The New Normal: The Figure of the Condo Owner in T oronto's R egent P ark

In this paper, I explore the newly emergent figure of the condo owner in T oronto's R egent P ark, C anada's first and largest government housing project, which is being razed and rebuilt in a $1 billion redevelopment. The revitalized neighborhood will contain a mix of subsidized and condominium housing, and commercial development. Against this backdrop of massive change, the figure of the condo owner is perceived both as a salve and a threat. The redevelopment is premised upon the need to “normalize” R egent P ark through the creation of a mixed‐income neighborhood, and the figure of the condo owner is deployed as a paragon of this “new normal.” However, the presence of the condo owner also evokes fears of privatization and a diminished voice for low‐income residents. Drawing on fieldwork conducted within R egent P ark, I examine how the figure of the condo owner is constituted in service to the redemption of a devalorized neighborhood, and how the condo owners negotiate this subject position. [urban revitalization, social mix, poverty, gentrification, Toronto].