Memory + Renewal: Equitable Development through the Reuse of Historic Buildings in Montreal's Chinatown

Type of resource
Author/collaborator
Title
Memory + Renewal: Equitable Development through the Reuse of Historic Buildings in Montreal's Chinatown
Abstract
Like many Chinatowns in Canada, Montreal’s Chinatown has been negatively impacted by suburbanization, urban renewal, and speculation. The author notes that while many buildings now sit vacant and in disrepair, new and out-of-character developments encroach upon Chinatown’s boundaries. The process of gentrification threatens not only the displacement of long-term residents and businesses, but the loss of valuable social networks and cultural representation as well. While recognizing the need for development, the author questions whether focusing efforts on the adaptive reuse of vacant and underutilized historic buildings as opposed to demolition and new construction can offer a more socially, environmentally and economically sustainable outcome in culturally-sensitive contexts. As a case study, the author looks at how a conservation-based approach to the reuse of the “Wing’s Block” can contribute to equitable development, promoting the revival, evolution and safe-keeping of Montreal’s Chinatown as a living community and as an important part of Chinese-Canadian history.
Type
Master's Thesis
University
Carleton University
Place
Ottawa, ON
Date
2023
# of Pages
xvi-188-[10]p.
Language
en
URL
Citation
Lengies, Melissa Mei-Zhen. “Memory + Renewal: Equitable Development through the Reuse of Historic Buildings in Montreal’s Chinatown.” Master’s Thesis, Carleton University, 2023. https://repository.library.carleton.ca/concern/etds/gf06g3962?locale=en.
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