Business Recovery from Disaster: Where did the CBD businesses go?

Pacific Rim Real Estate Society 20th Annual Conference, 2014

The Christchurch earthquakes brought to an abrupt halt a process of adaptive reuse and gentrification that was underway in the south eastern corner of the central business district. The retail uses that were a key to the success of this area pre-earthquake could be characterised as small, owner operated, quirky, bohemian, chaotic and relatively low rent. This research reports on the progress of a long term, comprehensive case study that follows the progress of these retailers both before and after the earthquakes. Findings include the immediate post-earthquake intentions to resume business in the same location as soon as possible were thwarted by government imposed cordons of the CBD that were only lifted nearly three years later. But, businesses were resilient and generally reinvented themselves quickly in alternative suburban locations where government "rebuild" restrictions were absent. It remains to be seen if this type of retail will ever return to the CBD as government imposed plans and the rents demanded for retail space in new buildings appear to preclude small owner-operated businesses.

… FOR EARTHQUAKE …, 2011

The Canterbury region of New Zealand experienced four earthquakes greater than MW 6.0 between September 2010 and December 2011. This study employs system dynamics and brings together data collected via surveys, case studies and interviews with organisations affected by the earthquakes to show how systemic interactions and interdependencies within and between industry and geographic sectors affect their recovery post-disaster. The industry sectors in the study are: construction for its role in the rebuild, information and communication technology which is a regional high-growth industry, trucking for logistics, critical infrastructure, fast moving consumer goods (e.g. supermarkets) and hospitality to track recovery through non-discretionary and discretionary spend respectively. Also in the study are three urban centres including the region's largest Central Business District which has been inaccessible since the earthquake of 22 February 2011.

Sustainability

In the last two decades, the retail sector has experienced unprecedented upheaval, having severe implications for economic development and sustenance of traditional inner-city retail districts. In the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, this effect has been exacerbated by a series of earthquakes in 2010/2011 which destroyed much of the traditional retail precinct of the city. After extensive rebuild activity of the city’s infrastructure, the momentum of retailers returning to the inner city was initially sluggish but eventually gathered speed supported by increased international visitation. In early 2020, the return to retail normality came to an abrupt halt after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study uses spending and transaction data to analyze the compounding impact of the earthquake’s aftermath, shift to online shopping, and the retail disruption in the Christchurch central retail precinct because of COVID-19. The findings illustrate how consumers through their spend...

Pacific Rim Property Research Journal, 2012

The 22 February 2011 Canterbury earthquake had a devastating impact on Christchurch property with significant damage caused to land and buildings. As at March 2012, around 747 buildings have been demolished in central Christchurch. In addition, around 165 buildings have either been partially demolished or identified to be partially demolished (CERA, 2012). The broad aims of the research were to (i) examine the nature and extent of the CBD office relocation, (ii) determine occupier's perceptions of the future: their location and space needs post the February earthquake, and the likelihood of relocating back to the CBD after the rebuild, and (iii) find out what occupiers see as the future of the CBD, and how they want this to look. To address these issues, an online survey was developed. Potential respondents were obtained from two sources: 275 suburban office occupier contact details obtained from a physical survey of office occupiers as of August 2011, and 368 contacts obtained from a business database held by CB Richard Ellis. With a 22% response rate, 55% of respondents were relocated CBD occupiers and 45% were existing suburban office occupiers. Results indicate that 66% of respondents have reduced their office size since the earthquakes. Half of businesses are paying less rent than before the earthquake, probably due to 45% of respondents being in poorer quality space. More than a quarter of relocated tenants have signed leases of one year or less, and 27% of businesses are now working out of residential premises. Of the businesses that relocated out of the CBD the biggest group (38%) want to return to the CBD into low-rise buildings of 3 floors or less (80%) that meet Earth Quake codes with good amenities and public transport. The speed of rebuild is important to respondents.

resorgs.org.nz

Resilient Organisations Research Report 2012/09, 2012

The tourism industry suffered significant losses as a consequence of the Canterbury earthquake sequence. The sequence began in September 2010, followed by a significant aftershock in February 2011 that caused an unprecedented and sustained reduction in tourism arrivals to the city of Christchurch and the wider region. This paper reports empirical findings from an impact and recovery survey of Canterbury tourism operators one year after the earthquake sequence began. Results illustrate the different impacts experienced across three tourism sub-sectors; activity/attraction, accommodation and visitor transport. These were largely a consequence of location and degree of damage coupled with the drop in international visitor arrivals.

Business and Post-Disaster Management: Business, Organisational and Consumer Resilience and the Christchurch Earthquakes, 2016