Cityscape sits down with Mike Percasky and gets the scoop on new developments and the new laneways popping up around the city.

Why should locals come into the central city to explore? It amazes me to hear some local Cantabrians still haven’t made it back into the CBD yet after the earthquakes. Thousands of people have worked so hard over the past eight years and have turned a pile of rubble into one of the coolest cities. There is so much going on and every day something new opens up. All we need now is for locals to embrace their new city and to start using it on a daily basis.

What are some of the hidden gems among the laneways as the city develops? I really like the Box Quarter. It is such an interesting concept for a building and not something you will find anywhere else in the country. It houses such an eclectic mix of tenants including amazing food offerings, retail, office workers, Airbnb rooms and is also home to RDU. It’s a great example of true mixed use.

What are the challenges/opportunities for businesses within the laneways? The biggest challenge for the laneways is convincing people to come and use them. So many people have put everything they own into the shops, restaurants and bars that open out onto the laneways and they just need more people to come and support them. In a normal city, laneways would evolve over decades and each year, new layers would be added to create the ‘personality’ of that laneway. All our laneways are still infants, so our challenge is to try to enhance our laneways in a way that isn’t too contrived or forced. We are lucky in Christchurch to have so many retail and hospitality pioneers who are embracing our new city and giving it a go as they are the people who will stamp their identity on the laneways.

Of all the laneways and spaces within the central city, which is your favourite? I’m a bit biased, but I really love the way the SALT District is developing. It is organically evolving down the same line as the pre-earthquake High St/Poplar lane area. It is gritty and interesting. It’s great that there is a little corner in the new CBD where alternative retailers can feel at home. I feel that this area could become a real community which is so important in modern cities.

What does the future of the inner city look like? Each summer I am stoked to see more and more people venturing back into the CBD and it gives us all hope that we are on the right track. Although Christchurch still has a way to go before we can all say the rebuild is finished, I feel we have turned a corner in the last year. We are really close to getting the critical mass of offerings to encourage people to come into the CBD on a regular basis to shop, eat, meet and play. I’d love to see heaps more people living in the CBD soon and encourage the council and government to do whatever they can to make this a reality. I think the stadium will be a huge boost for the CBD and I would like to see that fast tracked. Once again I’m a bit biased, but I think the Riverside Farmers Market will be an important anchor in the new CBD, offering experiences that people won’t be able to find in a mall. For me that is the key to the success of the new CBD; we need to create places that people want to seek out and drive across town to be part of.