THE INTERSECTION OF PLACE AND ETHNIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP: THE ROLE OF ETHNIC ENTREPRENEURS IN THE MAKING OF THREE TORONTO NEIGHBORHOODS

《THE INTERSECTION OF PLACE AND ETHNIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP: THE ROLE OF ETHNIC ENTREPRENEURS IN THE MAKING OF THREE TORONTO NEIGHBORHOODS》

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作者单位: [Zhuang, Zhixi Cecilia] Ryerson Univ, Sch Urban & Reg Planning, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada. Zhuang, ZC (reprint author), Ryerson Univ, Sch Urban & Reg Planning, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada. E-Mail: zczhuang@ryerson.ca

摘要: Ethnic retail neighborhoods in the Toronto area are not only indicators of Canada's ethno-cultural diversity but also important social places where ethnic businesses have made longlasting physical impressions on the urban landscape. This paper aims to investigate the social, economic, and physical processes involved in the making of ethnic retail places and the role of ethnic entrepreneurs in these processes. Using key informant interviews, shopper intercept surveys, and field observations, it explores three ethnic retail strips in Toronto's inner city that target the Chinese, South Asian, and Italian business communities. The findings reveal profound intergroup differences and demonstrate that ethnic entrepreneurs are the driving force behind the social, economic, and physical processes of neighborhood transformation. These findings will help bridge research gaps associated with the spatial and physical aspects of ethnic entrepreneurship and offer empirical knowledge for municipalities.