GGR124 Assignment 3: Analyze urban change
Section 1: Background and Observations The King-Spadina area, often referred to as one of the “Kings” is situated in the downtown core, surrounded by Simcoe St. to the East, Front St. to the South, Bathurst St. to the West and Queen St. to the North. The area is bisected by King St. and Spadina St., and is adjacent to Toronto’s financial district. Historically, the King-Spadina Area was one of the City’s primary manufacturing and industrial areas, however the area fell into a long period of decline because of several factors including changes in the manufacturing processes, an increase in interactions between international markets allowing many companies shifted operations elsewhere . A period …show more content…
The area has been revamped and given a new identity in the last ten years or so, and is now a destination for stylish, high-end restaurants and clothing stores (IBI Group 2013). Land use in King-Spadina has shifted from an area focused predominantly on industrial and other employment uses to a district that has become a melting pot of new residential, commercial, and entertainment uses. During my observation at a cafe on King St., at the Aroma Espresso bar, I saw a number of people who looked to be in their late twenties to mid thirties, many of whom were on foot, and several on bikes. There weren't many cars, and people in this area seemed to be the type of people I’d pictured as a child when thinking of global cities like New York: stylish, busy and successful. Most of the old warehouses I’d passed by had been renovated into condos, and there were a number of construction sites dotted around. It was wonderful to see; these old buildings being brought back to life instead of being demolished or left to slowly …show more content…
The City is also waiting to invest in improvements, such as parks and ocean spaces (King-Spadina Residents Association, 2008). With only a little work to meet fire codes, a basement apartment can be added to a residence, greatly enhancing the property value, encouraging population growth, and consequently market growth for local businesses. When a cities revenue is based on the property value of their jurisdiction, they have an incentive to increase land value. Therefore Ontario's growth is credited to a slow and steady process of development and