Chinatown

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The revitalization focus in Chinatown creates a ripple effect. A Chinatown that’s a safe and welcoming place for businesses, residents, students and visitors allows each group to contribute to Edmonton’s overall vibrancy and economic success.

Chinatown Recovery Fund

As a supporting initiative to Edmonton’s Downtown Core and Transit System Safety Plan, the Chinatown Recovery Fund supports post-pandemic recovery projects in the Chinatown community. See the list of projects here .

Chinatown Strategy

A Broad Economic Approach

The Chinatown Strategy (10.55 MB) is a broad economic development approach supported by placemaking and actionable community-led programming components. It was built from the Chinatown Urban Interface Plan (33.47 MB) and the Economic Development Plan (40.98 MB) for Chinatown.

Development Pillars

The Strategy is built around five development pillars with supporting actions, all of which contribute collectively to guide Edmonton's Chinatown into the future:

Improve sense of safety and security
Focused economic development
Governance and community leadership network
Celebrate Chinatown as a destination
Enhance built form and landmarks

The directions of each pillar were guided by Chinatown cultural organizations, the retail and business sector and community organizations.

While the City played a role in the development of the strategy, it is community-driven, and it will be collaborative community-based partnerships that drive the success of the strategy. The strategy is in the process of being revalidated by the City and its partners, and it will be re-released in 2024

Supporting the Strategy Pillars

One way the City is helping to support the five pillars of the Chinatown Strategy is through Edmonton’s Downtown Core and Transit System Safety Plan. The plan launched in 2022 outlines the various initiatives the City has activated to help build safety in the neighbourhood and to revitalize Chinatown.

The following actions are currently underway:

The Healthy Streets Operations Centre formally began its work in January 2023 and established a location for the Community Safety Teams in Chinatown in April 2023. This initiative offers a multi-disciplinary approach to addressing disorder and crime issues, contributing to revitalization efforts in Chinatown. Learn more here.
Chinatown has free three-hour parking to increase accessibility to the neighbourhood’s businesses and restaurants. EPark is free in zones 4001 to 4009, 4012 to 4014, 4017 to 4025 and 4032. A map of zones can be found on our EPark map on edmonton.ca/EPark.
Neighbourhood Community Development has been strengthening community safety through relationship building at neighbourhood events.
The City has provided $800,000 in grants to the Chinatown and Area Business Association to help fund private security resources in and throughout Chinatown.
The City provided the $1 million Chinatown Recovery Fund for post-pandemic recovery projects.

Harbin Gate

The Harbin Gate was constructed to symbolize the sister-city relationship with the City of Harbin in China but was dismantled and put in storage in 2017 to enable the construction of the Valley Line LRT.

The desire for the gate to be on 97 Street means a new gate is being planned in order to span the road, which the old gate could not do. The City is working with the City of Harbin on a new gate design and has installed footings and landscaping in anticipation of its build. Funding to build the gate was secured in the last budget and the City is preparing a design build project to have it constructed.

Have questions about current projects in Chinatown? Check out our interactive map.

Background

Edmonton’s original Chinatown emerged more than 100 years ago in the area around Jasper Avenue and 97 Street, where a number of merchants established businesses to cater to the growing Chinese population.

With confirmation of the construction of Canada Place for Government of Canada offices, Chinatown began the movement to 102 Avenue, between 95 and 97 streets, in the 1980s. This area continues to be home to the community’s family associations, multi-culture centre and seniors residences. Businesses located north of this area, primarily along 97 Street. This gave way to a second concentration of Chinese commercial establishments commonly known today as Chinatown.

Over the years, retail trends have continued to evolve, and goods and services that had traditionally only been available in Chinatown, such as grocery, herbal medicines and specialty services can now easily be found across Edmonton. This has led to a fall in visitation, which combined with some of the disorder issues, has affected the area's vibrancy.

Regional and city-wide consumer demand for unique and exciting shopping, cultural and culinary destinations have grown, and Chinatown represents a significant opportunity to highlight its distinct identity as a destination within the City. Various initiatives have taken place to provide a broader investment strategy to help the area become prosperous and economically resilient.

For More Information

Brett Latchford

Title	Director of Strategy and Emerging Economy
Email	brett.latchford@edmonton.ca