CURA newsletter, May 2010
House to House: Special Edition on Neighbourhood Change in Toronto, 2005
CURA newletter, May 2005
Mapping Aging in Place in a Changing Neighbourhood in West-Central Toronto
This project engaged a working group of older adults to “map” how well Toronto’s West-central housing, neighbourhoods and health and social service agencies are equipped to support aging in place, and identified what barriers exist, as well as strategies to enhance the “livability” of these communities for older adults. The purpose of the “map” is to assist the community in recognizing, expanding and mobilizing individual and neighbourhood social capital to secure appropriate and accessible support to older adults and their caregivers. Overall, the working group identified three thematic clusters where greater accessibility is critical: in their housing, neighbourhoods and local health and social service agencies, to sustaining aging in place. Despite the rapid gentrification occurring in the neighbourhoods, surprisingly, the impact remains largely invisible to older adults and their service providers.
A Map of Aging in Place in Toronto’s West-Central Neighbourhoods
Toronto’s West-Central Neighbourhoods: A Profile of the St. Christopher House Catchment Area
Research Bulletin 29, June 2005, 8 pages. This research bulletin is contains a demographic profile of the catchment area of St. Christopher House, a neighbourhood-based, multi-service, non-profit organization in Toronto’s west end. The catchment area includes more than 100,000 people. The profile was prepared using 2001 census data, and includes data on population, household size and type, education, income, employment, immigration, ethnicity, and language. The information is also organized according to eight distinct neighbourhoods within the area: Dufferin Grove, Little Portugal, Niagara, Palmerston – Little Italy, Roncesvalles, South Parkdale, and Trinity – Bellwoods.
Taking the Pulse: Gauging Neighbourhood Change in Toronto’s Downtown West End
Research Paper 204, May 2005, viii, 68 pp. The authors of this paper administered and analyzed a household survey to provide St. Christopher House (SCH) with a better understanding of the issues facing the residents they serve. This research was designed to address three main questions: How do the residents perceive the changes occurring within the neighbourhood? How are these changes affecting their way of life in terms of housing, commercial activity, new residents, and safety? And what can be done to respond to these perceived changes? This research allowed residents to voice their concerns and views about neighbourhood changes. These concerns and views will be translated into policy and planning recommendations for the city, as well as for SCH, the main social service provider in Toronto’s West End.
Commercial Change in Toronto’s West-Central Neighbourhoods
Research Paper 214, September 2008, viii, 72 pp. This study explores how commercial change contributes to wider processes of exclusion and gentrification, as well as the resources available to counter this trend. The researchers studied three commercial strips in Toronto’s downtown West-Central neighbourhoods (West Queen West, Roncesvalles Village, and Bloordale Village), representing different characteristics and stages of commercial gentrification. The report focuses on themes such as ownership structure in relation to local investment; the politics of strip “branding,” and the role of immigrant-owned businesses in building social cohesion; the role of Business Improvement Areas in promoting local development and fragmenting the urban landscape; and the challenges and opportunities for business finance. The report concludes with some recommendations for policy and community organizing.