Call for ‘co-housing eco village’ in red zone

The ‘‘world’s largest’’ eco village could be established in Christchurch’s residential red zone (RRZ), a sustainability academic says.

Highlighting her experience living in an American eco village, ecological economist Marjan van den Belt told a public discussion on RRZ ideas that the self-sustainable community worked well ‘‘against all odds’’. Van den Belt said she saw an opportunity to apply the same ‘‘big idea’’ in the regenerating city, possibly on a larger scale.

‘‘I think eco villages have a bit of a bad reputation in New Zealand. I think it has some association with a commune. And that’s a pity, because it really is a nice way to live.

‘‘What if this is an opportunity for the world’s largest co-housing eco village?’’

The village van den Belt had lived in had 27 houses built on a small section of a block of land the size of 48 rugby fields. Residents preserved the land’s stream and forest and a residential farmer produced food for the community, which worked on a ‘‘sociocracy’’ collaborativegovernment system.

People had their own private areas as well as shared spaces.

Other ideas suggested by panelists at Thursday’s event, Christchurch Conversations – hosted by Regenerate Christchurch, the Government and Christchurch City Council-owned entity in charge of developing the RRZ – included lining the land with native plants to attract native birds.

Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu senior whakapapa registration adviser Joseph Hullen spoke about the concept of ‘‘mahinga kai’’ – a place with cultural significance where food and other natural resources could be generated.

Public health professor Philippa Howden-Chapman suggested the RRZ could be used to address the housing crisis as homelessness and poor living conditions were a problem in the city.

‘‘I’ve never seen so many homeless people in Christchurch before.’’