The river corridor is probably the largest area of managed retreat in an urban centre worldwide. How can our experience inform processes of managed retreat elsewhere? The question is central to this project, which has developed a model of ‘retreat’, ‘relocation’ and ‘re-imagining’. Re-imagining asks how can the land be re-used for projects that further lower environmental and social risks.
Climate Adaptation
The Ōtākaro Avon river corridor subsided by up to a metre during the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010-13. This is about the equivalent of a century of sea level rise. The corridor is therefore both a large-scale example of managed retreat and an opportunity for experimentation in climate adaptation.
Otautahi’s experiences of managed retreat from its red zoned areas after the earthquakes
Projects by student groups about climate change adaptation and mitigation in the river corridor