Description of Forest Hill, Toronto
• Forest Hill is among the city's most prestigious neighbourhoods. It is
characterized by gently sloping hills, winding roads, large brick and
stone homes on spacious lots, and numerous quaint parks. Forest
Hill's old building codes and by laws, dating back to the 1920's and
30's, required that all Forest Hill houses be designed by an architect,
and that a tree be planted at the front of each property; leaving a
legacy of beauty that enhances its reputation as one of Toronto's three
wealthiest and most exclusive communities.
• Many of Forest Hill's specialty shops and boutiques are located in an
enclave near Spadina and Lonsdale Road. This area has the appeal of
cozy village shopping, and caters to the needs of the affluent locals.
Along with outstanding public schools, two of Canada's most
prestigious private schools are located within Forest Hill's boundaries
of Briar Hill Avenue, Heath Street, the Cedarvale Ravine and Avenue
Road: Upper Canada College for boys and Bishop Strachan School for
girls. The Allen Expressway is easily accessed from Eglinton Avenue
West, and Forest Hill is well served by TTC buses that wind through
the neighbourhood.
Description of Home for sale in West
Vancouver
• “Radcliff by the
Sea! A completely
remodeled
residence with
stunning views of
the ocean and
coastal views.
Outdoor veranda
with complete
luxury kitchen and
heaters. Walk to
the habour and
natural areas….an
hour away from
Whistler.”
Chapter 12 – The Residential Kaleidoscope
• Examines the “classic”
arrangement of residential
subareas in US and European
cities prior to 1970s.
• Examines social interaction
and residential segregation –
focusing on physical distance,
social distance, and patterns
of social interaction. Both of
these attributes contribute to
social interaction and
residential segregation (We
will examine the Chicago
School’s notion of “Human
Ecology”, which became the
benchmark of urban theory
until the mid 20th century.)
• Examine neighborhood
differentiation in terms of
residential segregation
(based on social status,
household type, ethnicity,
and lifestyles.)
• Look at new forms of
social groups, household
organization and new
lifestyle orientations have
been imprinted on the
social map
•
Territoriality
Territoriality – The tendency
for particular groups to establish
some form of control,
dominance, or exclusivity with
a localized area. Used as a
focus or symbol for group
membership and identity and to
control social interaction
• Since the rise of industrial
society, “appearential ordering”
was no longer an effective
means of determining
group/class membership.
• Led to spatial ordering, or
“group territoriality”
determining and maintaining
“social distance”. (Marking of
“turf” by gangs to the
walls/gates of wealthy enclaves
The Foundations of Residential Segregation
• Based on social status,
•
household type, ethnicity, and
lifestyle – each of these factors
influence people’s social
distance.
• Social Status - Educational
•
qualifications, occupation, and
income
• Class formation – conscious
collectives of people based on
class structure (formal
category) and class fractions
(ex. professionals) and class •
structuration (division of labor;
institutional barriers to social
mobility; system of authority;
and dominant consumption
patterns of a time)
Importance of schools in certain
neighborhoods guarantee a passport
to higher-paid, higher status
occupation for next generation (idea
of “social reproduction”)
Distance Decay Effect – Role of
spatial segregation in ensuring
social reproduction through
marriage. (People usually marry
their social equals, which are
usually found in the same
neighborhood)
Neighborhood Effect –Residence of
an area conform to voting patterns,
style of dress, speech patterns, and
consumer choices (same car) over
time. Can lead to stereotyping.
•
Ethnicity
Covers any group that may be
characterized by race, religion,
nationality, or culture.
• Text argues that these groups
are seen as minorities with inmigration to a city (whether past
or current) (Americans of
Africa, Chinese, Jewish,
Mexican or Vietnamese
heritages may fall into this
category)
• Charter Group – Host society,
dominated culturally by a combination of race, religion
and national origin (U.S. AngloSaxon)
• Most minorities are initially
highly segregated from
Charter group - (in US)
function of socioeconomic
status and degree of
assimilation
• Assimilation – ability of
newcomer to absorb host
culture (comprehensive
change of lifestyle) as well as
host community allowing
these changes – leads to a
hybrid form of identity.
Ethnicity
• Structural Assimilation –
Diffusion of members of a
minority ethnic group through
– 1) external factors
social and occupational strata of
(willingness of host group to charter group
allow past the gate of
• Congregation or cluster of ethnic
group is important for the
opportunity) (2) Internal
following reasons: Defensive
group cohesion – desire of
Functions (Chinatown in
group to maintain cultural
Vancouver; Support Functions
identity (not allowing for
(familiarity and strength);
cross cultural marriages)
Cultural Preservation (preserve
Behavioral Assimilation –
and promote a distinctive cultural
Ethic group acquires
heritage, religion as well); Attack
functions (ethnic neighborhood
language norms and values
serves as a base for action,
of charter group
(acculturated to mainstream) politically and otherwise)
• Rate and Degree of
assimilation depends on
Ethnicity
• Colonies – Port of Entry for
newcomers. Ethnic community
eventually becomes dispersed
into host society
• Enclaves – Ethnic
concentrations over several
generations. Inhabitants choose
to congregate for functional
reasons
• Ghettos – Ethnic concentrations
that exist over several
generations due to prohibitive
nature of charter group
(gatekeeping and so on)
The Chicago School: Human Ecology
• The Industrial City brought •
about a radical transformation
of urban space in the form of
sectors and zones, with
specialized land use.
• Immigrants continued to move •
to the inner city
• Long time residents with
•
financial resources moved to the
suburbs
•
• Idea of residential sorting and
•
resorting.
