Between the Lines: Borders, Territory & Space Border Index
Qiongsen Jin Yuxuan Lin
Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
Border Index
Introduction
Border Index 1
Nobody’s Land
Border Index 2
Chinatown: Alienation
Border Index3
Chinatown: Void
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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02
16
32
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
Introduction We explored the visible and invisible border of downtown Toronto, from small-scale to large-scale projects. Starting with a small-scale negotiation of the boundaries between Joey's restaurant yard and pedestrians/drivers. we understood that even small-scale border conditions will have an impact on how people experience the street or the city. For the first project, we are most interested in the tension between these powers, how they are “pulling” each other to negotiate. We researched how the street arrangement changed during the pandemic with the publish of relative “patio policies”. For the Border Index 2 and 3, we focused on architecture and urban planning relationship with borders of Chinatown in terms of political, ethnic, and typological conditions. The border of Toronto’s Chinatown is divided into 1) visible boundary, that is, the architectural and street typology boundary 2) invisible boundary, that is, the political and economic boundary.
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin BORDER INDEX ASSIGNMENT 1
NOBODY’S LAND
B N ARC 465
X
I R D
O D E
E
R
PEDESTRAIN
BIKER
VEHICLE
STREETCAR RESTAURANT AUTHORITY
YUXUAN LIN QIONGSEN JIN
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
NOBODY’S LAND BY READING THE DEUTINGER, WALLS AND FENCES, WHERE THE AUTHOR INTRODUCED AND CATEGORIZED SEVERAL WALL AND FENCE CONDITIONS, WE RE-EXAMINE OUR SITE AND RELATIVELY, FOUND THREE TYPES OF BORDERS.1 1) GOVERNMENT AUTHORIZED BORDER: THIS BORDER HAS A LEGAL EFFECT. FAILURE TO FOLLOW SPECIFIC RULES AND REGULATIONS WILL RESULT IN A LEGAL PENALTY. FOR EXAMPLE: ROAD MARKING, ROAD CLOSURE BY THE AUTHORITY. 2) AUTHORIZED BORDER BY USAGE (SPONTANEOUS BORDER): THESE BORDERS ARE NOT OFFICIALLY RECORDED. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE FORMED THE INVISIBLE AND SPONTANEOUS BOUNDARY ON THE STREET. FOR EXAMPLE: BUS AND BICYCLE PULL OVER TO DRIVE, AND PEDESTRIANS THAT ARE WAITING ALONG THE SIDEWALK.3) AUTONOMOUS BORDER: THE CONSTRUCTION OF THESE BORDERS REQUIRED GOVERNMENT APPROVAL AND WAS AUTONOMOUSLY GENERATED (EX. PATIO). LIKE HOW KOOLHAAS STATED IN HIS BOOK S, M, L, XL, “ARCHITECTURE IS A HAZARDOUS MIXTURE OF OMNIPOTENCE AND IMPOTENCE. OSTENSIBLY INVOLVED IN “SHAPING” THE WORLD.”2 THE STREET WE STUDY HAS 6 “POWER CLASSES”: PEDESTRIAN, BIKER, VEHICLE, STREETCAR, RESTAURANT, GOVERNMENT. WE ARE MOST INTERESTED IN THE TENSION BETWEEN THESE POWERS, HOW THEY ARE “PULLING” EACH OTHER TO NEGOTIATE FOR THEIR TERRITORY. WE SPECIFICALLY CHOOSE THE PATIO AS OUR FOCAL POINT. WE RESEARCHED HOW THE STREET ARRANGEMENT CHANGED DURING THE PANDEMIC WITH THE PUBLISH OF RELATIVE “PATIO POLICIES”.
1 Deutinger, Theo. 2018. "Walls and Fences." Handbook of Tyranny 36-51. 2 Koolhaas, Rem. 1995. "Field Trip: A(A) Memoir, The Berlin Wall as Architecture." In Small, Medium, Large, Extra-Large, by Rem Koolhaas, 212-33. New York: Monacelli Press.
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
CATALOGUE CASE STUDY
DOCUMENTATION & CATERGORIZATION
curbTO – TEMPORARY CURBSIDE PICKUP ZONE activeTO – TEMPORARY CYCLING LANE EXPANSION
TIMELINE
cafeTO – TEMPORARY OUTDOOR PATIO REGULATION
SITE PLAN COMPARISON – BEFORE & AFTER PANDEMIC
POWERS OF STREET BORDERS OF STREET
DETAILED ANALYSIS
cafeTO – JOEY EATON CENTER
ANALYSIS & RESEARCH POWER DYNAMICS BORDER DYNAMICS STREET OCCUPACY
ELEVATION
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
CaféTO OUTDOOR PATIO BLOCKING DRIVING LANE JOEY EATON CENTER
AUG SEP
CaféTO is part of the ShowLoveTO project that help Toronto citizen go around the city while maintaining proper social distance during the pandemic. CaféTO specifically published several rules and regulation about outdoor dinning area – patio. The introduction of patios around the city “reshuffled” Toronto’s street arrangement.
