Making meaning of heritage landscapes: The politics of redevelopment in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Abstract

This article investigates the production and maintenance of the heritage landscape in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia. It argues that the unequal power relations that produced and were inscribed in the landscape historically continue to operate in the present. It does so by critically evaluating and contextualizing contestation over new high‐rise construction on the streets below Citadel Hill. Drawing on qualitative field work between 2005 and 2008, the article suggests that the meanings and values of heritage resources, such as views that served to protect the city, are not properly understood. A spatialized historical account shows how the creation of the colonial city depended upon the marginalization of groups that were other to the British settlers. A review of the establishment of the modern planning apparatus reveals a model of heritage interpretation that encourages an adversarial approach to the evaluation of proposals for new development. The characteristics and aspirations of pro‐development and pro‐heritage groups are examined. Finally, a case study of a controversial proposal to build a high‐rise building in a prominent location is presented. The article contributes to critical landscape studies by using a postcolonial approach to study the ideological underpinnings of built heritage in the Canadian context.