What Happened to Dunbar? 

Dunbar was once a bustling neighbourhood brimming with spirit. 

Now most shops are empty, barring the two drug stores separated by one apartment complex and three cafes. Stretches of commercial streets are lined with vacant storefronts, with large “For Sale” and “Lease” signs plastered on windows. The sidewalks are empty and quiet. 

 

We interviewed residents to gain insight into what locals think happened to the neighbourhood.

“This community needs to wake up. The block feels lifeless, with life halting in this neighbourhood,” said a local. Others expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of variety among Dunbar businesses.

“I wish it was more like Kerrisdale,” one woman said, to the appreciative nods of her friends. “There used to be an Asian bakery down the street.” Such businesses no longer exist, despite Dunbar’s large Asian demographic. Suggested ideas include a bubble tea shop, a gift shop, and a bakery. “But I guess that’s what Amazon and Uber Eats are for,” they said.

What happened to Dunbar? And what can we do to revive our neighbourhood?

 

An Empty Neighbourhood

Dunbar Street shows an unusual contrast, with modern residential developments towering on one side while older commercial buildings stand on the other. The neighbourhood’s architecture has evolved, but it doesn’t seem like people want to occupy either side of Dunbar.

Several businesses have disappeared in recent years, from the highly profitable corporate chain Starbucks to local bakery Cake Bae. The declining variety of stores has led residents to feel there are few reasons to linger on the street. Dubbar subsequently feels more like a route than a neighbourhood.

The disappearance of local businesses raises a question beyond economic factors (COVID-19, tariffs, rising costs): what makes a neighbourhood feel like a community?

A neighbourhood requires spaces for residents to interact and develop a sense of belonging. Historic local businesses are popular beyond what they provide as a store. You encounter a familiar face, exchange conversations, and start acclimating to the community. When these businesses disappear and are replaced with new ones, they also erase years of attachment and connection to those establishments.

Dunbar is not entirely devoid of life. Shamrock Storehouse and the remaining cafes still serve as places of social gathering. However, it lacks diverse options that encourage residents to spend an afternoon exploring. The new developments that do exist are businesses with specific functions that don’t add character to Dunbar. Another drug store or another apartment makes the neighbourhood more functional but less spirited.

Future for Dunbar?

Revitalizing Dunbar does not require grand transformation. The residents we interviewed revealed modest requests: a bakery, a bubble tea shop, a gift shop, and more places to gather.

Dunbar does not lack buildings or residents, but the everyday spaces that bring them together. Dunbar needs to become a neighbourhood where people want to stay again, not just pass through.