[mhays]

That's sad. I hope they get it together.

So much of good city-building is about cramming new buildings into small and difficult sites, and into neighborhoods built over generations. That's how you get variety, efficiency, and a fine-grained sense of place. At minimum it can't be too prescribed...let a mix of uses happen and they'll happen. Some of that is the simple fact that some years are good for flats and others are better for offices or hotels, so over time you get a layer cake.

It would be interesting to hear Christchurch's challenges from the standpoint of development economics. Are those vacant lots unfilled mostly because planned precinct-specific buildings haven't happened yet, or mostly because infill is made too difficult?