Shrinking Historic Neighborhoods and Authenticity Dilution: An Unspoken Challenge of Historic Chinatowns in the United States through the Case of San Francisco
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Background
2.1. Shrinking Cities and Neighborhoods
2.2. Authenticity and Social Sustainability
2.3. Shrinking Neighborhoods, Authenticity, and Social Sustainability
3. Materials and Methods
3.1. Study Area
3.2. Research Method
- What do you think about the changes of Chinatown, in population, housing costs, living condition, and other aspects? What these changes meant to you?
- In your opinion, what elements are authentic or inauthentic in Chinatown? What elements determine Chinatown’s authenticity or inauthenticity? How have you seen the transformation of authenticity in Chinatown?
- What do you think about the future of Chinatown?
4. Results and Discussion
4.1. Chinatown Transformations: Population and Housing Dimensions
4.2. The Perception of Neighborhood Decline and the Experience of Authenticity Dilution: Linking the Debates
4.2.1. A Place Called Home with a Deteriorating Image
4.2.2. Population Ageing and Outmigration
4.2.3. Gentrification and Disneyfication
4.3. Discussion: Policy Implications and Recommendations
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Ages | 1–14 | 15–24 | 25–34 | 35–44 | 45–54 | 55–64 | 65–74 | 75–84 | ≥85 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of interviewees | 1 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 30 |
Races | Ethnic Chinese | Non-Asian | Asian but not ethnic Chinese | Total | ||||||
Number of interviewees | 24 | 4 | 2 | 30 |
Categories | Authentic Experiences | Inauthentic Experiences |
---|---|---|
Built environment |
|
|
Population structure | High proportion of the ethnic Chinese population |
|
Community function | A traditional Chinese-style living community with:
| Functional displacement toward a touristic thematic park or ethnic Disneyland with:
|
Community living condition |
|
|
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Xie, S.; Batunova, E. Shrinking Historic Neighborhoods and Authenticity Dilution: An Unspoken Challenge of Historic Chinatowns in the United States through the Case of San Francisco. Sustainability 2020, 12, 282. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010282
Xie S, Batunova E. Shrinking Historic Neighborhoods and Authenticity Dilution: An Unspoken Challenge of Historic Chinatowns in the United States through the Case of San Francisco. Sustainability. 2020; 12(1):282. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010282
Chicago/Turabian StyleXie, Shuyi, and Elena Batunova. 2020. "Shrinking Historic Neighborhoods and Authenticity Dilution: An Unspoken Challenge of Historic Chinatowns in the United States through the Case of San Francisco" Sustainability 12, no. 1: 282. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010282