An Analysis of Cultural Heritage Conservation by Heritage Conservation Districts in Toronto’s Central Business District

Aslı Şen; H. Hale Kozlu

doi:10.30785/mbud.1881377

EN TR

An Analysis of Cultural Heritage Conservation by Heritage Conservation Districts in Toronto’s Central Business District

Abstract

Central business districts are one of the primary points where a city's development and preservation of its cultural heritage clash. The challenges faced in preserving the historic fabric of cities shaped by the stress of rapid growth and development have led to practices such as total preservation, adaptive reuse, and a controversial approach, such as facadism. This study examines the conservation of cultural heritage in Toronto's central business district, the provincial capital of Ontario, utilizing the Ontario Heritage Act, municipal policies, and the heritage inventory. A detailed examination of the structures within the designated area revealed a variety of approaches to preserving the city's rich cultural and architectural heritage.

Keywords

Heritage conservation, heritage conservation district, central business district, Toronto, facadism

Ethical Statement

The article complies with national and international research and publication ethics. Ethics committee approval was not required for the study.

Thanks

This article is based on the study entitled “Integrated System Proposal for The Preservation Challenges and Solutions in Central Business Districts (CBDs) In Metropolitan Regions – A Case Study of Toronto” and is to be defended as a doctoral thesis at Erciyes University, Institute of Science, Department of Architecture. We would like to thank the Proofreading & Editing Office of the Dean for Research at Erciyes University for the copyediting and proofreading service for this manuscript.

Toronto Merkezi İş Alanında Koruma Bölgelerine Göre Kültürel Mirasın Korunmasının İncelenmesi

Abstract

Metropoliten şehirlerin odak noktalarından biri olan merkezi iş alanları kentlerin en yoğun noktalarını oluşturmaktadır. Kentin tarihi gelişiminde oldukça önemli bir noktada yer alan merkezi iş alanları günümüzde birçok miras yapısına da ev sahipliği yapmaktadır. Gelişen ve değişen modern ihtiyaçlara karşılık vermekte zorlanabilen miras yapıları için günümüzde tam koruma, adaptif yeniden kullanım ve cephecilik gibi tartışmalı birçok alternatif koruma yöntemine başvurulabilmektedir. Bu çalışmada, Kanada’nın Ontario eyaletine bağlı olan Toronto şehrinin merkezi iş alanında yer alan miras yapıları, kentte ve eyalette uygulanan miras koruma yasalarının ışığında incelenecektir.

Keywords

Miras koruma, miras koruma bölgesi, merkezi iş alanı, Toronto, cephecilik

Supporting Institution

Erciyes Üniversitesi

Thanks

Bu makale, Doç. Dr. H. Hale Kozlu'nun danışmanlığında Aslı Şen tarafından, “Metropol Bölgelerdeki Merkezi İş Alanlarında. (MİA) Koruma Sorunları ve Çözümleri İçin Entegre Sistem Önerisi – Toronto Örneği” başlıklı çalışmasına dayanarak hazırlanmış ve Erciyes Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Mimarlık Bölümü'nde doktora tezi olarak savunulacaktır. Bu makalenin kopya düzenleme ve düzeltme hizmetleri için Erciyes Üniversitesi Araştırma Dekanlığı Düzeltme ve Düzenleme Ofisi'ne teşekkür ederiz.

