As we rebuild our city, we need to retain and build upon our garden city heritage in new and innovative ways.

As development intensifies in the future it will be important to ensure a network of green spaces in the city which will benefit residents and visitors alike. The community has shown increased interest in community gardens and orchards. Garden cities are more sustainable and liveable cities. Research has shown the public health benefits of people living and working in areas which are full of plants and green spaces.

What this means for our district

  • Residents are proud of the city and celebrate its identity.
  • Public places and buildings incorporate green spaces and vegetation.
  • Area of green coverage/biomass within the urban boundary.

How we are contributing

We are proud of the role that maintaining our beautiful parks and gardens plays in the city's identity. The Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park are at the heart of the city. We support a number of tree planting days, and encourage residents to keep the city tidy.

How you can help

Get involved with community gardens. Take the family to tree planting days in your neighbourhood, on the Port Hills and Banks Peninsula. Take pride in your own garden and keep it tidy to help keep your neighbourhood looking its best. Volunteer for efforts such as the annual Mother of All Clean Ups(external link), to help clean up local rivers and estuaries.

How we are doing 

Status What do we want to achieve? What has happened?
Mixed result
Mixed Results

Sense of pride in Christchurch

Residents' sense of pride in the city has improved from a post-earthquake low of 33% in 2012 to 44% in 2018. Further information.
Positive result
PositiveResult

Christchurch as a place to live, work, play and visit

Since the earthquakes, an increasing proportion of residents agree that Christchurch is a great place to live. In 2018, almost three quarters agreed it is a great place. Further information.
Snapshot
SnapshotOnly

Garden City identity

In 2016, over 80% of respondents felt that the garden city image is somewhat or extremely important to the city's identity. Further information.

Sense of pride in Christchurch

Prior to the earthquakes, the Quality of Life survey found respondents' sense of pride in the look and feel of Christchurch City had decreased from 84% to 68% between 2002 and 2010.

Unsurprisingly, the earthquakes had a significant impact on people's sense of pride, with only 33% feeling a sense of pride in the city in 2012. This proportion has since increased to 44% in 2018, and the proportion who disagreed or strongly disagreed has declined from 44% to 27%. 

Nationally, 60% of respondents felt a sense of pride in their city, with 16% not feeling a sense of pride in their city.

Christchurch as a place to live, work, play and visit

Satisfaction with Christchurch as a great place to live has only been asked in the Quality of Life survey since 2012, so it only captures a post-earthquake view. 

In 2012, when the city was still experiencing aftershocks from the earthquakes and the city was significantly damaged, 64% of people agreed or strongly agreed that Christchurch was a great place to live. Since then, this proportion has increased to 73% in 2018.

The proportion who disagree that it is a great place to live has steadily decreased since 2012, from 20% to less than 10%.

Importance of the garden city image

Christchurch is known as New Zealand's garden city. In 2016, the Life in Christchurch survey asked how important the garden city image was for the city's identity. Forty six percent of respondents thought the garden city image was extremely important and an additional 36% thought it was somewhat important.

The 2018 Life in Christchurch survey asked respondents about Christchurch's Garden City identity, and the importance of key aspects contributing to this identity.

Around 94% of respondents indicated that heritage gardens and parks contributed either a great deal or a fair amount to our Garden City identity. Street trees and gardens, Hagley Park and neighbourhood parks were also identified as being important by over 90% of respondents.

Further information

Please email monitor@ccc.govt.nz for further information.

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Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in processing, analysing and reporting the information provided in these web pages and reports. However, the Christchurch City Council gives no warranty that the information in these web pages and reports contain no errors. The Council shall not be liable for any loss or damage suffered consequent upon the use directly, or indirectly, of the information supplied in this publication.