Understanding neighbourhood change

This thesis explores what effects gentrification can have on the urban environment, and how neighbourhood change is connected to and affected by global trends and local planning strategies. The analysis draws upon an empirical study carried out in a gentrifying area in Vancouver, the Downtown Eastside, which has Canada’s largest community of concentrated urban poor. The empirical material consists of data collected by the author, with an emphasis on site observations, attendance on public planning and community meetings and interviews. The study focuses on the street and the sidewalk as public space and discusses these spaces through the lens of theory on gentrification and urban justice. The study shows that gentrification has an impact on the street life and the physical space of the study area. The Vancouver Downtown Eastside is interpreted as a socially and economical problematic area, and the City of Vancouver attempts to carry through changes according to the concept of “revitalization without displacement”, something which this study confirms can be hard to implement successfully. Further, this thesis argues the importance for landscape architects and planners to take on an active role in creating more just and diverse cities, where segregation between socio-economic groups attempts to be avoided. Through being advocates of the urban commons and public space, where equality, diversity and processes of learning from our fellow citizens are in focus, rather than creating landscapes of consumption, this thesis argues that the profession of landscape architecture and planning can contribute to making our cities more just