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Story: City planning

Christchurch's plan

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Christchurch's plan

Christchurch’s flat site made it easier to execute its plan. Centred on a central cathedral square, its grid was the most regular of the four settlements, the symmetry broken only by the course of the Avon River and two diagonal streets.

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Canterbury Museum

Reference: CMU 1559/2

Permission of Canterbury Museum, Rolleston Avenue, Christchurch, New Zealand must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Ben Schrader, City planning – Early settlement planning, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/map/25724/christchurchs-plan (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ben Schrader, published 3 March 2010, updated 26 March 2015.