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
ActiveTO is part of the ShowLoveTO project that help Toronto citizen go around the city while maintaining proper social distance during the pandemic. ActiveTO extend the existing cycling and jogging path around the city. The city government use road marking and roadblocks to enclose part of the previous driving lane to make way for this project.
ActiveTO EXTEND CYCLING & JOGGING PATH BLOCKING DRIVING LANE STREET ALTERNATION URBAN PROJECT - COVID
GERRARD ST
COLLEGE ST
BROADVIEW ST Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
CurbTO BLOCKING DRIVING LANE URBAN PROJECT – COVID PROVIDE CURBSIDE PICKUP
CurbTO is part of the ShowLoveTO project that help Toronto citizen go around the city while maintaining proper social distance during the pandemic. CurbTO authorized several street enclosure during the pandemic, in order to provide curbside pickup service to support local business.
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
TIMELINE MAR
CaféTO
ActiveTO
OUTDOOR PATIO BLOCKING DRIVING LANE
EXTEND CYCLING & JOGGING PATH BLOCKING DRIVING LANE STREET ALTERNATION URBAN PROJECT - COVID
CurbTO BLOCKING DRIVING LANE URBAN PROJECT COVID
3/15 – 3/20
PANDEMIC OUTBREAK IN TORONTO
4/20
505 WAS ALTERED FROM BUS TO STREETCAR
APR
MAY
5/27
PANDEMIC CURVE START TO FALL
6/17
CAFETO 2.0 VERSION HANDBOOK PUBLISHED
JUN STREET CLOSURE ON TRANSIT STOP WAS PERMITTED 6/29
JUL
CITY OF TORONTO ADD COMPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS TO THE CAFÉTO PROPOSAL STREET USAGE OF PATIO WAS LIMITED TO ACTUAL CONDITION
7/20
CAFÉTO 5.0 VERSION HANDBOOK PUBLISHED
AUG
SEP
8/25
PANDEMIC CURVE START TO RISE AGAIN
9/8
CAR INCIDENT DESTROY PATIO ON YONGE ST
PATIO CLOSED
OCT
NOV 11/23
TORONTO LOCK DOWN
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
BEFORE PANDEMIC
BORDER CATEGORIZATION 1.GOVERNMENT AUTHORIZED BORDER This border has a legal effect. Failure to follow specific rules and regulations will result in a legal penalty. Ex. Road marking, road closure by the authority. 2.AUTHORIZED BORDER BY USAGE (SPONTANEOUS BORDER) These borders are not officially recorded. However, they have formed the invisible and spontaneous boundary on the street. Ex, bus and bicycle pull over to drive, and pedestrians wait along the sidewalk. 3.AUTONOMOUS BORDER The construction of these borders required government approval and was autonomously generated. Ex, patio.
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
DURING PANDEMIC
BORDER CATEGORIZATION 1.GOVERNMENT AUTHORIZED BORDER This border has a legal effect. Failure to follow specific rules and regulations will result in a legal penalty. Ex. Road marking, road closure by the authority. 2.AUTHORIZED BORDER BY USAGE (SPONTANEOUS BORDER) These borders are not officially recorded. However, they have formed the invisible and spontaneous boundary on the street. Ex, bus and bicycle pull over to drive, and pedestrians wait along the sidewalk. 3.AUTONOMOUS BORDER The construction of these borders required government approval and was autonomously generated. Ex, patio.
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
BEFORE PANDEMIC
BEFORE DURING PANDEMIC
DURING
1 2
1
GOVERNMENT AUTHORIZED BORDER
2
AUTHORIZED BORDER BY USAGE (SPONTANEOUS BORDER)
3
3
AUTONOMOUS BORDER
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
RATE OF WORK
40%
PATIO
50%
STREETCAR’S LANE
70%
DRIVER’S LANE BICYCLE’S LANE WAITING LANE PEDESTRAIN’S LANE
90%
With more elements added to the street arrangement, the “functional” driving space for vehicle is shrinking. And the street is getting more crowded.
20%
10% Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
A B C D E F G H I
PEDESTRAIN
BIKER
VEHICLE
STREETCAR RESTAURANT AUTHORITY
A.PERDESTRAIN & STREETCAR B.PERDESTRAIN & VEHICLE C.PERDESTRAIN & PATIO D.PERDESTRAIN & BIKER E.STREETCAR & VEHICLE F.STREETCAR & PATIO G.STREETCAR & BIKER H.VEHICLE & PATIO G.VEHICLE & BIKER I.PATIO & BIKER
POWER DYNAMICS Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
THIRD STAGE
FIRST STAGE
The falling curve of COVID, there’s increasing traffic volume on the street. Patio on driver’s lane and the pedestrian’s lane were constructed.
Authority urged the restaurant to remove the patio on the driver’s lane.
Patio on the driver’s lane were expanded to cater the need for more outdoor dinning space, vehicle’s space on the street were compressed. Dangerous for the drivers and the customers.
SECOND STAGE
After removing the patio on the driver’s lane, the restaurant expanded the patio area on the pedestrian’s lane.
