Christchurch, New Zealand
Rebuild City
"Still Under Construction Since 2011"
Official Coat of Arms
A shield bearing a crane rampant atop a half-finished cathedral, flanked by two anxious insurance loss adjusters, with the Avon River meandering beneath a banner reading 'Still Assessing Structural Damage'.
TripAdvisor Review
★★★☆☆ 3/5
"Lovely botanic gardens and the Avon River is genuinely charming, but half the city still feels like a giant building site with cranes as the skyline's main feature. The new-build cafes are lovely but there's an odd absence of old buildings, which is unsettling if you've seen photos from before 2011. Great day trip to Lyttelton though, if you can navigate the roadworks to get there."— Barbara Fenwick, Nelson
Property Listing
Charming character villa with modern seismic retrofitting, an unbeatable view of at least three active construction cranes, and easy access to a rapidly evolving CBD that changes practically every time you visit! Perfect for buyers who enjoy the thrill of watching a city permanently reinvent itself.
Twinned With
L'Aquila — Both cities know the unique bonding experience of rebuilding a cathedral for over a decade while insurance assessors argue among themselves.
Supporting Evidence
The ChristChurch Cathedral in the city centre was damaged in the 2011 earthquake and its reconstruction, still ongoing, has become such a fixture of local life that some residents joke it will outlive them.