The Counterproductive Revitalization
Due to structural hierarchies, social exclusion can occur within specific housing areas in a given society. To alleviate this problem, governments may develop projects to renew neighbourhoods that are highly concentrated with low-income individuals living below Canada’s poverty line. An example of this is the revitalization of Regent Park, a
“hypervisible, heavily stigmatized space in the core of a major city,” (James, 2015). Regent
Park is a neighbourhood in the Eastern sector of Downtown, Toronto that is known for its
“deteriorating buildings, poorly planned public spaces, and its concentration of some of the ills of urban life [such as] poverty, violence, drug use, and poor health and education,” …show more content…
The redevelopment of Regent Park deems counterproductive because it leads to the displacement of community members rather than creating an inclusive environment.
The purpose of the Regent Park revitalization is to shift this neighbourhood from a public housing community into a mixed-income, mixed-use neighbourhood. Inevitably, this change is meant to represent a positive redevelopment of a declining space. To build a sense of community, this project intends on building new parks, an aquatic centre, a new community centre, an arts and cultural centre, and new retail and commercial spaces,”
4
(Johnson, 2009). These additives hope to implement an accessible, diverse, equal, socially inclusive, and affordable neighbourhood for current and new residents. Sustainable environments embody an appropriate balance between economic, political, and social settings. However, it has been critiqued that this revitalization is further oppressing minority groups and the increase of commercial centers raises the value of this neighbourhood, thus making it unaffordable to current residents. Thus far, it is said …show more content…
Since this redevelopment intends on deconstructing all buildings and streets, it is evident that this is an attempt to completely alter and destigmatize the dynamic of Regent Park. I believe that an equal divide between economical development and meeting the desired social needs of residents would result in a successful revitalization. To avoid feelings of displacement and an unwanted sense of belonging, it is important to implement activities to appeal to all cultures of residents rather than attempting to normalize a Western culture. What makes Regent Park unique is the sense of community this group has with each other, thus, by taking this away, it imposes on their level of comfort and trust among their community. Additionally, there is no share of common values between classes. To compensate for feelings of displacement, organizers of this project need to show that their main focus is not to increase the value of these homes, but to show that they have the best interest for residents in mind.
The revitalization is a conflict over space because the same space has oppositional meanings among different groups of people. Subjectively speaking, this revitalization
Due to structural hierarchies, social exclusion can occur within specific housing areas in a given society. To alleviate this problem, governments may develop projects to renew neighbourhoods that are highly concentrated with low-income individuals living below Canada’s poverty line. An example of this is the revitalization of Regent Park, a
“hypervisible, heavily stigmatized space in the core of a major city,” (James, 2015). Regent
Park is a neighbourhood in the Eastern sector of Downtown, Toronto that is known for its
“deteriorating buildings, poorly planned public spaces, and its concentration of some of the ills of urban life [such as] poverty, violence, drug use, and poor health and education,” …show more content…
The redevelopment of Regent Park deems counterproductive because it leads to the displacement of community members rather than creating an inclusive environment.
The purpose of the Regent Park revitalization is to shift this neighbourhood from a public housing community into a mixed-income, mixed-use neighbourhood. Inevitably, this change is meant to represent a positive redevelopment of a declining space. To build a sense of community, this project intends on building new parks, an aquatic centre, a new community centre, an arts and cultural centre, and new retail and commercial spaces,”
4
(Johnson, 2009). These additives hope to implement an accessible, diverse, equal, socially inclusive, and affordable neighbourhood for current and new residents. Sustainable environments embody an appropriate balance between economic, political, and social settings. However, it has been critiqued that this revitalization is further oppressing minority groups and the increase of commercial centers raises the value of this neighbourhood, thus making it unaffordable to current residents. Thus far, it is said …show more content…
Since this redevelopment intends on deconstructing all buildings and streets, it is evident that this is an attempt to completely alter and destigmatize the dynamic of Regent Park. I believe that an equal divide between economical development and meeting the desired social needs of residents would result in a successful revitalization. To avoid feelings of displacement and an unwanted sense of belonging, it is important to implement activities to appeal to all cultures of residents rather than attempting to normalize a Western culture. What makes Regent Park unique is the sense of community this group has with each other, thus, by taking this away, it imposes on their level of comfort and trust among their community. Additionally, there is no share of common values between classes. To compensate for feelings of displacement, organizers of this project need to show that their main focus is not to increase the value of these homes, but to show that they have the best interest for residents in mind.
The revitalization is a conflict over space because the same space has oppositional meanings among different groups of people. Subjectively speaking, this revitalization