After a series of devastating earthquakes between 2010 and 2011, the residents of Christchurch, New Zealand, participated in an extensive public engagement effort led by Gehl to collectively reimagine the city from the ground up.

In 2011, Christchurch suffered one of the worst earthquakes in its history. The inner city was worst affected, and the majority of casualties reported in high rise buildings. Analysis revealed that over 1500 building would have to be torn down due to critical structural damage. In the days following the quake, the city turned to Gehl to immediately begin framing a recovery response programme.

Gehl’s approach, which puts people at the forefront, was essential for Christchurch’s recovery efforts. The results of the City’s engagement process, that gathered a total of 106,000 ideas, informed the Framework Plan for Central City’s reconstruction. The plan aimed to build back better and included over 70 projects to be executed in 10-20 years, emphasizing a low-rise, resilient, safe, and sustainable city. 

To the team at Gehl and Christchurch City Council, a better city is one that promotes social, economic, cultural, and environmental well-being. Changes included neighborhood parks, a redesigned transportation network, and a plan to foster new investments. The plan prioritized a people-first approach, drawing inspiration from Christchurch’s inhabitants while contributing to the healing of quake-affected communities. One particular outcome of the public engagement efforts was a restriction on the height of new buildings to seven-stories. 

In 2012, the rebuilding of Christchurch was featured in the film ‘The Human Scale’.