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Immigration and integration : the development of "Chinese" shopping centres in the suburbs of Vancouver

University of British Columbia

As a step to understand the impact of immigration on urban development in Greater Vancouver, this thesis documents the development processes of "Chinese" Shopping Centres in Vancouver's suburbs over the last decade, examines their roles in the settlement and integration process of Chinese immigrants, and assesses their impact on local communities. "Chinese" Shopping Centres in the Great Vancouver reflected social and physical changes initiated by the Chinese immigration in the Vancouver's suburbs. The developments were driven by dramatic changes in the Chinese-Canadian community in the 1980s and l990s, and boosted by Canada's immigration and integration policy. Overseas investment has also played an important role in making the development possible and more comprehensive. This thesis finds that it is necessary to distinguish "Chinese" Shopping Centre development from traditional forms of ethnic enclaves, such as Chinatown. It is also important to realize the differences between the "Chinese" Shopping Centre and typical shopping centre in North American cities. Socio-economic and land use impacts of the developments call for planning policy changes in order to address the issues related to this new form of development.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-06-16

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/9342

Planning

University of British Columbia

UBCV

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