Joe Bagazinski, 2014-15 New Zealand and Sydney Sustainable Business student blogger, writes:

After hearing about the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes I was not sure what to expect when visiting the city, but it turned out to be one of the strangest feelings I’ve ever had. I never knew the old Christchurch, but as I walked through the shadows of what the city used to be, I felt a mixture of despair and hope. From the city blocks and infrastructure, you could tell there was so much tradition and life within the city that had moved away. Many parks and public spaces still remain, but almost everything else vanished followed the natural disaster. Blocks and blocks of buildings were destroyed in the earthquakes and gravel lots now stand in their place.

After initially seeing only the destruction, it was after having been in the city for a few days that I realized that Christchurch is as special as it ever was. Sure, many of the buildings have been reduced to piles of rubble, but the effort and drive of the residents is clear. Christchurch is a city rebuilding, and there is no hiding that fact, but it’s also one of the most unique cities I have ever visited. Everywhere you look, there is a pop-up organization or shopping place, such as Re:START, doing good to help the city. As a group, we visited a makeshift dance floor in the middle of the city, a few urban farms, and volunteered pulling weeds in gardens where buildings once stood.

During our time in Christchurch, I realized that a city is not made up of buildings and physical structures. A city is made up of individuals and spirit, and no matter what happens to the buildings, the spirit of Christchurch is evident in the heart of the city.

Christchurch is an extremely special city, and with the influx of new innovators and young people willing to put many thankless hours into improving Christchurch, there’s no doubt in my mind that it will be one of the most unique places on the face of the earth.

I never knew the old Christchurch, but I cannot wait to get to know the new one.