FOURTH STAGE
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
TIMELINE MAR 3/15 – 3/20
PANDEMIC OUTBREAK IN TORONTO
4/20
505 WAS ALTERED FROM BUS TO STREETCAR
APR
MAY
5/27
PANDEMIC CURVE START TO FALL
JUN 6/17
CAFETO 2.0 VERSION HANDBOOK PUBLISHED STREET CLOSURE ON TRANSIT STOP WAS PERMITTED
6/29
JUL
CITY OF TORONTO ADD COMPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS TO THE CAFÉTO PROPOSAL STREET USAGE OF PATIO WAS LIMITED TO ACTUAL CONDITION
7/20
CAFÉTO 5.0 VERSION HANDBOOK PUBLISHED
AUG
SEP
8/25
PANDEMIC CURVE START TO RISE AGAIN
9/8
CAR INCIDENT DESTROY PATIO ON YONGE ST
Driver destroys CafeTO patio used by 2 restaurants on Queen Street West
PATIO CLOSED
OCT
NOV 11/23
TORONTO LOCK DOWN
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
BORDER INDEX 2
華 埠
CHINATOWN
T
C H O
I
R
N O
N A
T O
T O R O N T O
CHINATOWN
BORDER INDEX 2
QIONGSEN JIN
YUXUAN LIN
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
CHINATOWN: ALIENATION WHERE IS THE BOUNDARY OF TORONTO'S CHINATOWN? UNLIKE OUR PREVIOUS ASSIGNMENT, THIS TIME, WE CHOOSE TO APPROACH OUR TOPIC FROM A THOROUGH HISTORICAL BACKGROUND EXAMINATION, ACCOMPANIED BY A SERIES OF QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEYS AND FIELD SURVEYS. TORONTO'S CHINATOWN IS UNDOUBTEDLY A PARTICULAR CASE. IT DOES NOT HAVE A CLEAR BOUNDARY LIKE OTHER CHINATOWNS—FOR EXAMPLE, BOSTON AND LONDON'S CHINATOWN. DUE TO THE URBAN RENEWAL PROJECT, THE AREA SURROUNDING THE CURRENT CHINATOWN EXPERIENCE DRASTIC CHANGE DURING 1950-1970, CHINESE COMMUNITY MOVED TO SPADINA AVE. TO REBUILD CHINATOWN. IN RECENT YEARS, CHINESE CANADIANS GRADUALLY INTEGRATED INTO THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES, AND RACISM IS DECLINING. THERE'S NO PARTICULAR CHINATOWN, BUT CHINESE COMMUNITY CLUSTERS SPREAD AROUND THE CITY. CHINATOWN NOW IS NOT ONLY FOR CHINESE PEOPLE, "CHINATOWN'S" RESIDENTS TODAY DEFINED CHINATOWN AS AN AFFORDABLE PLACE FOR WORKING-CLASS IMMIGRANTS. RECENTLY, THERE WERE HEATED DEBATES AMONG BUILDING ALTERNATIONS. FOR ONE, SOME CHINESE PEOPLE THINK TODAY'S CHINATOWN LACKS A CHINESE ELEMENT. FOR THE OTHER, CHINATOWN RESIDENTS ARGUE THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT WILL RAISE THE RENTAL PRICE, MAKING THE CHINATOWN NOT AFFORDABLE.
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
A BRIEF TIMELINE
CATALOGUE D A Y
465 CHINESE TORONTONIAN
1923 Chinese small business flourished the city. Gain success. 1923-1947 The Bachelor Society, 24 years of prohibition of Chinese immigrants 1947 The repeal of the Exclusion Act The city approved funding for the downtown redevelopment
1
without any consultation process with the Chinatown residents and businesses.
HISTORICAL TRANSFORMATION
2
QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY VOL. 1
The 1950s Chinese delegations made annual visits to Ottawa to press for additional changes (about family unification policy). Urban renewal, Toronto city planners eyed Chinatown not for preservation, but for demolition.
3
FIELD SURVEY
4
BRIEF TIMELINE
QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY VOL. 2
5
FIELD SURVEY
6
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
7 8 9
1949 The people’s republic of China has been established
1956 The competition about new city hall construction has been published. 1957 The Conservative party took power. Order-in-Council PC2115 was subsequently rescinded 1958 2/3 of Chinatown was expropriated for the new City Hall, stores, restaurants and other businesses were forced to move pondered their limited option for relocation. 1959 The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Immigration Department launched a country-wide investigation to thwart an allegedly “highly organized operation to bring thousands of Chinese immigrants into Canada illegally”. 1960 Delegates went to Ottawa to demand additional changes to the immigration laws. 1950-1960 during this period, “paper son” became a way of immigration, the Chinese travel home and claim the birth of a son upon his return to Canada. 1961 The new City Hall under the construction. 1965 The City Hall is built.
