1. Introduction



How is my nephew going to learn about their Vietnamese and Taiwanese heritage when they grow up?

Currently proposed developments in Toronto’s Chinatown threaten the agency of space often found in Asian diasporic communities, continuing oppressive systems of displacement. Using the model of a community land trust, this thesis envisions collaboration between members of the Chinatown Business Improvement Area and activists Friends of Chinatown, which represent two generational groups that are advocating for the legacy of Chinatown in sometimes conflicting ways. The proposal mediates these tensions while innovating on how architecture can respond to community power and control.


Thesis by Phát Lê
Thesis advisor, Michael Piper
Contributions from Miranda Fay, and Philip Ocampo






Mark