A ‘CULTURAL DISTRICT’ TO AMEND URBAN IDENTITY A FRAMEWORK TO EVALUATE CULTURAL PROJECTS IN HONG KONG AND SHENZHEN

Wang Haowen Jeroen van Ameijde

Introduction

The notion of urban identity in a cityis constructed from three different but overlapping levels: global, regional, and local (Cheshmehzangi, 2015). At the global level, urban identity is mostly perceived and visual. It uses symbols or a broad image of a city, associating it with uniqueness and characteristics recognised worldwide, such as the Petronas Towers which represent Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At the regional level, urban identity is used to distinguish districts from other areas while keeping associations with other parts. At this level, identity can be shaped within the scope of the urban region or wider country. Examples include “Soho” and “Brick Lane” in London (Johnson, 2006). Urban identity at the local level goes beyond physical and visual properties and is defined as an interactive relationship between people and space

(Lalli, 1988). At this level, urban identity reflects the details of social nodes such as public domain, public spaces, and city squares. This level is the most critical and practical level of urban identity. Examples are Federation Square in Melbourne and Edinburgh City Centre in Scotland.

Research shows that people’s understanding of urban identity will change with different times and stages of urban development. Hence, it is feasible to attempt to shape and change urban identity through strategies for urban planning and design (Oktay & Bala, 2015). Current research around urban identity concludes that ‘urban renaissance’ can be promoted by ‘cultural renaissance’, combining urban identity with local history and making identity part of an overall urban development strategy (Radstorm, 2014). Specific measures to this end can include protecting the city’s cultural heritage and organising cultural activities. Policies and initiatives around local culture help shape urban identity at different levels.

There are different opinions on the effectiveness of policies for promoting urban identity. Some scholars propose that cultural activities positively impact urban identity, but tangible physical elements are still the most dominant factors (Richards & Wilson, 2014). Heritage protection policies by local governments often do not effectively address the development opportunities of urban districts and the needs and aspirations of local residents. The scope of activities of cultural facilities is often small, and they often do not promote the cultural development of a broad and diverse population. To serve the mixed demographics of contemporary cities, cultural development strategies should pay attention to social equity and consider both visitors and local residents (Fainstein, 2007)

Knowledge Gap

Evaluation methods around urban identity focus most often on theoretical research, questionnaire surveys and matrix analysis to carry out quantitative and qualitative research (Pazhuhan et al., 2020). Existing studies mainly focus on the impact of cultural strategies on tourism, public space, and users. According to our introduction of the theoretical aspects of urban identity, the impact of urban identity on cities and residents is reflected in three levels, and most existing research focuses only on the global level. Few current studies are evaluating the comprehensive impact of cultural strategies on urban identity and how this can improve the quality of life of ordinary local residents. This paper focuses on the question whether urban identity can be constructed or improved through urban planning and design, to benefit the image of the city through impacting the production and experience of urban culture. Our study focuses on the phenomenon of the ‘cultural district’, large urban development projects that house new cultural institutions and public spaces designed to boost a city’s reputation on the world stage.

STUDY AREA: SHENZHEN & HONG KONG

Our study was applied to Shenzhen and Hong Kong, two neighbouring cities that are in different stages of development but which are both constructing a range of new cultural centres as part of the continued economic and societal development of the Greater Bay Area. The development of Shenzhen is based on the cultural amalgamation of historic settlements and new communities within the last fifty years. The accumulation of town and village enterprises and the contribution of migrant workers in Shenzhen, together with favourable policies by China’s central government, resulted in Shenzhen’s rapid urban growth and economic success (Du, 2020). The development of Hong Kong, which was founded as a free trade, market driven port city, continues to be driven by its geographical and geopolitically strategic location and historical factors. Its identity as a city is formed by the combination of local traditional and western culture, while globalisation has given Hong Kong unique characteristics.

This paper proposes an evaluation system to assess the ability of urban cultural facilities to contribute to the building of urban identity. The evaluation system focuses on the global, regional and local level of identity formulation, and explores that the benefits of the produc- tion of culture and identity for local residents. Our study included analysis of precedents, including the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Les Grands Projects in Paris, and the South Bank in London. Through a comparative analysis of these cases, a comprehensive evaluation system based on three levels of urban identity was constructed. Subsequently, the history and urban development of Shenzhen and Hong Kong were studied and the evaluation system was applied, to evaluate aspects around existing cultural projects in both locations, and identify opportunities for improvement.

