The large question is not whether abandonment can be avoided, gentrification controlled, displacement eliminated, or even how these things can be done, but rather whether there is the desire to do them. That is a question that can only be answered in the political arena.
Peter Marcuse, Abandonment, Gentrification and Displacement: The Linkages in New York City
Evergreen Brick Works Toronto
Throughout the redevelopment process, we sought the public’s ideas on how to interpret and program the site. One area of feedback that emerged in abundance was a desire to understand the worker's stories. Who worked here? Where did they come from and what were the working conditions like? My curiosity expanded to consider what forces caused the 100 year old factory to shut down. How had the city’s growth affected the factory? Where did the workers go when the factory closed down and what impact did that have on the neighbouring communities?
