Posts by Sacha
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Hard News: An excellent evening in Newtown, in reply to recordari,
homemade humus
Mmmm
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Hard News: An excellent evening in Newtown, in reply to JackElder,
the lack of food seemed to encourage alcohol-based disinhibition from several of the participants
I believe it's fair to say that some would have needed no such excuse..
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Hard News: An excellent evening in Newtown, in reply to JackElder,
"But you're an epistomologist, not an ethicist!" I exclaimed with surprise.
For some reason I can see that as a line in Dr Haywood's next book.
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Hard News: About Arie, in reply to Kracklite,
I should vote Labour, liberal middle-class academic intellectual that I am... but I won't. I'll stick to my stereotype and be passive when it comes to the crunch - that is, I've a lot of good books at home and I'll be looking for a good one to read come election day. If they want my vote, then they can bloody well work for it
There are also other options than Labour or not voting..
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Hard News: An excellent evening in Newtown, in reply to Russell Brown,
Extremely. There was even philosophy.
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Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Matthew Poole,
it's definitely an irrational response to want a low rise-only Christchurch
I agree emotion is playing a big role right now, but aren't there also eco reasons for preferring say 3-6 storey buildings?
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Hard News: About Arie, in reply to Kumara Republic,
Paul Henry showed the way. Just use the system that already exists to hold broadcasters accountable for peddling anti-social crap in contravention of their license. That's the offical complaints system, and direct appeals to their advertisers. Filthy bullies like Lhaws do not go away if you ignore them.
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Hard News: About Arie, in reply to Rich of Observationz,
fluffy soft-left ethos of this place
Next stand-up argument is at yours :)
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Hard News: What Now?, in reply to philipmatthews,
I'm hearing a lot of people talking about the appeal of a low CBD
Same, but it will require a big re-adjustment of cbd land valuation which I can't see happening under this government - unless they find a way to generously compensate property owners and developers, naturally.
Some more thoughts about rebuilding the city, noting the parallels to - and differences from - 1930s Napier.
But according to urban historian Ben Schrader, there are pitfalls in comparing this with Christchurch's recent quake.
"The big difference is that the fire that followed the earthquake cleared Napier – they had a totally clear platform and they had to begin again. In Christchurch that hasn't happened to the same extent."
That's why, says Schrader, you can expect a lot more argument in the coming weeks over what old stuff needs to be rebuilt or repaired, and what should be swept away on a tide of modernity.
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Shrader says the argument reflects a long-standing culture clash between architects and engineers who tend to want to build new, versus heritage advocates who want to hold on to the past. In New Zealand, says Shrader, the architect and engineer bloc tends to have the upper hand, "which I put down to the progressive ethos in New Zealand – the idea that we are still a new society and we don't have much from the past that's worth protecting".
But to bowl or not to bowl is just one of the thousands of decisions to be made. Build high or low? Leave some ruins where they are? Dig up the rivers? Turn roads into cycle lanes, or pedestrian walkways? Relocate the CBD, or let the East go back to marshlands? Crush the malls that have hollowed out the city centre?
Other trashed cities rebuilt around the world hold lessons.
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Local perspectives on rebuilding Christchurch, including this:
In the 1980s and 90s, Britain held five "National Garden Festivals", each intended to kick-start the regeneration of derelict urban land. Urban planner James Lunday, now living in Auckland, was a master planner of the 1988 Glasgow festival, and says a similar event would provide a focal point for the regeneration of Christchurch.
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We did a masterplan, then the roads were built and trees were planted, then all the building areas were cleared and nations were asked to come and build a garden – like an expo. And during that time you have film festivals, arts festivals and people came from all over to see it.
Instead of asking for aid we were asking them to come and celebrate landscape; and after that we sold sites to the market. Some gardens were dismantled, but some became permanent parks.
How it would work in Christchurch is that you would stretch out internationally to stakeholders – large corporations like Microsoft and the governments of our major trading nations.
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It's just a mechanism for the recreation of the CBD, an impetus to get things tidied up. One of the things I'm scared about is the kneejerk reaction of "let's have an international conference, or an international competiton to see who can design Christchurch".
That's all paper. Let's work with the people of Christchurch to build the city they want, but let's have a close target for when we tidy up.
Imagine a Christchurch that only had two- to three-storey buildings, and the church spires and domes sitting above the skyline, and the trees sitting above the buildings. When you looked from the Port Hills you would see the spires and you would see sculptures and you would see tree cover, and the houses nestling under it. A very different city.