0 0 0
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
TORONTO GENERAL HOSPITAL
MT SINAI
SICK CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TORONTO’S URBAN RENEWAL PROJECT (SLUM CLEARANCE) DURING 1950-1970 DEMOLISHED TWO-THIRD OF THE OLD CHINATOWN. THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT AREA LEFT CHINATOWN WITH A LIMITED OPTION FOR RELOCATION. CHINESE COMMUNITY DECIDED TO REBUILD CHINATOWN ON SPADINA AVE.
EATON
UNIVERSITY ARMOURIES CITY HALL
TORONTO URBAN RENEWAL PROJECT 1950-1970 Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
QUESTIONAIRE SURVEY ONE WE DISTRIBUTE 40 QUESTIONNAIRES, ASKING PEOPLE TO DRAW OUT THE BOUNDARY OF TORONTO CHINATOWN IN THEIR PERSPECTIVES. SURPRISINGLY, WE RECEIVED VARIOUS RESULTS, ILLUSTRATING DIFFERENT WAYS OF PERCEIVING CHINATOWN.
SPADINA ONLY 26% +DUNDAS/BALDWIN 60% BOUDING BOX 10% ERROR 0.02%
壹
SAMPLE
拾
NO.00013
叁
13
QUESTIONAIRE
X
I DRAW THE BOUNDARY THIS WAY BECAUSE I THINK CHINATOWN INCLUDES SPADINA STREET, BALDWIN STREET AND DUNDAS STREET. THAT’S MOSTLY BASED ON MY MEMORIES ON THE CHINESE RESTAURANT AND THE CHINESE SHOPS.
40
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY ONE
ACCORDING TO OUR QUESTIONNAIRES, MOST PEOPLE DIVIDE THE BOUNDARY USING THE STREETS AS REFERENCE,. ESPECIALLY THE SPADINA AVE, DUNDAS ST, AND BALDWIN ST. THESE THREE STREETS OWNS MOST OF THE CHINESE SHOP OR RESTAURANT. AN INTERESTING FACT IS THAT MOST DANIELS STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE QUESTIONNAIRE STARTS THEIR BOUNDARY FROM 1 SPADINA CRES.
WE FOUND THREE TYPOLOGIES IN DIVIDING THE BOUNDARIES. 1. 2. 3.
SPADINA AVE ONLY SPADINA + DUNDAS/BALDWIN USING BOUNDING BOX TO CIRCLE AN AREA
SPADINA ONLY
16
NORTH FROM QIN’S GARDEN, SOUTH TO LIU YI SHOU HOTPOT! I THOUGHT THE CHINATOWN WAS ONLY THE DRAGON CITY HALL WHEN I FIRST CAME TO TORONTO.
+DUNDAS +BALDWIN
26
THE DRIVEN FACTOR OF MY DECISION IS THE SHOPS AND THE RESTAURANTS. THE TWO SIDE OF THE ROAD SHOULD BE COUNT TOWARDS MY BOUNDARY. ANOTHER WAY IS BY THE BILLBOARDS.
BOUNDING BOX
34
THE TOP LEFT CORNER IS THE HERITAGE DISTRICT, OTHER PLACE HAVE A LOT OF CHINESE RESIDENTS, AND A LOT OF CHINESE SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS.
DANIELS STUDENTS
15
WHAT I REMEMBER IS THIS STREET? A LOT OF CHINESE FOODS .
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
FIELD SURVEY: FINDING TRANSLATED ROADSIGNS WE TRY TO FIND THE CORRELATION BETWEEN OUR QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY RESULTS AND THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF CHINATOWN. WE NOTICED THAT MANY ROADSIGNS IN CHINATOWN HAS CHINESE TRANSLATION, SO WE SPEND TIME TO CONDUCT FIELD SURVEY: FINDING ALL THE TRANSLATED ROADSIGNS, AND WHERE THESE ROADSIGNS END.
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
DIVIDE BOUNDARY WITH ROADSIGNS
SIMPLE LOGIC, IF THERE ARE NO CHINESE RESIDENTS NEARBY, THERE IS NO NEED TO SET UP TRANSLATED ROADSIGNS. WE MAPPED OUT ALL THE TRANSLATED ROADSIGNS WE FOUND, TOGETHER WITH THE "BREAK POINTS": THE ROADSIGNS WITHOUT TRANSLATIONS. FINALLY, ROADSIGNS ENCIRCLED A CLEAR BOUNDARY THAT WE BELIEVE IS THE RESIDENTIAL AREA OF CHINATOWN RESIDENTS.
TORONTO'S CHINATOWN IS UNDOUBTEDLY A VERY SPECIFIC CASE. IT DOES NOT HAVE A CLEAR BORDER OF TERRITORIES. HOWEVER, IN OUR FIELD SURVEY, WE FOUND SYMBOLIC CHINESE STYLE COLOUM SETS ON SPADINA. RESPECTIVELY AT THE JUNCTION OF DUNDAS STREET AND QUEEN STREET. WE BELIEVE THAT IS THE MOST APPARENT SIGN OF CHINATOWN TERRITORY.
