The Open City website is full of sweet, free things you can do in Christchurch.
Each activity has been suggested by locals and visitors - and include things like an awesome tree swing at the Botanic Gardens, checking out 2,500 year old Greek vases, and jamming on instruments made from junk.
Coralie Winn, Gap Filler Co-Founder, says Open City is all about unlocking our city’s best secrets.
“Open City delivers you your own Christchurch secrets to locate and explore. It might be a good climbing tree in the Botanic Gardens, an interesting courtyard within a new building, or a great place to feed the eels,” says Coralie.
“These little secrets and more have been suggested by locals as well as visitors. Each adventure helps you get to know your city better through someone else’s eyes.”
Coralie says Open City is all about celebrating the undervalued, sweet, free things to do in Christchurch.
“At the heart of this project is questioning how we give value to things in our city; very often the things we value the most don’t cost money.”
Open City is a collaboration between Gap Filler and the All Right? campaign. Sue Turner, All Right? manager, says Open City will help Cantabrians reconnect with their city.
“As more and more people return to our city centre it’s important to find ways to help them reconnect with a place that’s now very different from what it was pre-quake. One of the best ways to do this is sharing people’s own ideas on great things to do in our city.”
Sue says each activity aligns with one of the Five Ways to Wellbeing - connect, take notice, give, be active and keep learning. These actions are scientifically-proven to improve wellbeing.
Remember the Open City parking meter in the Square? It's moved from the Square to 132 Manchester Street (close to the Tool Lemdery and 03Eatery)
Add your own ideas
A key part of the Open City project is encouraging Christchurch locals to contribute their own ideas of sweet, free things they love about Christchurch.
“The Open City website allows anyone to upload their favourite sweet, free things to do city-wide,” says Sue.
“We really want to encourage people to add their Christchurch secret gems to the website. The key thing is they must be free.”
For more information, and to add your own favourite sweet, free thing to do, go to www.opencity.org.nz
