Collaborative Planning with New Immigrants: a Case Study
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Collaborative Planning with New Immigrants: A Case Study of Central Park in Winnipeg, Manitoba by Rakvinder Hayer A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba In partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of MASTER OF CITY PLANNING Department of City Planning University of Manitoba Winnipeg Copyright © 2015 by Rakvinder Hayer ABSTRACT Through a case study analysis of the Central Park placemaking initiative in Winnipeg, this Major Degree Project explores the process of collaborative planning with new immigrant communities. While existing research examines the potential of placemaking to promote physical improvements through collaborative planning, we know less about whether placemaking initiatives achieve the long-term social outcomes associated with collaborative planning theory. Located in downtown Winnipeg, Central Park is surrounded by a diverse multi-cultural community, consisting of many new immigrants. In 2008, the CentreVenture Development Corporation launched a placemaking initiative to revitalize Central Park. The community was a key collaborator in the planning and design process. This thesis examines the long-term social outcomes of this initiative. The main research methods for this project include key informant interviews, and archival and secondary source analysis of existing data. The research finds that collaborative planning processes offer the potential to promote sustainable inner city neighbourhood revitalization. Placemaking through collaborative planning can develop new institutional capacity for participants. By developing and harnessing relational, intellectual and political resources communities can mobilize co- ordinated action toward future initiatives. The findings of this research advance the literature and understanding of collaborative planning processes, particularly within the context of placemaking with new immigrant communities. This thesis adds to the literature of inner city neighbourhood revitalization and collaborative planning theory. Keywords: Collaborative Planning Theory; Placemaking; Immigration; Inner City; Neighbourhood Revitalization; Park Redevelopment; Social Capital; Institutional Capacity Development ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge and thank the University of Manitoba for awarding me the Graduate Fellowship that gave me the financial support to pursue this research. Thank you to everyone at the Department of City Planning for guiding me through this journey, especially Dr. Richard Milgrom and Yvonne Halden. To all those who participated in interviews for this research project, it was a privilege to hear your insights, expertise, and passion on this topic. This project would have been impossible without your participation. Thank you. To my trusted mentor and advisor Dr. Janice Barry, thank you for getting me started on this journey, for your patience, encouragement, and professional guidance. I would also like to extend my sincerest gratitude to Dr. Rae Bridgeman and Dr. Amanda Johnson, thank you for being on my Examining Committee and providing constructive feedback. Special thanks to my teachers and mentors from the University of Winnipeg, Faculty of Sociology for focusing me in the right direction early in my academic career. To my classmates, I am thankful to have such a remarkable group of friends in my life. Thanks for the conversations, the brainstorming, and the karaoke! Thank you to all my close pals for your support and faith in my ability to complete this project. Thank you to my family, my cousins, Sukh, my nieces and nephews, and my parents for your encouragement, love, and guidance. Finally, to my wife Aman, this journey would have been impossible without you. Thank you for making me a stronger person. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract .............................................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................................. iii List of Figures ................................................................................................................................... vii 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Problem Statement ........................................................................................................................ 4 1.2 Key Research Questions ............................................................................................................... 6 1.3 Significance of Study .................................................................................................................... 8 1.4 Chapter Outline ........................................................................................................................... 10 2 Policy and Organizational Context ........................................................................................... 13 2.1 Winnipeg’s Economic Boom ...................................................................................................... 14 2.2 Winnipeg’s Economic Bust ........................................................................................................ 15 2.3 Addressing Winnipeg’s Decline ................................................................................................. 16 2.4 The Core Area Initiative ............................................................................................................. 17 2.4.1 Context and Background ..................................................................................................... 18 2.4.2 Central Park Connection ..................................................................................................... 20 2.4.3 Criticism of Core Area Initiative ........................................................................................ 22 2.4.4 Lessons from the Core Area Initiative Experience ............................................................. 26 2.5 Emergence of Participatory Planning in Central Park ................................................................ 28 2.5.1 CentreVenture ..................................................................................................................... 28 2.5.2 The Central Neighbourhoods Development Corporation ................................................... 29 2.5.3 Knox United Church ........................................................................................................... 31 3 Literature Review ..................................................................................................................... 35 3.1 Placemaking ................................................................................................................................ 38 3.1.1 Connection to Communicative Planning ............................................................................ 40 3.1.2 The Emerging Field of Collaborative Placemaking ............................................................ 41 3.2 Collaborative Planning Theory ................................................................................................... 42 3.2.1 Connections to Collaborative Governance .......................................................................... 44 3.2.2 Collaborative Planning in Multi-Cultural Settings ............................................................. 45 3.2.3 Critiques and Limitations of Collaborative PlanningTheory .............................................. 47 3.3 Institutional Capacity Development and “Second-Order” Outcomes ......................................... 48 3.3.1 A Closer Look at Social Capital ......................................................................................... 51 4 Research Methods ..................................................................................................................... 53 iv 4.1 Case Study Research ................................................................................................................... 55 4.2 Research Method: Secondary Source and Archival Analysis ..................................................... 56 4.3 Research Method: Semi-Structured Interview ............................................................................ 57 4.4 Data Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 59 4.4.1 Data Coding ........................................................................................................................ 60 4.4.2 Coding Software ................................................................................................................. 60 4.4.3 Coding Process .................................................................................................................... 61 4.4.4 Data Reliability and Validity .............................................................................................. 63 4.4.5 Interview Participant Selection ........................................................................................... 63 4.4.6 Semi-Structured Interview Process ..................................................................................... 64 4.5 Biases and Limitations ...............................................................................................................