References

Allen, N., Haarhoff, E. & Beattie, L. (2018). Enhancing liveability through urban intensification: The idea and role of neighbourhood. Cogent social sciences, 4(1), 1442117. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311886.2018.1442117
Australia ICOMOS. (2013). The Burra charter: The Australia ICOMOS charter for places of cultural significance. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://publ.icomos.org/publicomos/jlbSai? html=Pag&page=Pml/Not&base=technica&ref=3171F260B77D011779B2295FF4FF04E4
Baturayoğlu Yöney, N. (2016). Modern mimarlık mirasının kabulü ve korunması: Uluslararası ölçüt ve ilkelere ilişkin bir değerlendirme. Restorasyon ve Konservasyon Çalışmaları Dergisi, (17), 62-76. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/restorasyon/article/619992
Blake, J. (2000). On defining the cultural heritage. International & Comparative Law Quarterly, 49(1), 61-85. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://doi.org/10.1017/S002058930006396X
Bullen, P. A. & Love, P. E. (2011). Adaptive reuse of heritage buildings. Structural survey, 29(5), 411-421. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://doi.org/10.1108/02630801111182439
Canada’s Historic Places. (2010). The Standards & Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/pages/standards-normes.aspx
City of Toronto. (n.d.-a). Heritage Conservation Districts & Studies. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/heritage-preservation/heritage- conservation-districts-planning-studies/
City of Toronto. (n.d.-b). Toronto Maps. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://map.toronto.ca/torontomaps/
City of Toronto. (2006). Union Station Heritage Conservation District Plan. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/8dfc-CityPlanning_Union-Station-HCD.pdf
City of Toronto. (2015). 3D Massing [Data set]. Open Data Portal. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://open.toronto.ca/dataset/3d-massing/

