Integrated heritage conservation planning for Winnipeg's exchange district

The Exchange District is a historic warehouse district in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is considered by many conservation professionals to be one of the finest collections of intact turn-of-the-20th century industrial architecture in North America. Economic growth in the area has been slow, resulting in few development pressures. Consequently, many of the buildings retain their original character-defining elements because of the lack of pressure to redevelop. Initial revitalization strategies made positive contributions to the area; therefore the Exchange District's current profile as a fashionable, cultural hub is increasingly aiding in its redevelopment, albeit potentially at the expense of its heritage character.; The City of Winnipeg currently has no statutory management plan to guide sympathetic adaptive reuse and infill development for the district. As a result, the heritage values and character-defining elements (on which the district's national historic designation rests) are threatened. Focusing a planning strategy on heritage conservation alone will not address concurrent long-term goals of economic sustainability and community diversity; these characteristics are critical to the appreciation and protection of the district's heritage resources and cultural character.; This project will explore integrated heritage conservation planning and its application to the maintenance of the Exchange District's heritage resources and character. Integrated heritage conservation planning practice views heritage conservation policy alongside those policies that govern economic and social sustainability in a historic district.