Future Christchurch: Innovation Economy

Abstract

Innovation Economy is a post-industrial branch of economic thinking which puts the importance of knowledge based commodities at the centre of a nation's growth. The significance of this line of thought in the scale of New Zealand has often been brought up in order for the country to progress beyond its continually declining prosperity ranking within the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The knowledge based industries commonly associated with global knowledge cities will be key to this progress (Callaghan, 2009). Christchurch displays a potential of being an emerging knowledge city by signaling a paradigm shift away from labor intensive sectors, towards an employment landscape that is based on innovation and the creation of intellectual property. This is apparent from the steady growth of its knowledge based sectors (E.g. the Information, Communications and Technology sector), as well as the significant decline of the city's once prominent manufacturing industries over the past 5 years (CCC, 2010). In order to continue foster this growth, the attraction and retention of critical mass is crucial and becomes part of the urban and architecture strategy. Another consideration to this growth will be the serendipitous nature of Innovation. As such it is important to note that it cannot be planned as a linear process (Komninos, 2009). In response to this idea, a bottom up methodology to master planning in the form of a dynamic land use zoning system is proposed to respond to emerging socio-economic demands. This methodology also informs the architecture language and contributes as part of a phasing strategy which looks for the future repurposing of the city's industrial corridor for high value business growth. As part of a larger framework of working within the future Christchurch initiative, synergy with other aspects of the economy will be considered as part of the design process to address the interdependent nature of the city. The collaborative process with the public, as well as private sectors will also be crucial in informing the design process.