“I think we’re all having the wrong conversation”: The Relationship between the Gentrification of Riversdale and the Well-being of Local Residents

Date
2018-03
Authors
Bradshaw, Chelsey Dawn
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Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina
Abstract

Almost anyone who has lived in Saskatoon for the past five years has either witnessed firsthand, or heard about the changes that have been occurring in the downtown core neighbourhood of Riversdale. What once was a neighbourhood that consisted of multiple pawn shops, boarded up windows, and high rates of poverty and crime, now boasts multiple fair-trade coffee shops, trendy record stores, and restaurants where the food is locally grown, or gathered from the neighbourhood farmer’s market. The aim of this study was to answer the research question: how has the gentrification of Riversdale impacted local residents? Local residents consisted of individuals over the age of 18 who have lived in Riversdale since at least 2010. An instrumental case study methodology was used to gather data. Methods of gathering data included semi-structured interviews, archival records in the forms of newspaper articles and community newsletters, as well as direct observations from the researcher for 18 months. From the data analyzed, four categories emerged: the importance of community resources, the distinct separation of people within the community, the fact that a neighbourhood of pawn shops and boarded up windows does not equal a healthy community, and questions around what accessible really means. A discussion of the implications of the research findings on social work practice and policy is included as well.

Description
A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Social Work in Social Work, University of Regina. v, 104 p.
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