Mobilizing Creative Entrepreneurship: The Design of a Cultural Infrastructure on the Halifax Waterfront

Abstract

Rising commercial rents in downtown Halifax combined with a freeze on federal arts funding are forcing artists to leave the city in search of affordable and accessible workspace. Essential to the cultural and economic growth of the city, artists desperately need space where they can continue to develop their work and grow their professional practice. The Halifax waterfront, which remains largely vacant since major industries shifted away from the area, provides an opportunity to create a new and unique cultural space in the heart of the city. This thesis examines the design of a cultural infrastructure on the Halifax waterfront to support the local creative community and to further enable connection, production and networking among creators and the public. By examining the transformation of the waterfront from its founding to its current condition, a strategy of uncovering the inherent qualities of place to inform new development is explored.