Christchurch, New Zealand

Ten years after a devastating earthquake razed much of the city, Christchurch is fully in recovery mode, welcoming hotel, restaurant and public-space openings almost every month. The transformation can be best viewed with a walk along the new 1.2-mile-long Otakaro Avon River promenade. Highlights include the Riverside Market, an indoor farmers’ market; the Turanga library, which has been rebuilt to withstand seismic activity using sustainable materials; and the $475 million Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, a curved gray brick building with a flowing interior inspired by the Avon River (set to open later in 2021). And although vacant lots remain while rebuilding continues, they are regularly filled with creative and interactive installations such as hammock forests and a coin-operated dance floor. —Jessica Wynne Lockhart

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