City of Toronto. (2024). Toronto Official Plan, Chapter Seven: Site and Area Specific Policies- - Chapter 7. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/95d7-city-planning- official-plan-chapter-7-sasps-300s.pdf
Critchley, J. (n.d.). Toronto Building Height. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://jonathancritchley.ca/height.html
Daub B. (2022). Welcome to the [growth] machine: an analysis of heritage conservation in the intensifying city (Master’s thesis). University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/items/c550f3c2-63f8-44f9-b2c0-fb7291dde4a5
de la Torre, M. & Mason, R. (2002). Introduction. Assessing the Values of Cultural Heritage. The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/pdf/assessing.pdf
Donald Luxton & Associates Inc. (2017). Heritage register system plan: Draft consultant report. City of Vancouver, Planning, Urban Design and Sustainability. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/vancouver-heritage-register-system-plan.pdf
Dushkina, N. (2008). Heritage at risk: the fate of modernist buildings in Russia. Future Anterior: Journal of Historic Preservation History, Theory, and Criticism, 5(1), xx-14. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://muse.jhu.edu/article/246735
Feiock, R. C. (2002). A quasi-market framework for development competition. Journal of Urban Affairs, 24(2), 123–142. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9906.00118
Feiock, R. C., Steinacker, A. & Park, H. J. (2009). Institutional collective action and economic development joint ventures. Public Administration Review, 69(2), 256-270. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2008.01972.x
Filion, P., Bunting, T., Pavlic, D. & Langlois, P. (2010). Intensification and sprawl: Residential density trajectories in Canada's largest metropolitan regions. Urban Geography, 31(4), 541-569. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2747/0272-3638.31.4.541
Forsyth, A. (2018). Congested cities vs. sprawl makes you fat: Unpacking the health effects of planning density. The Town Planning Review 89, no. 4: 333-54. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://dash.harvard.edu/entities/publication/6c19a255-e96f-42a2-9cda-34a83662b1b7
Fredheim, L. H. & Khalaf, M. (2016). The significance of values: Heritage value typologies re-examined. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 22(6), 466-481. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13527258.2016.1171247
Grant, J. L. (2017). Growth management theory: From the garden city to smart growth. In The Routledge handbook of planning theory. M. Gunder, A. Madanipour & V. Watson (Ed.). The Routledge Handbook of Planning Theory. Routledge (August 2017). (pp. 41-52). ISBN: 9781315696072. New York.
Grant, J. L. & Bohdanow, S. (2008). New urbanism developments in Canada: a survey. Journal of Urbanism, 1(2), 109-127. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17549170802221435
Highfield, D. (1991). The construction of new buildings behind historic facades. London: CRC Press.
Historic Sites and Monuments Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. H-4. (1985). Access Address (02.02.2026): https://laws- lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/H-4/
Holdsworth, D. (1980). Built forms and social realities: A review essay of recent work on Canadian heritage structures. Urban History Review, 9(2), 123–138. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://doi.org/10.7202/1019339a
Janssen, J., Luiten, E., Renes, H. & Stegmeijer, E. (2017). Heritage as sector, factor and vector: conceptualizing the shifting relationship between heritage management and spatial planning. European Planning Studies, 25(9), 1654-1672. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09654313.2017.1329410
Jokilehto, J. (1999). A history of architectural conservation. London: Routledge.
Kalman, H. & Létourneau, M. (2021). Heritage Planning: Principles and Process. New York: Routledge.
Khirfan, L. (2010). From documentation to policy-making: Management of built heritage in Old Aleppo and Old Acre. Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review, 35-54. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://www.jstor.org/stable/41758723
Knaap, G. & Talen, E. (2005). New urbanism and smart growth: A few words from the academy. International Regional Science Review, 28(2), 107-118. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0160017604273621
Kyriazi, E. (2019). Facadism, building renovation and the boundaries of authenticity. Aesthetic Investigations, 2(2), 184-195. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://aestheticinvestigations.eu/article/view/11967
LeBlanc, F. (2011, September). The Main Street Canada approach for small historic towns. In Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers-Municipal Engineer (Vol. 164, No. 3, pp. 185-193). Thomas Telford Ltd. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://doi.org/10.1680/muen.2011.164.3.185
Logan, J. R. & Molotch, H. L. (1987). Urban fortunes: the political economy of place. California: University of California Press.
Lubell, M., Feiock, R. C. & Ramirez, E. (2005). Political institutions and conservation by local governments. Urban Affairs Review, 40(6), 706-729. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1078087404274137
Mason, R. (2002). Assessing values in conservation planning: methodological ıssues and choices. The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/pdf_publications/pdf/assessing.pdf
Melia, S., Parkhurst, G. & Barton, H. (2011). The paradox of intensification. Transport Policy, 18(1), 46-52. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0967070X10000752
Molotch, H. (1976). The city as a growth machine: Toward a political economy of place. The American Journal of Sociology, 82(2), 309–332. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1086/226311
National Trust for Canada. (n.d.). FAQ. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://nationaltrustcanada.ca/frequentlyaskedquestions
National Trust for Canada. (2013). Heritage Canada Foundation adopts new name: Heritage Canada the National Trust. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://archive.nationaltrustcanada.ca/get-involved/hcf- news/hcf-adopts-new-name
Ontario Heritage Act. (1990). Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.18. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90o18
Page, M. (2016). Why Preservation Matters. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Parks Canada. (2023). Directory of Federal Heritage Designations. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://parks.canada.ca/culture/dfhd.aspx
Parks Canada. (2025). The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/commission-board
Remøy, H. T. & van der Voordt, T. J. (2007). A new life: conversion of vacant office buildings into housing. Facilities, 25(3-4), 88-103. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/02632770710729683
Rodwell, D. (2008). Conservation and sustainability in historic cities. John Wiley & Sons.
Ross, S. G. (2017). Development versus preservation interests in the making of a music city: A case study of select iconic Toronto music venues and the treatment of their intangible cultural heritage value. International Journal of Cultural Property, 24(1), 31-56. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://doi.org/10.1017/S0940739116000382
Sabeta, A. (2024). The Erasure of a Black Sense of Place for Capital Accumulation: The Case of Little Jamaica. Flux: International Relations Review, 14(2), 107-115. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://fluxirr.mcgill.ca/article/view/172
Sager, T. (2011). Neo-liberal urban planning policies: A literature survey 1990–2010. Progress in planning, 76(4), 147-199. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305900611000511
Schumacher, T. L. (2010). “Façadism” returns, or the advent of the “duck‐orated shed. Journal of Architectural Education, 63(2), 128-137. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1531- 314X.2010.01073.x
Steger, M. B. & Roy, R. K. (2021). Neoliberalism: A very short introduction (Vol. 222). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Şen, A. (2025). Photographs of the buildings from Toronto’s central business district. Author's Personal Archives.
Taylor, C. J. (1990). Negotiating the Past: The Making of Canada's National Historic Parks and Sites. London: McGill-Queen's University Press.
Vancouver Heritage Foundation. (2018). Heritage legislation: An overview. Access Address (02.02.2026): https://www.vancouverheritagefoundation.org/resources/recognition-and-protection/heritage-legislation- an-overview/
Wang, A. (2024). Intangible cultural heritage in local shopping streets: Toronto’s west queen west. Journal of Sociology and Ethnology, 6(1). Doi: https://doi.org/10.23977/jsoce.2024.060101

