In the 1890s, electric trams were introduced into Fortitude Valley and became the main access to The Valley (Queensland Places, 2018). The suburb became a ‘city centre’ outside of the Brisbane city (Queensland Places, 2018). As the tram system was already established, shop owners decided it was a logical choice to establish a shopping precinct in Fortitude Valley (Queensland Places, 2018). In the early 1900s to the 1960s, the shopping centre known as McWhirters thrived in The Valley because of its close proximity to Brisbane CBD and the easy access to the trams (Queensland Places, 2018). In the 1950s and 1960s, the shopping centre became the largest non-CBD shopping precinct in Australia (Queensland Places, 2018). However, with the rise of suburban shopping centres and the tram network closing in 1969, the shopping precinct struggled with the decreasing number of customers. (Queensland Places, 2018) This led to the dilapidation of the shopping precinct in the 1970s (Queensland Places, 2018).

 

In the 1970s and 1980s, Fortitude Valley became an uncertain suburb (Queensland Places, 2018). The Valley became a place known for illegal gambling houses, unlicensed night clubs, brothels, and police corruption (Queensland Places, 2018).

 

The first step to revitalising Fortitude Valley was the opening of the Chinatown Mall in 1987 (Queensland Places, 2018). This process of revitalisation can be noted as gentrification. Gentrification is when a deteriorating suburb undergoes a renovation to restore the suburb into a lively place (Walters & McCrea, 2013). Chinatown Mall hoped their presence would be the first step in removing the criminal activities and creating an area full of people like the suburb once had with their shopping precinct. Chinatown Mall was successful in bringing back locals and visitors to Fortitude Valley for the Chinese culture and food (Visit Brisbane, 2018). Contemporary buildings, clubs, bars, restaurants, and boutique shops were also built amongst heritage-listed properties to revitalise The Valley (Visit Brisbane, 2018). The Valley did this so the suburb could still remain ‘authentic’ rather than just transforming the suburb into a newly developed area (Walters & McCrea, 2013).

 

In the 1990s, Fortitude Valley became a place that had a thriving live music scene and was known for their nightclub district (Australia, 2018). The Valley is still known as this today. In 2012, it was reported that around 50,000 people go to the Valley on the weekend to enjoy the clubs, pubs, and restaurants in the suburb (Visit Brisbane, 2018).

 

Chinatown is typically perceived as a sacred place for native Chinese people as it is devoted to maintaining a rich and genuine sense of Chinese culture to whatever city it’s placed in. Whether you’re in San Francisco, Vancouver, or New York, Chinatown is a district that emits a paralleled richness in culture as it is concentrated with authentic Chinese foods, people, businesses, decorations, and even mannerisms and practices (such as bargaining for goods with the local businessmen/women). However, sacred cultural niches that are placed big cities are in the process of (or have already undergone) gentrification. From an urban-city planner perspective, gentrification can be positively seen as a way to refine older parts of the city in order to match the modernized aesthetic to the rest of the city à moving all parts of the city forward, in a more urban direction. Whilst this process may be lead with good intention, it undeniably rids cultural hubs in the city of their uniqueness and soul. Vancouver’s Chinatown, for example, is in the midst of second wave gentrification as the ‘hipster population’ is slowly adapting and commodifying the Chinese culture into a more desirable and urbanized area. Brisbane’s Chinatown however, has come to a position of almost complete cultural eradication and is gradually advancing into the second wave of gentrification.

 

Brisbane’s Chinatown, located in fortitude valley has unfortunately been a successful target of the process of gentrification, as the district has almost totally been wiped of its soul and culture. The area now is no longer occupied by local Chinese herb and medicine markets, grocery stores, restaurants, bakeries, or shops, but has rather been replaced and rezoned by newer restaurants and modified to accommodate more modern ways of living. The screenshots attached depict the unpromising integrity of what’s left of Chinatown as people are turned off by the lack of cultural vibrancy and poor upkeep.  

 

Therefore, gentrification is suited to conform to “hegemonic global urbanism”, rather than to preserve the heritage of the cultures that are dying (Zukin, 2009, p. 545). Chinatown in fortitude valley is arguably starting to commence the second wave of gentrification as this vulnerable district acts as a perfect pawn for capital-driven developments.

-       Fortitude valley today has been shaped into a more attractive and popular area as it comprises of attributes that welcome all people: live music, restaurants, and shopping sites.

-       Fortitude valley has experienced the emergence of “hipsters” as poorer stores transform into more attractive sties with vintage stores. However, this transformation unavoidably re-brands the area, re-shaping the identity and habitus of the population, ultimately clashing with the original character of the neighbourhood.   

-       Chinatown no longer emits the authenticity of Chinese culture as modern developments in the area erode the soul and integrity of what makes Chinatown “Chinatown” 

 

-       Therefore, in striving to create a more urbanized city, though we can generally perceive fortitude valley as a thriving and popular neighbourhood, aspects of fortitude valley have experienced the negative effects of gentrification  

o   For example, the erosion of cultural integrity in Chinatown, as well as the re-branding and shaping of populations due to the onset of “hipsters”.