The Preservation Of Chinatown Chicago - 1540 Words

Phillip Fok David Walls English 0802 September 16, 2015 The Preservation of Chinatown in Philadelphia In order for Philadelphia to maintain its rich culture and diversity, Chinatown must be preserved. Chinatown has become a centerpiece of Philadelphia for tourist and residents alike to experience eastern culture. The people are friendly, there are plenty of strangers on the streets, and plenty late night business and as Jane Jacobs would describe it, successful (35). Therefore as a public space that is suitable to the public it should be preserved. However, it is the target for many developers. In the past there have been numerous attempts to develop the Chinatown district, all of which would have compromised the integrity of Chinatown, which has been around since the late 1800s. The Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, or the PCDC, was founded because of these threats to Chinatown and has constantly fought off development threats to Chinatown (Lechner). However, the developments that were constructed including the Vine Street Expressway and several urban renewal projec ts south of Chinatown have effectively stopped growth in those areas. Because of limited space and growing population further developments have been shot down rather quickly by residents including the Foxwood Casino and in 2004 the construction of the new Phillies stadium. One of the first of many barrages of developmental destructions of Chinatown was the reconstruction of the Vine Street