversations with key stakeholders,
discussion topics included the resourceefficiency
of residential and commercial
buildings, and the use of renewable
energy; low-impact urban design;
opportunities to improve the Avon River/
Ōtakaro corridor and water quality, and
flood mitigation.
A modern green city with lots of activity,
full of people able to connect with nature
within a vibrant city centre is what is
planned. People will live and work in an
inviting and healthy environment, enjoy
fresh air, clean water and a wide variety
of recreational opportunities at their
doorstep.
More green spaces
where people can
relax and interact.
Bruce, Dallington
Christchurch will be a city within a
garden; a combination of exotic and
native plants will improve biodiversity,
especially native birdlife and vegetation,
and the city will care for the environment
and celebrate its influence on our lives by
creating places that help to tell the story
of the city’s past and reflect a sustainable
future.
The Green City projects aim to create
a connected network of green streets,
squares and parks offering a variety
of places and year-round activities for
all ages and abilities. The Avon River/
Ōtakaro will be celebrated, with an
expanded corridor. The ecological and
cultural health of the river and the
cultural values of Ngāi Tahu will be
recognised. Green features will be added
to Cathedral Square and eco streets will
become the new Central City standard.
We are called the
Garden City.
I’d like to see more
greenery and
flowers and pretty
trees. Need to live
up to our name, we
need colour.
Christine, Aranui
Key Projects
1 Avon River Park/Papawai Ōtakaro
2 Greening of Cathedral Square
3 Cranmer and Latimer Squares
4 Central city greenway
5 Community gardens
6 Pocket parks
7 Family-friendly parks
8 Eco streets
9 Greening the roof
10 District heating
11 Green pledge
12 Build it back green
13 Incentives for Green Star
A green Cathedral
Square - grass,
trees, gardens
- outdoor cafes
sheltered from
the wind. A place
where people
want to linger.
Marilyn, Parklands
Draft Christchurch City Council Central City Plan
28