The Influencers: Leeann Watson
The last few weeks have intensified the spotlight on Covid-19. We have seen changes in Alert Levels, which have again caused disruption in our community. However this time we were all better prepared, with systems and practices in place to be able to respond. This was foreshadowed by the announcement of the arrival […]
The Influencers: Lianne Dalziel
I was in a coffee shop the other day when someone asked me if I was the Mayor. Turns out she had recently moved from Auckland to take up a job here, and it was her chance to let me know how much she was enjoying the move. The rent she was paying […]
The Influencers: Joanna Norris
A growing number of Kiwis are eyeing up Ōtautahi Christchurch as a tempting place to live. Twenty per cent of those recently surveyed said they were open to relocating to Christchurch within the next five years. This is a great indicator of the vibrancy and profile of our city. We regularly gauge the perceptions of […]
The Influencers: Peter Townsend
Like many of you, I am sure, I have spent time over the Christmas break reflecting on the tumultuous events of 2020 and constantly reminding myself just how fortunate we are in New Zealand to be able to live relatively normal lives compared to so many others around the world. It is very clear we […]
The Influencers: John Bridgman
This month we will take a moment to remember all that Christchurch lost on February 22 a decade ago. It’s also a natural point to consider how far we have come in that time. Responsibility for the delivery of the Crown-led anchor projects was handed to Ōtākaro Limited in 2016. While a significant amount of […]
The Influencers: Marian Johnson
We have around 530,000 small businesses in New Zealand. This represents 97 percent of all commercial ventures, 28 percent of employment, and 25 percent of GDP – proving that the Kiwi entrepreneurial mindset is alive and well. Why then do we have so few start-up versus small business founders? What’s the difference between a small […]
Good things take time: WSP Architecture
The process of conceiving a civic project of importance can span not just months, but years and even decades. I’ve been lucky in my career to be involved in several pieces of public architecture, but none more interesting than the recently opened Heritage Centre on Rakiura Stewart Island. Born out of necessity to provide […]
The Influencers: Leeann Watson
Ngā mihi o te tau hou Happy new year! As I write my first Metropol column of 2021, I strongly believe the year ahead is full of possibility. We have come off the back of a tumultuous year, our lives upended by Covid-19 heralding a new normal in the way we live, and the way […]
The Influencers: Lianne Dalziel
This month sees the 10th anniversary of the earthquake that changed our lives and our city forever. We will always honour the memory of the lives who were lost, and we will always ensure the lessons we have learned remain embedded within our city’s way of doing things for the future. Our experience in the […]
Your new normal local: Ricoh Pandemic Pivot
Sitting on a bar stool surrounded by beautiful oak paneling, stained glass windows and traditional liquor advertising, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in a well-established pub in Ireland. T.Oloughlin’s however is in a suburban street in Ōtautahi Christchurch – sitting in front of a swimming pool in a leafy backyard. Measuring 4.2 […]
