This is the final article in a three-part series examining Edmonton’s core one year after the city introduced a “safety plan” after two men were killed in Chinatown. The first article on enforcing crime can be read here. The second article on addressing root issues like mental health and addictions can be read here.
Apart from efforts to tackle crime through law enforcement and address its root causes in central Edmonton, there is also an attempt by the city and local residents to make Chinatown a more vibrant place to be, and in the process, make it less of a magnet for crime and disorder.
Stephen Hammerschmidt, director of economic recovery for the Chinatown and Area Business Improvement Association (CABIA), said the people who live and operate businesses in the area are taking to the streets to clean up and revitalize the area.
“The solution just starts with cleanliness, pure and simple,” he said.
“We are washing all the sidewalks and all the storefront windows for our Chinatown on a biweekly basis, and you can feel the difference on the street.”
The association is working with area social agencies like Hope Mission to clean up the streets, with two dozen people in addiction recovery helping to tidy the area, Hammerschmidt said.
“We’ve come to the realization that … we have to work together,” he said.
“We have circled back around and we understand much more about Hope Mission and their own program, and they understand a lot more about Chinatown and our businesses.”
LISTEN: Stephen Hammerschmidt, director of economic recovery for the Chinatown and area business improvement on the “Chinatown solution”
Christina Trang, whose father was killed in the May 18, 2023, attacks in Chinatown, now works with the CABIA in an effort to restore vibrancy to the area.
“Having that presentation that it’s clean, it’s welcoming, makes it a more friendlier place where everybody wants to come and visit,” she said.
READ MORE: ‘Change Chinatown’: What investments are coming in 2023 to the historic Edmonton neighbourhood
William Chen, co-owner of Van Loc, took over the restaurant in January, in part to help bring back vibrancy to the neighbourhood.
He said bringing paying customers to the area is an integral part of restoring safety.
“Just having people walking around, visiting stores and exploring Chinatown is just a good feeling,” Chen said.
The city is also trying to design and redevelop the area in a way that deters crime. Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) recommends natural surveillance by having open sightlines where it is harder to hide criminal behaviour, according to University of Alberta urban planning professor Sandeep Agrawal.
“The built form on both sides of the street should be in such a way that there are large windows and doors so that people from these buildings are looking out, and that would then reduce the fear of crime among people who are on the street and hopefully the would-be offenders as well,” said Agrawal.
Experts in the field recommend against high shrubs and fences made of solid materials.
“If you create a lot of nooks and crannies within the built form, then that would also deter people from walking around and then may create the fear of crime as well,” said Agrawal.
“Eyes on the street” are augmented by restaurant patios and street lights and by having more businesses operating at all hours.
The CABIA is offering grants of $40,000 to businesses — $160,000 in total — looking to open up shop in the area.
“It’s a well-connected community and everybody supports each other and works together, and we try to develop lots of relationships within the community where everybody offers resources to everybody,” Trang said.
“We’re very close to downtown but it helps a little bit that you’re not right in downtown with the lease rates.”
The city is also offering incentives for businesses and developers to build in downtown.
It has awarded more than $6.5 million in funding towards projects that promote downtown as a place to live, work and have fun through the Downtown Vibrancy Fund.
The city also established a million-dollar recovery fund for Chinatown shortly after the killings.
“Modelled similarly to the Downtown Vibrancy Strategy, the Chinatown Recovery Fund aims to support post-pandemic recovery efforts,” the city said.
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said the city is supporting those who want to bring cultural and artistic activities to downtown and Chinatown.
“More people coming downtown means more businesses are able to access and provide programs and amenities and services that people rely on,” he said.
The city also created the Meet Me Downtown grant for events, activities and festivals in downtown this year.
The city wants to leverage the historical buildings, landmarks and streetscapes in Chinatown, according to “The Chinatown Strategy: Energizing a Prosperous Future.”
The strategy talks about improving the sense of safety, encouraging economic development, celebrating the unique characteristics of the area and showing the neighbourhood off as a destination, which Agrawal said is key to revitalizing the area.
“A tourism strategy could work in this case where they can showcase Chinatown as a destination,” said Agrawal.
“Bringing more Chinese lanterns, beautifying the space, using some urban design approaches to bring people to this space could help,” he said, adding it could spur more businesses to come to the area.
In the city’s 2023-26 budget, city council approved $10 million to spruce up the area with “wider sidewalks, appropriate landscaping, well-designed pedestrian scale lighting and decorative street paving at intersections.”
The city also plans to reinstall a new Harbin Gate after the original was taken down in 2017 to make way for the Southeast Valley Line LRT.
Agrawal said he is hopeful the investments in the area are enough to attract businesses into the area.
“I think the City of Edmonton is on the right direction to to bring more people to the area, creating it as a tourist destination,” he said.
Trang said the neighbourhood’s business community is tight-knit and new businesses would have a lot of support.
“Definitely, we need to bring more people back into the community, more opportunities where there’s new businesses that can come join our community and feel the love in this community,” she said.
Hammerschmidt said he is optimistic about what’s changing in Chinatown.
“I really do believe in the next one to four years you’re not even going to recognize Chinatown,” he said.
“It is changing, it is going to continue to change and I think all Edmontonians should be proud of Chinatown.”
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