Geospatial field trip: Christchurch

About this virtual field trip

In this virtual field trip you'll:

• discover how GPS, GIS, aerial imagery and 3D models are used to understand and map Christchurch
• discover how place names connect people with the history, culture and geography of Christchurch
• explore how geospatial information supports emergency response and recovery following earthquakes
• explore how open data and crowdsourcing can be used to create useful maps
• learn how aerial imagery helps people understand changing landscapes and plan new developments.

Video series

Mash-ups and open data

Main themes

• How students at St Bede's College Christchurch use open data to create an application.
• About data mash-ups - workshops where people use data to understand a problem and design solutions.
• Solving problems by combining different datasets in a data mash-up.
• Open data.

Key takeaways

• Open data can be used to create new information and tools.
• Combining datasets can reveal useful connections.

Canterbury schools building footprints

Featured expert: Jeremy Severinsen, Portfolio Manager, LINZ.

Main themes

• Crowdsourcing geographic information.
• Students contributing to real world geospatial information.
• Connecting classroom learning with practical mapping.
• Building footprints for emergency response.

Key takeaways

• Geospatial technology can help learners understand their local environment.
• Crowdsourcing lets many people contribute to useful location datasets.
• Building footprints help services respond to earthquake emergencies.

What is your address

Featured expert: Jeremy Severinsen, Portfolio Manager, LINZ.

Main themes

• Why accurate property information matters.
• How addresses help identify and locate properties.

Key takeaways

• Accurate property data helps people identify the correct location.
• Reliable property information supports rating information and emergency management.

Christchurch a 3D city

Featured expert: Julian Carver, LINZ.

Main themes

• Using 3D models to represent Christchurch.
• Visualising how Christchurch looked in the past and exploring what it could look like in the future.
• Using location technology to support urban planning and understanding.

Key takeaways

• 3D models can help people understand changes to a city.
• Digital models make future developments easier to visualise.

SketchUp

Featured expert: Julian Carver, LINZ.

Main themes

• Using the 3D model warehouse tool SketchUp.
• Editing and adapting existing 3D models.

Key takeaways

• 3D models can help visualise places and buildings.
• 3D technology can help show how a city has changed over time.

Aerial imagery

Featured expert: Andrew Ferrel, Aerial Imagery Manager, LINZ.

Main themes

• What aerial imagery is.
• How aerial imagery is captured and processed.

Key takeaways

• Aerial imagery provides a view of the landscape from above.
• Imagery needs to be processed before it can be used effectively.

Capturing information to make maps

Featured expert: Andrew Ferrel, Aerial Imagery Manager, LINZ.

Main themes

• Capturing geographic information from aerial photography.
• Taking measurements from aerial photography.
• Turning imagery into maps.

Key takeaways

• Aerial images provide detailed information about places.
• Information captured from imagery can be used to create accurate maps.

Using imagery - a school project

Featured expert: Andrew Ferrel, Aerial Imagery Manager, LINZ.

Main themes

• Using aerial imagery in a school project.
• Sharing aerial imagery as open data.
• Using geospatial imagery for practical learning and mapping.
• Council GIS viewer using open data.

Key takeaways

• City councils are one of the biggest users of aerial imagery.
• Information captured from imagery can be used to create accurate maps.
• Open data and aerial imagery help people understand and manage their property.

Changing landscapes

Featured expert: Andrew Ferrel, Aerial Imagery Manager, LINZ.

Main themes

• How landscapes change over time.
• The effects of the Canterbury earthquakes on Christchurch.
• Using historic aerial imagery to investigate changes to places.

Key takeaways

• Landscapes can change significantly through natural events and human activity.
• The Christchurch earthquake provides a clear example of rapid landscape change.
• Historic aerial images help us see and understand how areas change over time.

Aerial imagery for subdivisions

Featured expert: Andrew Ferrel, Aerial Imagery Manager, LINZ.

Main themes

• Aerial imagery and mapping.
• Planning new subdivisions.
• Using geospatial information to support planning decisions.

Key takeaways

• Aerial imagery gives planners a clear view of an area.
• Geospatial information supports better understanding of land and proposed development.

Place names and the NZ Geographic Board

Featured expert: Te Maire Tau, historian, Tuahiwi Marae.

Main themes

• How places in Aotearoa New Zealand are named
• The origins and significance of place names.
• The role of the New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB).
• Māori history and connections to place.

Key takeaways

• Place names reflect the history and identity of an area.
• Māori place names can preserve important cultural stories and connections.
• The NZGB has a formal role in place naming.

The origin of place names

Featured expert: Te Maire Tau, historian, Tuahiwi Marae.

Main themes

• The origins and meaning of place names in New Zealand.
• How place names connect with New Zealand's geography and history.

Key takeaways

• Place names reflect the history and identity of an area.
• Place names form an important part of how we describe and understand locations.

Settling in Christchurch

Featured expert: Te Maire Tau, historian, Tuahiwi Marae.

Main themes

• Settlement history of Māori in Christchurch, and it's relevence to the earthquake aftermath.
• How place names connect with New Zealand's geography and history.

Key takeaways

• Place names can reveal the history of an area and the people connected with it.
• Place names help us understand the historic use of land.

Ōtākaro Avon River

Featured expert: Te Maire Tau, historian, Tuahiwi Marae.

Main themes

• Ōtākaro Avon River and its tributaries and its importance to Māori.
• European settlement and use of the river.

Key takeaways

• Tributaries form an important part of the wider river system.
• The river, it's tributaries and their names tell the story of Christchurch and how people have interacted with the environment over time.

Geospatial field trip summary

Main themes

• Overview of the field trip in Christchurch.
• Practical uses of GPS, GIS, mapping, aerial imagery and other geospatial tools.

Key takeaways

• Geospatial tools have many practical applications, from environmental management to mapping communities.
• The field trip shows how technologies help collect, analyse and communicate information about our world.
• Location technologies support emergency management, disaster recovery and our everyday lives.

Key messages across the video series

1. Location information helps us understand places

Maps, aerial imagery, GPS and GIS help us understand where things are and how places change over time.

2. Geospatial technology helps us respond to change

Location information helps people understand the effects of events such as the Christchurch earthquakes and supports recovery, planning and rebuilding.

3. Open data allows location information to be reused

Making data openly available and contributing data allow people to create maps, applications and other useful tools.

4. Place names connect people with places

Place names can tell us about the history, culture and identity of an area. It can also help identify historical land use, useful for future planning.

Overall LINZ connection

The LINZ contribution focuses on helping people understand:

• how geospatial technologies help us understand and map places
• how our open data supports planning, emergency response and recovery
• how our geospatial information helps us understand land changes after events
• how place names connect people with the history, culture and identity of places.

More resources

Find resources related to field trips and location information:

Resources for LEARNZ virtual field trips