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Cut Fruit Means I Love You

Retail, but make it sensitive
     0. Acknowledgement 
  1. Introduction
  2. History
  3. Research
  4. Context 
  5. Proposal
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E. Friends of Chinatown Toronto

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Friends of Chinatown, 2019Friends of Chinatown, 2019

Friends of Chinatown Toronto or “FOCT” is a grassroots group comprised of artists, architects, writers, journalists, business owners, residents, and community activists fighting for community-controlled affordable housing, economic justice, and racial justice in Toronto’s Downtown Chinatown. Its advocacy centres the needs and voices for working class, senior, and immigrant communities who rely on Toronto’s downtown Chinatown for cultural and economic resources that are unique to the neighbourhood. OUr mission is to build community power and resist displacement through

Toronto gets first all chinese sign for proposed development




Community Consultation 

On November 19th, 2019, the City of Toronto held its first community consultation meeting in a classroom at the University of Toronto Medical Sciences Building for the proposed construction of the 315 Spadina developments. With over 100 community members in the room, a majority being Asian, faced with the city counselors, developers, planners, and architects (all being white).


KEEP 315-325 SPADINA AFFORDABLE, Press Release, November 2020


“In addition, there are currently 13 businesses located at 315-325 Spadina, but there has also been no commitment from the developers on how they will support these culturally specific services, or whether new commercial tenants considered for the building will serve the needs of Chinatown’s residents and the community. At the moment, many local residents are dependent on the medical services (Dr. Phong Vo, optometrist; Dr. Sophia Hoang, Orthodontist; Dr. Nguyen Van Nguu, Dentist) and affordable groceries and food (Ding Dong Pastries) provided by the current businesses at 315-325 Spadina. This development will already displace small independent businesses. Without protections in place to prioritize the neighbourhood’s needs and its culturally unique economic ecosystem, family-run and independent businesses could soon be replaced by large corporate chains. Our neighbourhood is built and maintained by working class immigrants. As with affordable housing, efforts need to be made towards the preservation of culturally specific businesses.”


Moving Forward: Community Land Trust


Friends of Chinatown Toronto in collaboration with The University of Toronto Planning Master’s Program, developped a report in December 2020 that was commissioned by FOCT to research and document Chinatown, and to formalize a planning rationale that avocates for increased Community Control - proposing a potential of a community land trust model. 




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