Growing a sustainable future for Ōtautahi Christchurch

Powered by GHD, alongside industry partners, our Smart Seeds programme offers unparalleled learning experiences, nurturing the leaders of tomorrow and encouraging them to question the status quo. Our commitment lies in empowering emerging leaders with the skills of innovation and leadership, fostering diverse perspectives and expanding professional networks.

At Smart Seeds, we are dedicated to supporting our clients in achieving a balanced approach that benefits both present and future communities. We recognise that today's challenges require innovative, integrated solutions. With this in mind, we brought our key clients and partners together to discuss these issues and identify the most pressing challenges facing the Ōtautahi Christchurch region. Our focus on mobility, asset transition, adaptation and resilience, access and equity, and housing has led us to two critical issues that demand attention: asset transition and adaptation and resilience.

Building upon these key areas of focus, we developed two challenges for our teams to tackle: Climate Shock and Reimagined Assets. Climate Shock seeks to protect communities from natural disasters and ensure that Ōtautahi Christchurch is fully prepared for the future. Reimagined Assets explores how we can create innovative and sustainable solutions that transform existing resources into new spaces or assets for the community.

We officially launched our Ōtautahi Christchurch programme in May, marking the beginning of an incredible journey of growth and transformation for our participants. The programme brings together 24 emerging leaders from a range of organisations, including Anthony Harper, Christchurch City Council, Christchurch City Mission, City Care Water, EY, Lyttleton Port, St Johns and GHD. These bright minds have formed four teams, pooling their talent and expertise to tackle the challenges.

Teams have been diligently researching, reframing problems and engaging in collaborative idea generation to unravel innovative solutions. We are committed to supporting participants every step of the way – providing them with necessary resources, training workshops and essential skills that are instrumental in transforming their ideas into tangible realities. Our goal is to empower participants to become catalysts for positive change within their organisations and communities. By equipping them with the necessary skills, knowledge and mindset, we are confident that they will make a lasting impact and contribute to a more sustainable and innovative future.

About GHD

GHD is a leading professional services company operating in the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. Committed to a vision to make water, energy, and communities sustainable for generations to come, GHD delivers advisory, digital, engineering, architecture, environmental and construction solutions to public and private sector clients. Established in 1928 and privately owned by its people, GHD’s network of 12,000+ professionals is connected across 160 offices located on five continents.