U OF T HERITAGE DISTRICT
KENSINGTON MARKET
SPADINA X DUNDAS
ROADSIGN WITH CHINESE ROADSIGN WITHOUT CHINESE STREET INCLUDED STREET EXCLUDED SPECIAL DISTRICT CHINATOWN RESIDENTIAL AREA
SPADINA X QUEEN
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
QUESTIONAIRE SURVEY CROSSWORD GAMES CORP.
SAMPLE
TEAR FOLD
PEEL TO SEE ANSWER
SAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLE TEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSA MPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETE XTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAM PLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEX TSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPL ETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXTSAMPLETEXT
QUESTIONAIRE
FOR THIS QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY, OUR PARTICIPANTS ARE FROM VARIOUS CULTURAL BACKGROUND TO ENSURE THE IMPARTIALITY OF THE SURVEY. COMPARING TO THE CORRECT ANSWER LISTED ON THE RIGHT, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT MANY ROAD SIGNS IN CHINATOWN ARE HARD TO TELL ITS CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS.
X
PLEASE WRITE YOUR NAME HERE
YOUR SCORES HERE
12
04210218
QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY TWO Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
FIELD SURVEY CULTURAL CONTEXT
IN OUR SECOND FIELD SURVEY, WE MARKED THE RETAIL ON SPADINA AND DUNDAS IN FOUR CATEGORIES.SURPRISINGLY, THERE IS MORE LOCAL STORE THAN WE EXPECTED. ALSO, THE COLOR MAP SHOWS CLEAR TRANSITION TOWARDS EDGES OF CHINATOWN FROM CHINESE RETAIL TO LOCAL RETAIL.
FROM THE SECOND QUESTIONNAIRE, WE FOUND OUT THE ROADSIGNS IN CHINATOWN ARE HARD TO TELL WHICH CULTURAL BACKGROUND THEY BELONG. THIS MAKE THE BOUNDARY OF CHINATOWN EVEN MORE BLURR. THIS HELP EXPLAINED WHY PEOPLE'S PERCEPTION OF TORONTO'S CHINATOWN VARIED IN SUCH A DEGREE.
CHINESE RETAIL SOUTHEAST ASIAN RETAIL CHINESE RETAIL WITH ILLEGIBLE SHOP SIGN LOCAL RETAIL MAJOR STREET
1
2
1 - RETAIL SHOP SIGN COLOR MAP 2 - COLOR MAP OVERLAPPED WITH ROADSIGN MAP
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
DIVIDE BOUNDARY WITH ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
1
3
HAMBURGER MULTI-FLOOR RETAIL
MULTIPLE FLOOR – STAIR ENTRANCE
4
ROW-HOUSE RETAIL
2
5
STAIR ENTRANCE
RUPTURE OF STYLE Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
1
MULTIPLE FLOOR – STAIR ENTRANCE
2
STAIR ENTRANCE
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
3
HAMBURGER MULTI-FLOOR RETAIL
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
4
ROW-HOUSE RETAIL
5
RUPTURE OF STYLE
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
CHINATOWN: VOID
Border V
O
I
“full is empty”
FULL IS EMPTY
D
Index
CHINATOWN HAS NO DOUBT A GLOBAL PHENOMENON. CHINATOWN IS EVERYWHERE, AND EVERYWHERE HAS A CHINATOWN. CITIES LIKE TORONTO HAVE A PREVIOUS CHINESE ENCLAVE BUT WAS DEMOLISHED DUE TO URBAN RENEWAL PROJECT. THEY THEN SEEK RELOCATION AND REBUILD; CITIES LIKE COSTA RICA DON'T HAVE CHINATOWN BUILD CHINATOWN TO ATTRACT TOURISTS AND ESTABLISH POLITICAL CORPORATION SYMBOL. ASIDE FROM CHINATOWN'S VARIOUS REASONS DEVELOP GLOBALLY, THE ALMOST 'CONVENTIONAL' PATTERN OF CHINATOWN DEVELOPMENT IN MANY WAYS DISCONNECTS FROM 'A PARTICULAR LOCATION' IN THE CITY INTO AN ABSTRACTED SPACE. CHINATOWN'S ENTANGLEMENT WITH GLOBALIZATION MAKES IT A FASCINATING TOPIC WITHIN URBANISM DISCOURSE. OUR ASSIGNMENT THREE AIM TO EXPLORE THE FORMATION OF BOUNDARY, WITH OUR SPECIFIC INTEREST IN CHINATOWN. IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES, WE ADOPTED QUESTIONNAIRES, MAPPING AND SERIES OF TOOLS TO EXPLORE OUR INTEREST REGARDING THE TORONTO CHINATOWN. LATER, WE INTRODUCED EXAMPLES OF EAST CHINATOWN AND BALDWIN VILLAGE IN COMPARISON TO CHINATOWN.
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
CHINATOWN
THE WARD
EAST CHINATOWN
SPADINA & DUNDAS
OLD CHINATOWN
BROADVIEW & GERRARD
THREE BORDERS OF TORONTO CHINATOWN
1
SAFE HAVEN
2 RECONSTRUCTION &PROSPERITY
3
ABSTRACTION
1880s – 1947
1960 – 1990s
now
individual economy development restaurant, laundry
development leading social statues improvemnt
global phenomenon, places were abstracted into spaces
“SPONTANEITY” “FORTRESS”
“SPONTANEITY” “TRANSFORMATION”
“SUBSEQUENT”
CHANGE OF PERCEPTION
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
TOP-DOWN BORDER MAPPING
WE START OUR RESEARCH FROM OUR FOCUS: THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC. WE APPROACH IT THROUGH CONDUCTING TOP-DOWN BORDER MAPPING. SERIES OF GOVERNMENT MAPS WERE COLLECTED, INCLUDING TORONTO ZONING-BY-LAW MAP, TORONTO SNOW CLEARING MAP…ETC.THEREFORE WE CONCLUDE THE BORDER OF PRIVATE/ PUBLIC FROM THESE MAPS. AND OVERLAYED THEM TOGETHER.
IT IS FAIRLY INTERESTING TO DISCOVER THAT EVEN MAPS CONDUCTED BY THE AUTHORITIES HAVE DIFFERENT ZONING DEFINITION. WHICH CREATES TENSION AT THE “CONFLICT AREA”, AND CONSTANT NEGOTIATION OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC BOUNDARY IN CHINATOWN AREA.
A B C D E F G H
A. Residential Zoning-by-law Map B. Residential Parking Map C. Ethnic Distribution Map D. Google Algorithm E. Business Improvement Area Map F. Yellow Belt Map G. Commercial Zoning-by-law Map H. Snow Clearing Map
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
figure ground drawing
TO FURTHER EXPLORE OUR INTEREST IN THE BORDER BETWEEN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SPACE, WE THEN USE MAPPING AS A TOOL TO LOOK AT CHINATOWN’S STREET LAYOUT ON A LARGER PERSPECTIVE. WE CHOOSE BUILDING TYPOLOGY AS AN INDICATOR FOR THE BOUNDARY OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SPACES. WE CATEGORIZED THEM INTO THREE: COMMERCIAL BUILDING WITH HIGH FAR, AIMS TO MAXIMIZE LAND-USE "EFFICIENCY"; RESIDENTIAL BUILDING WITH MEDIUM FAR, TO ASSIGN AN AREA FOR GARAGE, GARDEN AND YARD; PUBLIC BUILDING, STRUCTURAL BUILDING INSIDE THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, WITH THE LOWEST FAR.
COMMERCIAL VERSUS RESIDENTIAL BUILDING TYPOLOGY AS AN INDICATOR
A KEY FACTOR OF TORONTO CHINATOWN’S DEVELOPMENT LIES ON THE TRANSFORMATION FROM RESIDENTIAL AREA TO COMMERCIAL AREA. WE COLLECTED HISTORICAL AERIAL PHOTO OF DUNDAS STREET (SPADINA AVE EAST), AND ANALYZED THE CHANGE OF BUILDING TYPOLOGY. WE OBSERVED THAT DURING 1965 TO 1992, DUNDAS STREET UNDERTAKING LARGE TRANSFORMATION FROM RESIDENTIAL HOUSING TO COMMERCIAL BUILDING.STANDING AT THE MASTER SCALE, THE AREA OF STUDY HAS A CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN BUILDING TYPES, WHICH MADE A CLEAR BOUNDARY WITH A COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL AREA.
CHINATOWN
COMMERCIAL retailing
a
long and narrow, compact High FAR ratio
RESIDENTIAL single detached house
b
garden and garage front and back, helm roof Medium FAR ratio
a c b
“STRUCTURAL”
c
has social functions Large property area, single building Low FAR ratio
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
City of Toronto Planning Board Atlas, ca. 1957-1960
BORDER FORMATION BUILDING TRANSFORMATION
City of Toronto
1965
Planning 1957-1960
1970 1983 1987
now
1992 SPADINA
SPADINA Chinatown Spadina Ave. & Dundas St. now
Chinatown
DUNDAS
DUNDAS
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Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
LOCATION ANALYSIS
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
37
Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
COGNITIVE MAPPING BASED ON BOUNDARY SURVEY
COGNITIVE MAPPING BASED ON BOUNDARY SURVEY
“BOTTOM-UP” VERSUS “TOP-DOWN” COGNITIVE MAPPING
ACCORDING TO OUR PREVIOUS QUESTIONNAIRES ON CHINATOWN BOUNDARY, MOST PEOPLE DIVIDE THE BOUNDARY USING THE STREETS AS REFERENCE,. ESPECIALLY THE SPADINA AVE, DUNDAS ST, AND BALDWIN ST. THESE THREE STREETS OWNS MOST OF THE CHINESE SHOP OR RESTAURANT.
OF PEOPLE DIDN’T KNOW WHERE THE EAST CHINATOWN IS , MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE ONLY HAVE ROUGH IMPRESSION OF EAST CHINATOWN. THE RESULT ON THE OTHER PERSPECTIVE PROVED THAT EAST CHINATOWN IS BLEND-IN TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
WE CONDUCT A SIMILAR QUESTIONNAIRE FOR EAST CHINATOWN, TOO. IT IS INTERESTING THAT A NUMBER
COGNITIVE MAPPING BASED ON AUTHORITY ZONING Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
38
Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
STREET VIEW ISOMETRIC EAST CHINATOWN: BROADVIEW & GERRARD
THE EAST CHINATOWN, LOCATED IN RIVERDALE, WAS ALSO BRANCHED OFF FROM THE OLD CHINATOWN. UNLIKE DUNDAS & SPADINA CHINATOWN, THE EAST CHINATOWN IS COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY RESIDENTIAL AREAS. HOWEVER, BOTH OF CHINATOWNS ARE COMMERCIAL CENTRALIZED BUT THE EAST CHINATOWN IS ONLY AT A NEIGHBOURHOOD SCALE. IN CONTRAST, SPADINA AND DUNDAS CHINATOWNS ARE CONSIDERED AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION AND THEREFORE DEFINITELY HAVE MORE ECONOMIC VALUE. IN ORDER TO ATTRACT TOURISTS, THEY ESTABLISHED MANY CHINESE STATUES (FOR EXAMPLE, IN HURON
STREET) AND ADDED CULTURAL HERITAGE TO THE CHINATOWN. ON THE OTHER HAND, EAST CHINATOWN LACKS CULTURAL ELEMENTS BECAUSE IT CAN ONLY MEET THE STANDARD NEEDS OF CHINESE RESIDENTS LIVING NEARBY. THEREFORE, WE TOOK OUT THE STORE SIGNS AND OTHER CHINESE SYMBOLS, AND WE REALIZED THAT EAST CHINATOWN, WHICH HAS NO CULTURAL VALUE, COULD BE EASILY REPLACED. WITHOUT CULTURAL OR ECONOMIC VALUE, IT IS VERY POSSIBLE TO EXCLUDE EAST CHINATOWN FROM THE PLANNING, JUST LIKE HOW THE OLD CHINATOWN WAS DEMOLISHED AND REPLACED BY A NEW CITY HALL.
1
THE FLAT ROOF RETAIL STORE
2
THE MULTI-FLOOR RETAIL STORE
3
THE ROWHOUSE RETAIL
4
THE SEMIRESIDENTIAL HOUSES
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
39
Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
STREET VIEW ISOMETRIC CHINATOWN: SPADINA & DUNDAS
THE DUNDAS & SPADINA CHINATOWN: AS THE DUNDAS & SPADINA WAS INCLUDED AS A PART OF BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA (BIA) BY THE GOVERNMENT, THE AREA IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE CITY OF TORONTO AND BECAME AN ESSENTIAL FRAGMENT OF THE ECONOMICAL CONTRIBUTION OF THE CITY. AS WE HAVE MENTIONED, THE PLACE IS BEING CONSIDERED AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION SPOT WITH A HIGH CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC VALUES.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE ARE PLACING A STARBUCKS IN THE SPADINA OR DUNDAS STREET, IT IS STILL UNDENIABLE THAT IT IS STILL IN CHINATOWN. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF WE ARE PLACING WESTERN STORES IN EAST CHINATOWN, WITH LACK OF CULTURAL ELEMENTS, THE EAST CHINATOWN WILL NO LONGER BE A PLACE FOR CHINESE COMMUNITY.
1
THE CHINESE COLUMN
2
THE CHINESE LANTERN
3
THE CHINESE CHAIR
4
THE CHINESE LION
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
40
Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
ISOMETRIC EAST CHINATOWN: BROADVIEW & GERRARD
ACCORDING TO THE FIGURE-GROUND DRAWINGS, THE STREETSCAPE AND BUILDING TYPOLOGIES ARE MORE INTEGRATED INTO ITS RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBOURHOOD. IT IS A PERFECT COMBINATION OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL AREAS. THE FORM OF THE STREET HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED DUE TO ITS COMMERCIAL VALUE, BUT INSTEAD MAINTAINED THE CONSISTENCY IN RELATION TO ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD.
DRIVING LANE: 12-15m STREET WIDTH: 16-18m
WALKWAY: 3.2-3.5m
BLURRING BORDER
NO SIGNIFICANT HIERARCHY
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
41
Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
ISOMETRIC CHINATOWN: SPADINA & DUNDAS
AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION OF DUNDAS & SPADINA CHINA, THE AREA QUICKLY BECAME A COMMERCIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CITY TORONTO. THE SIDEWALK WIDTH AND BUILDING TYPOLOGY HAVE BEEN PLANNED TO FACILITATE COMMERCIALIZATION, ESPECIALLY THE STAIRCASE ENTRANCE. THIS UNIQUE TYPOLOGY CAN ONLY BE SEEN IN DUNDAS & SPADINA CHINATOWN AND PART OF YORKVILLE BECAUSE THE LAND-USE EFFICIENCY REGULATIONS LATER BELIEVE THAT SUCH DESIGN IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO IMPROVING LAND UTILIZATION, SO IT IS NO LONGER CARRIED OUT. STREET HAVE CLEAR HIERARCHY IN TERMS OF STREET WIDTH.
DRIVING LANE: 15-17m STREET WIDTH: 18-20m
WALKWAY: 3.2-3.8m
SOLID ‘FORTRESS’
STREET HIERARCHY
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
42
Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
CHINATOWN GATE SURVEY MIND MAPPING
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
43
Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
SIGNIFIER
AFFORDABLE
ECONOMIC CATALYST
CHEAP FOOD TOURISTS ATTRACTION
WORKING-CLASS
CHINATOWN TOUR
ETHNIC ENCLAVES POLITICAL SYMBOL
SYMBOLICAL
GLOBAL PHENOMENON ECONOMIC IMMIGRANT Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
44
Border Index: Qiongsen Jin + Yuxuan Lin
FORMATION OF BOUNDARIES RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
CHINATOWN IS SELF-CONTRADICTORY. IT IS A COMBINATION OF ITS HETEROGENIZATION AND HOMOGENIZATION ATTRIBUTES. IN THE PROCESS OF PLANNING CHINATOWN, PLANNERS ARE NOT BOTHERED TO LEARN CHINESE CULTURE. AROUND THE WORLD, CITIES SIMULTANEOUSLY KNITTING THEIR IMAGINATION OF CHINA AND CONDENSE THEM INTO A SUBSTANCE – CHINATOWN. THEY ONLY REQUIRE CHINATOWN AS A SYMBOL OF THEIR CULTURAL TOLERANCE; AS A CATALYST FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THEREFORE THE MOST EFFICIENT APPROACH WAS ADOPTED ： ‘LABELLING.’ AND THE LABELLING, PATTERNED CHINATOWN BUILDING MODE, FACILITATED CHINATOWN AS A FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT THAT WAS REPLICATING WORLDWIDE. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE CHINATOWN BUILDING ACTIVITIES INCREASE THE DEGREE TO WHICH FOREIGN CULTURES ACCEPT CHINESE CULTURE.
ANOTHER SIMPLE EXAMPLE WILL BE THE TOURISM ATTRIBUTE OF CHINATOWN. WHEN THE ABNORMAL IS REPEATED, IT BECOMES THE NEW NORM. WHEN PLANNERS SELL THE ‘EXOTIC’ ELEMENTS OF CHINATOWN, THE SIMULTANEOUSLY OCCURRING CHINATOWN ALSO MAKES THEM ‘NOT-THAT-EXOTIC.’ THE REASON WHY THE CHINATOWN CASE IS HARD TO APPROACH IS THAT ITS HETEROGENIZATION AND HOMOGENIZATION ARE ONE. IT IS INDIVISIBLE. THEY INTERACT AS BOTH CAUSE AND EFFECT. WHAT WE ARE OPPOSING IS THE HETEROGENIZATION SIDE, THE ALIENATION OF CHINESE GROUPS AND CULTURES. BUT WE HAVE TO ADMIT THAT ITS HOMOGENOUS EFFECT BRINGS PROFITS TO THE CHINESE COMMUNITY.
HOW THE BOUNDARY FORMED?
INTEREST SOLID BOUNDARY
PUBLIC
COMMERCIAL
CHINATOWN
COMMERCIAL
BORDER
BORDER
EAST CHINATOWN
RESIDENTIAL
PRIVATE
RESIDENTIAL
BALDWIN VILLAGE
MIXTURE
BORDER DOCUMENTATION
INDICATOR BUILDING TYPOLOGY
noun
/həˌmäjənəˈzāSH(ə)n/
INVISIBLE BOUNDARY ACTING FORCE
1. the process of making things uniform or similar. "the fear of cultural homogenization is a barrier to some multinational businesses“
INSTITUTIONALIZE
DISCRIMINATION WHITE DOMINATE GAZE PROJECT STEREOTYPES SOLIDIFIED STEREOTYPES
PLANNERS
IMMIGRANT INSTITUTE WORKING-CLASS ANTI-GENTRIFICATION
CHINESE COMMUNITY
REPULSION
noun
/ˌhedəˈräjənəˈzāSH(ə)n / 1. the act of making something diverse or heterogeneous
CHINATOWN
WHY THE BOUNDARY FORMED?
COUNTER-ACTING FORCE
BORDER ANALYSIS
RECOGNITION
A COMBINATION OF CONTRADICTIONS
HETEROGENIZATION
WHERE IS IT GOING?
HOMOGENIZATION
TWO SIDES A COIN
IN-DEPTH EXPLORATION
CONFLICTED & BALANCED
GLOBALIZATION
RACIAL COMMERCIALIZATION “LABELLING”
OVERFLOWING DEFINITIONS
SYNCHRONICITY
PREDICTABILITY
REPLICABILITY
FULL IS EMPTY VOID
GENERALIZED
PATTERNED
ABSTRACTED
CULTURAL HOLLOW
Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space
45