This study explores the creation and proliferation of urban entertainment
destinations i n two Vancouver neighbourhoods - Gastown and Granville Mall - and the
effect that these spaces are having on the delivery of urban policing services. This
analysis provides a basis for a critique of both the 'broken windows' thesis and consumer
culture.
Urban entertainment destinations (UEDS) are sites that utilize forms of
entertainment as a means of retailing goods and services. Unlike traditional notions of the
city, site operators, and increasingly consumers, view these areas solely as spaces of
consumption linked to pleasure. However, the marketing of many of these sites as
pleasure spots is problematic for site operators because of the pre-existence of various
forms of 'urban blight' that are commonly associated with the inner city.
In order to reduce, or eliminate, a number of 'quality of life' issues that plague
retailers and consumers, such as panhandling, graffiti, squeegees, street youth, and so on,
business improvement associations (BIAs), which function roughly as site operators,
demand an increased police presence. To augment existing public policing programs in
their areas, many BIAs are also contracting private security services to engage in 'broken
windows'-style policing in public spaces. Many of these services work cooperatively
with public programs.
The thesis advances three propositions. First, urban entertainment destinations
generate demands for both increased and diversified forms of policing. Second, these
demands for policing can be traced to modern consumption patterns and the mass media.
Third, these demands can translate into 'policing' practices that are not centered around
crime prevention or other strategies commonly associated with policing per se, but rather
have more to do with creating and maintaining images of safety and 'risklessness' in sites
frequented by consumers. / Arts, Faculty of / Anthropology, Department of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/11876 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Huey, Laura |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Format | 5494291 bytes, application/pdf |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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