STRATHCONA PORCHES: BUILDING LINKS IN THE COMMUNITY
As the link between private homes and the public street, porches play an important role in urban neighbourhoods. In Strathcona, Vancouver's oldest neighbourhood, some 500 wooden houses sit close to the street on narrow lots. Here, the front porch is the most prominent architectural element of an endangered heritage. It is also the key to the community. The porch is where neighbour meets neighbour.
Strathcona is a low income area, and old wooden houses decay. The Strathcona Front Porch Project brings together the Strathcona Residents Association and the City Program at Simon Fraser University to restore both the porches and the civic pride that binds communities together. Repairs require money and knowledge; the project offers both to homeowners who contribute a share of the cost or "sweat equity". Residents work together, in the urban equivalent of a barn raising. The initiative aims to be a catalyst for more projects in and beyond Strathcona. With the help of the University, walking tours, literature and seminars help explain the project to other communities. The project also aims to encourage the City of Vancouver to value a neglected part of its history and an essential piece of its social fabric.
Strathcona Porch Project
520 Hawks Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6A 3H9
VANCOUVER | EDMONTON | OTTAWA | SUDBURY | MONTREAL | HALIFAX
