Post-Quake Progress in Christchurch, New Zealand

The 6.3 magnitude quake killed 184 people in the city on February 22, 2011.   

           

Most businesses in the town's commercial district collapsed or had to be demolished.  

            

One year later, colorful shipping containers have been built, housing restaurants and shops.  

            

Many see this as a chance to start over.  

            

[Roger Sutton, CEO, Christchurch Earthquake Recovery]:          

"You know some people feel really energized. The fact that we are going to rebuild a CBD (Central Business District), rebuild a CBD from nothing and build something much more vibrant, much more interesting than we had before. So it's a city of opportunity for a lot of people."  

            

But for many, there are lasting damages.    

          

[Fran Vertue, Clinical Psychologist]:             

"Whether someone that you love has died, or that you have survived but with the most horrific injuries that have changed your life for ever, or your business was lost in the earthquake, or every part of your daily life has been disrupted. The businesses that you've dealt with all you life have disappeared or moved somewhere else. Everything has changed, it takes twice as long to get across the city as it did before. So, the whole landscape of the lives of people in Christchurch have been changed by these earthquakes."  

            

A memorial is planned for Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the quake.