Five years after big quake, city's heart 'missing'

Atmosphere in downtown Christchurch 'is dead', with bureaucracy faulted for inaction

Five years after an earthquake in Christchurch killed 185 people and destroyed hundreds of buildings, some residents have taken to calling it the "Donut City". The ravaged city center is still largely an empty core, and it's unclear how long it will remain that way.

Bickering and uncertainty have stalled rebuilding efforts, which some property owners now view as a lost cause. Grass pokes up from fenced-off walkways. Damaged buildings sit abandoned and tagged with graffiti. Christchurch's iconic Anglican cathedral is a crumbling ruin with an uncertain fate.