overview of development in jane-finch
TRANSCRIPT
A OVERVIEW OF DEVELOPMENT IN
JANE-FINCH – 1950S TO PRESENTACT for Youth CBR Presentation
WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES JANE-FINCH
“JANE-FINCH”?
“FACTS” COMMONLY TOLD ABOUT JANE
AND FINCH
…is one of the largest communities in Toronto
with approximately 140,000 residents
…is a major destination for new immigrants to
Canada
…has the highest density of public housing in
Canada
…has among the highest concentrations of
children and youth in Toronto
…has large number of single-parent families
“FACTS” COMMONLY TOLD ABOUT JANE
AND FINCH
…has among the highest rates of poverty in Toronto
…is the focus of nation-wide media and public attention, often framed in negative discourses about violence, urban decline and social dysfunction
These negative facts are often used to frame the area as a social/political problem in need of reform
When people say that Toronto is one of the World‟s most multicultural cities, they are usually not thinking of neighbourhoods like Jane and Finch but they should be!
JANE-FINCH INTERSECTION IN THE 1950S
Finch Avenue West looking
west from Jane Street, 1957
Jane Street looking north from
Finch Avenue West, 1957
JANE-FINCH INTERSECTION IN 1962
JANE-FINCH INTERSECTION IN 2008
THE POLITICAL ORIGINS OF JANE-FINCH –
1950S-1960S
In 1954, the Federal and
Provincial governments
expropriated 600 acres of
farmland in the area with the
intention of developing 3,000
low cost homes
Later, the majority of the land
(about 400 acres) was
transferred to the newly
established York University for
its campus
The remaining land was set
aside for mostly residential
development as well as
commercial, industrial and
recreational land use
1962 IN DISTRICT 10 – CITY PLANNERS DREAM OF A
MODERN URBAN COMMUNITY
In 1962, the area we now know as Jane-Finch was called “District 10” – a
planning unit in that period‟s urban planners‟ vision of good suburban
development
The plan was to develop the existing farm lots into a modern community with a
balance of low-, medium-, and high-density housing, employment,
commercial and social services
1962 District 10 Master Plan
Natural (Green)
Residential (Blue)
Commercial (Red)
Industrial (Grey)
Institutional (Yellow)
810
4105
13,990
21,085
23,535 24,325
1946 1960 1970 1980 1990 2006
Number of Housing Units in Jane-Finch, Selected Years
RE-FRAMING YORK U – LATE 1980S
RE-FRAMING YORK U – LATE 1980S
HIGH MODERNISM AT YORK – VIEWS OF THE
ROSS BUILDING
The 1960s were a peak moment in High Modernism – an architectural and urban design movement whose raw ingredients were order, division of space, and loads of concrete
MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE AT JANE-
SHOREHAM
MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE AT JANE-
SHOREHAM
MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE AT JANE-
SHOREHAM
THE POLITICAL ORIGINS OF JANE-FINCH,
CONTINUED
“Its situation adjacent to the suggested industrial
area and what will probably be the „noisier‟
portion of the university campus suggests that
low come housing is particularly appropriate
here.”
North York Planning Department (1960) York University Site.
Federal-Provincial Housing lands Jane Street and Steeles
Avenue. pg. 13
THE POLITICAL ORIGINS OF JANE-FINCH,
CONTINUED
In Ontario until the mid-1990s, public housing for families was developed, owned and administered by the Ontario Housing Corporation (Ontario Housing).
In 1967, only 3% of rental units in North York were public housing
However, by 1975 in Jane-Finch 22.5% of all dwellings were public housing units –“This was the highest concentration of O.H.C. family units in Metropolitan Toronto” according to a report by a planning firm
EARLY POLITICAL DISCOURSE OF JANE-FINCH AS
A “SOCIAL PROBLEM” AND PLANNING FAILURE
In 1975, a study by a planning consulting firm identified the following problems resulting from the rapid growth of the community and large concentrations of low-income families:
Overcrowded schools
Disconnected social services
Inadequate recreation facilities
A “serious problem” of youth crime, especially near Jane-Finch Mall
“The rate of growth, the high concentration of low income households and the lack of community facilities have contributed to a sense of instability in the community.”
They also wrote that youth felt a “general malaise…about living in the Jane-Finch area” and that the area had a “poor self-image”
POLITICAL REFORM AND THE FUTURE OF JANE-FINCH:
ONTARIO HOUSING BECOME TORONTO HOUSING
In 2001, the Province “downloaded” public housing
to municipalities
Previously, the development and maintenance of
public housing was the responsible of federal,
provincial and municipal governments
Overnight, cities like Toronto were financially
responsible for the maintenance and repair of an
aging housing stock
POLITICAL REFORM AND THE FUTURE OF JANE-FINCH:
ONTARIO HOUSING BECOME TORONTO HOUSING
Because funding for new social housing has largely
ended in 1996, there is now total reliance on the
market for the provision of new housing
There is increasingly pressure on public officials to
sell-off public housing to be re-developed by private
developers
Do you think that the city should privatize public
housing?
What are some of the implications of doing this?
RE-BRANDING JANE-FINCH
In October 2009, banners were raised across Jane-Finch as
part of Councillor Anthony Perruzza‟s strategy to rebrand the
neighbourhood as “University Heights”
DO YOU THINK JANE-FINCH SHOULD BE “RE-
BRANDED”?
What do you think about renaming the
community?
Why do you think rebranding the community
has become an issue at this point in Jane-Finch’s history?
TWO DIFFERENT VIEWS ABOUT RE-BRANDING
JANE-FINCH
"A lot people feel (the rebranding) is a kind of rejection of how far we've come," she said. "A lot of people are actually proud of Jane and Finch, so they look at it as saying we're not supposed to be proud and we have to hide from the name.”
"It's a good thing ... because the current name has negative connotations. When you say University Heights, it's going to sound much better," he said. "It's not about trying to hide the location – you can't – but what is important is it gives (people) additional information that this neighbourhood is really close to the university.“
What do you think about renaming the community?
Why do you think rebranding the community has become an issue at this point in Jane-Finch’s history?