“And so, my heart was constantly just wanting to be home, but nowhere was home”: A Study into the Voices of Displaced Regent Park Residents

Abstract

“A united racialized community to exist on its own terms and to be subject to the same rights and freedoms as the greater white community, remains inconceivable” (Nelson, 2002, p. 129). The gentrification of Regent Park illustrates this reality. This study asks: How is gentrification used as a neoliberal tool to dismantle racialized communities? This research draws on Critical Race Theory (CRT), post-structuralism and spatial theories to examine how policies like “social mix” mask displacement as revitalization. This paper will analyze how redevelopment policies have perpetuated systemic inequities while disrupting vital networks of solidarity and care. Through stories of displaced community members from Phase 2 of the revitalization project, this qualitative study highlights the cultural wealth, resilience, and deep-rooted sense of belonging in Regent Park before gentrification. The findings challenge the logic of social mix and neoliberal assumptions that low-income communities cannot thrive without proximity to whiteness or middle-class norms. Ultimately, this study argues that the erasure of community was not an accidental outcome but a systemic effect of redevelopment efforts that prioritize market interests over the lives of racialized residents.