Christchurch The Best Run City in the World
The scenery is gorgeous, the pace is relaxed.
If writers from the U.S. magazine Governing were considering emigrating to New Zealand, it looks like they would choose Christchurch as their destination.
The American based Governing Magazine visited Christchurch and it looks like they fell in love. Writing in the October 2001 issue, Jonathan Walters began by saying:
"Set dramatically at the eastern edge of the sweeping Canterbury Plain, with the Southern Alps mountain range in the background, the city of Christchurch looks like a New Zealand version of Boulder or Berkeley. The scenery is gorgeous, the pace is relaxed, and the centre of town is sprinkled with old-fashioned pubs, ethnic restaurants, local shops and international boutiques. The laid-back quality of life seems somehow to be symbolised by the shallow, meandering Avon River, which forms a serpentine park running through the heart of downtown. But the easy informality of Christchurch belies something very interesting and important: It is the best-run city in the world."
Christchurch was praised for:
>> Buses that go everywhere frequently.
>> Streets that are litter-free.
>> Begging is virtually unheard of.
>> The law enforcement presence is so subtle as to be almost subliminal.
>> The crime rate is ludicrously low.
>> Amenities abound, from museums and community theatre to indoor pools and vast stretches of rugby pitch.
>> There is a public library within walking distance of almost every neighbourhood in town.
>> The distribution of resources among different areas of the city is presented much more openly than it would be in most American cities of comparable size, and it is clearly aimed at illustrating for all residents the diffusion of spending citywide.
When he learned of Governing Magazine's view of the city, Mayor Gary Moore said, "It's the sort of achievement that is going to take us all some time to absorb. It adds up to a realistic view. Our challenge now is how to make a great city even better. Perhaps a good first step for us all will be to take pride in our achievements as a city and build from that base. Let's try to make the world's best-run city even better."
