Abstract:
More than 7000 homes located in Christchurch’s Residential Red Zone were designated for demolition following the 2010/2011 earthquakes resulting in over 400 hectare of new open space inside the Christchurch urban boundary. The reason for the designation was due to poor soil conditions.(Residential Red Zone Fact Sheet, 2011) This means the foundations were unstable and there was also changes in the ground levels caused by earthquakes in the area. The post-earthquake ground condition increased the chance of flooding in these zones. This is not entirely unexpected as it is known that Christchurch is built on swamp land, which was originally an abundant wetlands area.(Wilson, 1989) This thesis aims to develop a proposal for the use of the open land and turn it into a viable resource for the city. The area designated as the Residential Red Zone contains precious soil types (Class 1 – 3 soil types), indicating the areas are highly favourable for food production. Taking that as a clue, this thesis proposes an urban agricultural practice integrated with contemporary society. Further, after studying the current centralized food production model, and identifying that it has a number of environmental drawbacks and unsustainable dependencies, the idea to create a decentralized food system for cities would create food security at low environmental impacts. This thesis explores the feasibility of pursing food resilience in Christchurch with three components in mind: Ecology, Urban Participation and Cultural Activities. First through unearthing Christchurch’s hidden waterway, a new and extensive urban fabric is formed that supports farmland irrigation. Then with the studies and identification of various soil types different modes and scales of urban agriculture can then be implemented. The core idea of a decentralized food network is to invite local citizens to participate in the food production processes. To support this network, a series of infrastructure was designed to host local food related activities, including: agricultural educational and training programs, public events and recreational activities. Beyond the question of urban agriculture, this thesis explores the future of urban development. Food is seen as one of the nodes that opens up a study of the intertwined urbanrural relationship. This thesis hopes to serve as a guide for the co-planning of a food oriented resilient society.