Thanks for asking

This week we got a mailing from the Christchurch City Council and CERA (Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority), inviting us to share our thoughts for the rebuilding of the central city.

We think it's really nice that Christchurch is at least making an effort to make it look like they will take our ideas and preferences into account. Thanks for asking, Christchurch!

What the city will look like when it's finally rebuilt is a subject of virtually every conversation we have with just about everyone lately. Everyone is wondering what will happen with our city. Will it come back bigger, better, stronger? Or will it be a miserable mess? I met a man this week who summed up my own sentiments very well: "I just hope they don't stuff it up!"

It's hard to put faith in our leaders to do this very difficult job well. But we have to. It seems like they're getting off on the right foot, at least. This newspaper mailer they sent us discusses "the five guiding principles" for the development of a central city plan:

1. Foster business development

2. Respect for the past

3. A long-term view of the future (including promotion of a green and sustainable garden city)

4. Easy to get around

5. Vibrant central city living

They talk about four key areas - "life, space, market, and move" - that will be vital to the redevelopment of our central city.

Clearly, they've got all the right buzz words happening. Hopefully they've got some vision behind those buzz words. We're thinking more, better public transportation, cafes and restaurants, tree-lined streets, and pedestrian malls. We'd like more green space too - a place to sit and let Quinn crawl around on the grass while we drink our flat whites. I was also hoping they'd build some of the new buildings out of brick. All the nice old character buildings have fallen down, it seems. It would be a shame if everything was rebuilt in concrete and glass.

We just hope they don't stuff it up.

Got a good idea for our city? Share it here.