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Architectural Heritage and Conservation

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Aslı Şen
0000-0001-5432-6485
Türkiye

H. Hale Kozlu ^*
0000-0001-6711-3139
Türkiye

Publication Date

July 28, 2026

Submission Date

February 3, 2026

Acceptance Date

May 30, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 11 Number: 1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.30785/mbud.1881377

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA58WE89EK

APA

Şen, A., & Kozlu, H. H. (2026). An Analysis of Cultural Heritage Conservation by Heritage Conservation Districts in Toronto’s Central Business District. Journal of Architectural Sciences and Applications, 11(1), 178-196. https://doi.org/10.30785/mbud.1881377

AMA

1.Şen A, Kozlu HH. An Analysis of Cultural Heritage Conservation by Heritage Conservation Districts in Toronto’s Central Business District. JASA. 2026;11(1):178-196. doi:10.30785/mbud.1881377

Chicago

Şen, Aslı, and H. Hale Kozlu. 2026. “An Analysis of Cultural Heritage Conservation by Heritage Conservation Districts in Toronto’s Central Business District”. Journal of Architectural Sciences and Applications 11 (1): 178-96. https://doi.org/10.30785/mbud.1881377.

EndNote

Şen A, Kozlu HH (July 1, 2026) An Analysis of Cultural Heritage Conservation by Heritage Conservation Districts in Toronto’s Central Business District. Journal of Architectural Sciences and Applications 11 1 178–196.

IEEE

[1]A. Şen and H. H. Kozlu, “An Analysis of Cultural Heritage Conservation by Heritage Conservation Districts in Toronto’s Central Business District”, JASA, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 178–196, July 2026, doi: 10.30785/mbud.1881377.

ISNAD

Şen, Aslı - Kozlu, H. Hale. “An Analysis of Cultural Heritage Conservation by Heritage Conservation Districts in Toronto’s Central Business District”. Journal of Architectural Sciences and Applications 11/1 (July 1, 2026): 178-196. https://doi.org/10.30785/mbud.1881377.

JAMA

1.Şen A, Kozlu HH. An Analysis of Cultural Heritage Conservation by Heritage Conservation Districts in Toronto’s Central Business District. JASA. 2026;11:178–196.

MLA

Şen, Aslı, and H. Hale Kozlu. “An Analysis of Cultural Heritage Conservation by Heritage Conservation Districts in Toronto’s Central Business District”. Journal of Architectural Sciences and Applications, vol. 11, no. 1, July 2026, pp. 178-96, doi:10.30785/mbud.1881377.

Vancouver

1.Aslı Şen, H. Hale Kozlu. An Analysis of Cultural Heritage Conservation by Heritage Conservation Districts in Toronto’s Central Business District. JASA. 2026 Jul. 1;11(1):178-96. doi:10.30785/mbud.1881377

An Analysis of Cultural Heritage Conservation by Heritage Conservation Districts in Toronto’s Central Business District

An Analysis of Cultural Heritage Conservation by Heritage Conservation Districts in Toronto’s Central Business District

Abstract

Keywords

Ethical Statement

Thanks

Toronto Merkezi İş Alanında Koruma Bölgelerine Göre Kültürel Mirasın Korunmasının İncelenmesi

Abstract

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Thanks

References

Details

Primary Language

Subjects

Journal Section

Authors

Publication Date

Submission Date

Acceptance Date

Published in Issue

DOI

IZ

Cite

JASA JOURNAL TAG / MBUD DERGİ KÜNYESİ