Gentrification in Kensington Market

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Gentrification in Kensington Market
By Adam Bensimon
GEO793
Professor Raymond Garrison
Ryerson University

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Gentrification in Kensington Market (Toronto, Canada)
Gentrification in Kensington Market is a delicate process which has both positive and
negative repercussions towards the residents and the immigrants. Therefore, caution should be
taken during its implementation.
Introduction
Kensington Market is characterized by bread, meat, vintage, fish, cheese shops, and
mongers. Also, nearby there are blended restaurants which feature cuisines from all over the
world. Visiting and having celebrations in the Victorian architecture art murals at public places
and shiny painted structures showcase the beauty of Kensington Market. It is generally referred
as Toronto’s cultural mecca. People of all walks of life, religions, variety of ages and
nationalities are found in Kensington Market (Jason, 2016).
Gentrification is a process of reviving and improving degenerated urban neighbourhoods by
a method of the influx of more affluent residents (Jane, 2016). The impacts of gentrification in
Kensington Market is well narrated through both economic and cultural views. Making reference
to Kensington Market, it is established that creation of urban spaces greatly depends on the
culture of the natives. In the neighbourhood of Kensington Market there are clashes between the
minority group of residents and gentrifies. The backbone of the Kensington Market are people of
lower socio-economic status because they are the long-time residents and they have been
developing the neighbourhoods both economically and socially. The diversity of the
neighbourhoods favour the residents of Kensington Market and makes them resist from
migrating to the local areas (Jane, 2016).
Geographical History of Kensington Market
Gentrification geographic research shows that old structures are being renovated and
improved to do away with slums. From the 1950s it was established that combination of factors
such as rapid demographic, economic growth, changing political views, speculative activities,
and technological development has led to little or no investment in most Canadian inner-city
neighbourhoods. Conversion of some old structures into lofts in Kensington Market has lured
middle class people into the place. Studies have revealed that gentrification has involved huge
and current repairs and development of neighbourhoods that cause changes of a locality and
increased costs of real estate as the richer professionals invest in the competitive markets. In
Canada during the 19th century, there were transformational activities such as little repairs of

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existing housing structures and pressures on the local housing markets due to high immigration
and speculative development due to high rates of industrialization that was happening (Ann &
Lenore, 2009).
Impact of Gentrification on Economy
Some researchers on renewal of urban areas indicate that betterment of conditions of
housing would incorporate sections of the society that had been left out from the modernization.
This helps in transformation of citizens into law abiding tax payers (Cantugal & Leslie, 2009).
Since the Jewish immigrants migrated from the other parts of the world to west of Spadina
in the 1930s, Kensington Market has been subjected to evolution and change. This evolution was
brought about by varying waves of those who came in build shops adding eclectic combination
in the neighbourhood thus the term the heart of Toronto. Gentrification has constantly interfered
with original place of small businesses which was initially withstanding large developments. The
construction on its border and studies that have been carried out for long time shows that the
number of restaurants has become higher than that of raw groceries within the market (Mazer &
Katharine, 2011).
There was a study initiative by the city that was aimed at developing zoning bylaws
concerning the increasing number of restaurants. This was aimed at giving recommendations in
2013, this study was being held purposely until a different city proposal to investigate
Kensington as a Heritage Conservation District was accomplished the following year. Even
though there are plans to point out the place as a Heritage Conservation District, which according
to the natives will restrict development, acquaintances of Kensington backed up by the city have
been working on the land trust proposal. Land trust is an idea by an organization which is aimed
at purchasing land purposely for conservation (Young & Roger, 2009).
Urban hawkers have always promoted how activist and artist develop public streets into
areas of community development, spaces of conviviality and play through creative interventions.
Those activities usually sabotage the same communities they thought they are supporting.
Considering the case of Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington Market, it is significant to establish
the function performed by activists and local artists in facilitating local gentrification dynamics
and the way the actions represent wider socio-economic questions in the city and outside. In as
much as the activists aim at challenging corporatized and homogenized urban development and
to develop committed and vibrant communities the activists usually unknowingly strengthen