Here is the fundamental reason why all the "GOOD WORK" the "experts" at
CERA and and the CCC and the government are doomed to fail.
It also explains why this forum is so inactive and why so little is
happening in the streets.
People have had trans-formative experiences in the last two years, and
we are full of new ideas because of that, but I have no confidence in
where the people in charge are leading us. Back to the past from what I
can see.
Here is a blog post from Layton Duncan, about the CCDU, posted on 19th
April, 2012.
Digging deeper into this Christchurch Central Development Unit
<http://ccdu.govt.nz> announcement from yesterday, the government just
did the following:
1. Took over all planning duties from the CCC
2. Added yet another abstraction between residents of the city and
those in control.
3. Adopted the excellent Central City Plan, developed and delivered by
the CCC on time, and with a world leading public consultation process.
4. Oh, except Volume 2 - the mechanism for actually achieving what was
outlined in Volume 1 - that's in the trash.
5. Oh and ignoring that transport part. That won't be considered either.
6. Almost forgot, they also didn't adopt the car parking restrictions
either.
7. Seems they're all about precincts. A simpletons approach to urban
planning, which unnecessarily enables crime, and social division and
intolerance.
Basically, the government has said they've 'Adopted' the CCC's draft
Central City Plan, but the reality is, they've just picked bits and
pieces to ignore, compromising the whole integrity and consistency of
the plan.
These things don't work piecemeal, things such as transport, parking,
building heights and building uses are all interdependent, picking bits,
and ignoring others from a cohesive plan is a recipe for disaster.
So, now we wait another 100 days for an 'action plan' on how the city
will start to be rebuilt, which explicitly excludes the consideration of
perhaps the single most important part of how cities function -
transport. How people are moved around cities drastically affects design
of buildings, where people live, and uses of those buildings.
The thing the government have forgotten (or perhaps never even
considered) in all this, is that cities aren't for developers, they're
not for investors, they're not even for businesses, they are for all
residents. It's not developers, or investors you need to pander to, it's
all residents. Plan a city placing residents as the most important
party, and the developers, investors, and businesses will follow.
I'm fairly certain these guys can't deliver the radical re-imagination
of how cities need to work in this century. Christchurch, unlike any
other city in the world, now has essentially a blank slate opportunity
to do that. This announcement doesn't inspire confidence that those in
power have the courage to do this. I hope I'm wrong.
It seems those who understand this need, must make it happen themselves,
resources and power be damned. Be the change you want to see in the
world etc.
I wonder if you could kickstart <http://www.kickstarter.com> a city?
Layton
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Layton Duncan was interviewed on National Radio this morning.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/20120908
(The audio is not yet available at the time of writing.)