Martine August, Department of Geography and Program in Planning, University of Toronto

Year of publication: 2014

This academic paper examines the experience of residents of Toronto’s Regent Park, Canada’s first and largest public housing estate, through the process of regeneration and redevelopment.

In-depth interviews with over 30 tenants used to demonstrate the presence and value of local networks and services suited to the needs of residents of an area portrayed externally as a place of crime, deprivation and decay. The latter characterisation is partially true, but considered one-sided. Nevertheless, it has also been used as a justification for the redevelopment of Regent Park into a more densely developed, mixed income, mixed tenure neighbourhood.

The author argues that the redevelopment will not address the problems facing existing residents of Regent Park, and may undermine some of their more valued aspects of life on the estate.

Content type: Environment

Tags: Report

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