The thesis analyzes policies and programs appropriate in responding to the decline of
the Victory Square Concept Planning Area, which was once at the heart of Vancouver.
This topic is important in light of similar situations throughout North America. Victory
Square is located within the larger Downtown Eastside, whose fractious political climate
may reduce the likelihood of success in future community undertakings. The thesis
reviews relevant economic theory and the merits and methods of public sector
intervention. Questions are raised as to how seriously the City has taken the problems
of the Square area from an historical perspective, how effective its current policies are
and whether the VSCPA is a legitimate planning area. A Community Economic
Development approach is advocated due to the shortcomings of "traditional strategies.
Vancouver's unique post-Fordist economy has encouraged the growth of the Victory
Square Concept Planning Area's creative design sector, which has been accompanied
by an increase in cultural and educational institutions. In order to increase retail activity,
three strategies are available. Retailing is important not only for individual
entrepreneurs and potential employees but because it also businesses and ancillary
services, while serving the increasingly integrated production system. A larger
population would include some higher-income singles, more working women and
career-oriented professionals/managers with greater disposable incomes and pursuit of
leisure and cultural activities. The author advocates legalization of illegal and lower-rent
artists lofts, the encouragement of residential development and heritage conversion as
well as limited tourism. Although heritage conservation activities are often viewed as
precursors to gentrification and cost benefit evidence is non-conclusive, it can create
youth employment and a diversity of social and mixed-income housing and commercial
space. The main issue for heritage property developers is whether the value of a
structure after rehabilitation exceeds the hard, soft and rent-up costs of acquisition,
rehabilitation, operation and disposition. While increased economic activity will
hopefully raise the income of all local residents, this cannot be assumed nor would
such change be immediate. Effective public policy-making, partnerships and private
sector initiatives should be mobilized to restore and renovate a judicious mix of heritage
structures into a viable combination of mixed-residential, retailing, office and public
space, while striving to maintain services and accommodation for the low-income
population.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/9355 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Bennett, Paul Mackenzie |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
Page generated in 0.003 seconds