Robert Park, Ernest Burgess, and
Roderick McKenzie of the University
of Chicago created a theory of
residential segregation and urban
residential structure that became the
benchmark of urban theory.
“A mosaic of little worlds that touch but
do not interpenetrate”
Argued that each neighborhood in
Chicago was an ecological unit.
Each made up of a particular mix of
people that dominate an urban niche
City was seen as a social organism with
social interaction governed by a
“Struggle for Existence.” Influenced by
Darwinism. (Social sciences were
trying to establish credibility.)
The Chicago School: Human Ecology
• Chicago School saw “natural
areas” as being dominated by
one group or another.
(Zorbaugh’s The Gold Coast
and the Slum.)
• Natural areas were not fixed. –
Through numbers and growing
market power, groups could
alter the attractiveness of a
certain area. Group could also
move to a different natural area
– called Invasion and
Succession
The Chicago School: Human Ecology
• Became a “benchmark” in urban
studies for describing urban structure
• Could only be applied to cities that
were heavily industrialized and had
constant streams of immigrants
• Came under heavy criticism in the
late ’30s and ’40s
• Failed to explore the ‘cultural’
dimension of social organization,
people make “irrational” and
“sentimental” values – thus, social
values could overrride economic
competition as the basis for social
interaction and residential
segregation
• Social theories based on biotic
analogies were also seen as
dangerously simplistic (Nazi regime)
Human Ecology and Factorial Ecology
• Ecological ideas were
reformulated to see an urban
“ecology” of discrete territories
“social areas” or
“Neighborhood types” (distinct
socioeconomic characteristics)
• Led to Factorial Ecology –
involved the use of statistical
analysis of socioeconomic data.
Used multivariate stats to
understand urban sociospatial
differentiation (factor analysis).
• Helped to move away from
Classic sectors/zones
(scioeconomic/family/ethics) to
new frameworks
Factorial Ecology and Fundamental Changes to the
Foundation of Residential Segregation
• Since 1970s, growing
• New Factors
– Migrant Status
– Ethnic Differentiation with
arrival of new immigrant
groups
– Occupational differentiation
– Welfare dependency
– Poverty and substandard
housing
– Increased social and spatial
differentiation between postBoomers/young adults and
the elderly
occupational polarization- rise
in high paid jobs and low paid
service sector jobs (loss of well
paid manufacturing jobs and
decline of suburbs)
• Baby Boomers divorcing,
DINKS, never marrying
• Gen X, Boomer DINKS and
Retirees moving “Back to
Downtown” – Walkability
factor and close to food,
entertainment, and culture
• Americans of Africa heritage
and new ethnic groups are
moving to the suburbs
(Ethnoburbs)
Mass Transit
• Becoming a big concern
for high tech and
biotechnology companies
when trying to entice
young professionals
Regarding infrastructure, the Skytrain is a fabulous feature of the Vancouver
landscape. This is the infrastructure that is going to attract people and business
to Vancouver. When I make presentations in Seattle, and I show them
Vancouver’s Skytrain, people become very interested to learn more. See, if the
Company X Canada Innovation Centre sit on the Skytrain [line] this is a
fabulous experience for my employees, which in turn makes their work
experience more enjoyable……. Our employees are looking for this type of
transportation experience when traveling to work.
~Managing Director, Company X September 2008
Walkability Score
• Developed by FrontSeat – A
Seattle based software
company
(http://www.walkscore.com)
• Will tell you how many
amenities you have within a
walkable range from your
home
• Used by real estate agencies,
firms, families, and
companies
• Hi Kathrine,
• It was great to meet you at my open
house this past Sunday. Attached are
listings of single family homes in the
general downtown San Jose area. All
are priced under $700,000. Let me
know if any interest you. I presume
that since you work at SJSU, you will
want to be within walking distance. If
not, I bet we could find something
close to lightrail which would also be
handy. If you need a lender, I really
like Janet Velez with Bank of
America. I look forward to hearing
from you soon!!
Take care,Tom
Ethnoburbs
• Term coined by Wei Lei. Over
the past two decades a new type
of ethnic area has emerged, the
ethnoburb
• Suburban ethnic clusters of
residential areas and business
districts – characterized by
vibrant ethnic economies that
depend on local ethnic
minorities
• Area is seen as an “outpost” in
the international economic
system via business
transactions, capital
accumulation, & flows of
entrepreneurs and other workers
• Can be described as a
multiethnic community in
which one ethnic group has a
significant concentration, but
does not comprise a majority.
• Replicates an some features of
an ethic enclave and a suburb
lacking a single ethnic identity.
• Ethnic imprint is more obvious
than other types of suburbs
• San Gabriel Valley, Diamond
Hill, Hacienda Heights,
Rowland Heights, and Walnut,
California; Richmond, B.C.,
Surrey, B.C.
Ethnoburbs – Richmond, B.C.
FACTOR
Total Population
Richmond, British Columbia
Redmond, Washington
173,565
54,340
65.1%
24.4%
8.0%
8.8%
43.6%
5.6%
Filipino
5.5%
0.5%
Japanese
1.9%
2.6%
Korean
0.7%
0.5%
Total Visible Minorities
Visible Minorities
from Asia
-
Asian Indian
Chinese
Other Visible Minorities
1% (West AsiaIran and Afghan)
7% (Hispanic)
Source: Statistics Canada 2006 data for Richmond, British Columbia and the 2005-2007 American Community Survey data for Redmond,
Washington