Redevelopment seeks to bring about a "higher" urban land use in declining neighbourhoods and often may result in the dislocation of local residents. Since the mid—1960’s a form of privately-financed redevelopment has been a salient characteristic of the Gastown/Chinatown section of Vancouver's skid row. The hypothesis initiating this study postulated that the redevelopment occurring in this area, has caused and would continue to result in large-scale dislocation of the indigenous population. To obtain a greater understanding of socio-economic activites and effects in the area, three features of the community were investigated. The first two aspects set the foundation for inquiry, while the third feature enabled an analysis of the impact of redevelopment on the housing sector. The first aspect required an identification of the social attributes of the area and its residents; the second element involved an accounting of the magnitude of redevelopment -- both in terms of the area's changes in economic function and in economic value; while the third required an investigation of what impact on the resident population has resulted from redevelopment in the area's housing sector. Four major classes of residents -were found to predominate and inhabit approximately 2,200 dwelling units in need of major repairs, or complete restorations. Existing services — both public and private were found to be characterized by ineffectiveness and lack of resident participation in their programs. The vastness and rapidity of redevelopment in the area can best be characterized by the dramatic land and floor usage changes from industrial to commercial. Further the market values of properties in Gastown/Chinatown have undergone great increases, as have assessments and taxes — used as approximate indicators of property values. The housing sector, however, has not been a conspicuous component part of these redevelopment changes. Though redevelopers have invested in the purchase of residential properties which act as the triggering mechanisms in a sequential process of redevelopment, the other outlined sequences (i.e., eviction, rehabilitation, rent increases, and change in clientele composition) have not followed. In sum dislocation has not been a prominent characteristic in this community, and the hypothesis which initiated this study has been refuted. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

This study is essentially a descriptive report on where people move after being displaced by urban renewal projects. In particular, empirical research has been conducted on the displaced population of Vancouver's Urban Renewal Project 2. Information on the geographic dispersion of relocatees provides a partial basis for assessing the effects of relocation on the displaced population and on the community at large. A review of past Canadian and U. S. relocation patterns indicates that relocated families and individuals tend to settle close to their old neighborhoods. While the availability of low income housing nearby and an inadequate knowledge of housing opportunities elsewhere are partially responsible for this pattern, a more dominant influence on relocation patterns is the reluctance of many families to abandon the sub-culture of working class or low income areas. In light of past research, the following hypothesis has been formulated regarding relocation patterns for residents displaced by Project 2 in Vancouver: The given displaced population will exhibit a tendency to relocate within one mile of the renewal site. Post-relocation addresses have been traced for 73 households or 20 percent of the displaced population which did not move into public housing. An examination of the patterns of dispersion confirms the research hypothesis. Sixty percent of the 73 households traced resettled within one mile of the renewal site. Thirty-four of these households relocated in present and proposed renewal sites. Because of a lack of data on household characteristics and on housing conditions, only a tentative assessment of the effects of relocation can be made at this time. The dispersion pattern documented suggests that few residents were socially or psychologically prepared to move at the time of displacement. For many, relocation has probably been a disruptive and disturbing experience. The dispersion pattern also suggests that housing conditions for a large number of families and individuals either did not improve or were impaired by relocation. In view of the current housing shortage, particularly for low-income groups, relocation may have resulted in the further over-crowding of low-income dwellings and in the premature deterioration of part of the city's housing stock. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate