Between the Lines: Borders, Territory & Space by Yuxuan Lin and Qiongsen Jin

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

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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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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

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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.

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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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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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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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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

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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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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

Between the Lines: Border, Territory and Space

36

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