Case Study

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao has helped create a unique global image for the city. The success of this is not only due to the architecture designed by Gehry, but also due to the promotion of Bilbao as a creative city. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, promoted by the government, represents the new positioning of Bilbao and is a driving force in establishing its new identity as a cultural destination. While the museum building does not fully reflect the wide cultural offerings of the city of Bilbao, it is an effective representation of its new urban identity. The Grands Projects inherit the country’s historical and cultural achievements, provide the public with cultural activities and leisure space, provide public service places, strengthen the connection with the surrounding areas, and represent the country’s

Table 1. Urban Identity Evaluation System

advanced science and technology development direction. They create a unique global image for the city and the country and lay the foundation for future development. The South Bank regeneration project, implemented from 1999 – 2007, has successfully created a unique set of urban spaces in London. The site’s identity, building on the legacy of the Festival of Britain and the innovative brutalist Southbank Centre, was strengthened by improving the quality of its public spaces. More mixed-use programming and public space activities have given new meaning to the site’s heritage, offering new lifestyle options to local residents, increasing a sense of identity and pride for Londoners and representing the city’s multi-cultural characteristics.

Evaluation System

The three case studies show how an urban identity can be created at global, regional and local levels. Our study summarises the key factors that facilitate urban identity at each level and based on the characteristics and strengths of each case, formulate an evaluation system. The evaluation indicators are shown in Table 1.

Application Of The Evaluation

SYSTEM: SHENZHEN

The Futian Civic Centre

Completed in 2004, the Futian Civic Centre is close to the central business district of Shenzhen and is the seat of Shenzhen municipal government. At the same time, it contains many other functions, such as offices, museums, and conference centres.

From the perspective of global image, the Futian Civic Centre has a unique architecture, but it has not attracted the world’s attention. And Shenzhen is not attracting

Figure 1. Master Plan of the Futian Civic Centre (source: https:// www.daviddu.com/2015/10/22/sz-civic-center/) tourists from all over the world. At the regional level, the Futian Civic Centre area has a strict and formal landscape style, but which does not exhibit unique regional characteristics. From the perspective of economic development, the area is a successful part of Shenzhen’s urban renewal and transformation, and it symbolises Shenzhen’s economic transformation (Wen, 2018). At the local level, the public spaces in the Futian Civic Centre are too ample and not pleasant due to their impersonal scale, as figure 1 indicates. They are lacking detail and programming and are highly contrasting with the surrounding urban fabric. Plans to upgrade the urban design and function mix are currently underway, to facilitate more leisure activities for Shenzhen residents and improve the vitality of the surrounding area (Lv, 2018). With Shenzhen’s gradual internationalisation and industrial upgrading, Shenzhen citizens are paying more attention to the prosperity of spiritual life. The Shenzhen Opera House in Shenzhen aims to introduce high-end culture into Shenzhen and into the daily life of Shenzhen citizens. However, the proposed architecture, characterised by eye catching and

Figure 2. Master plan of the West Kowloon Cultural District (source: https://www. getreadyhk.com/leisure-and-fun/place-to-go/item/2175-west-kowloon-art-park) complex shapes, is not integrated into the urban fabric. The adjacent Qi-anhai Centre is the new development focus of the Greater Bay Area and even China. The construction of premier cultural venues here has the potential to inspire and upgrade the cultural life of the entire district. The urban setting of the cultural facilities should there-fore address the existing urban structure and landscape characteristics, to create new public spaces that are integrated into the urban fabric, and have the right scale, facilities, and flexibility to meet the needs of different people.

APPLICATION OF THE EVALUATION SYSTEM: HONG KONG

The West Kowloon Cultural District

Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District is a large reclamation area currently under construction, aimed at creating a world-class cultural district to strengthen Hong Kong’s status as ‘Asia’s World City’, incorporating local and international culture (Siu & Ku, 2008).

The urban identity created by the project aims to reference existing culture from Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, by incorporating institutions that feature local cul-ture and art. The initial masterplan for the area, designed by Foster and Partners, incorporated an array of different types of public spaces including parks, promenades, streets and alleyways, aiming to create a mixed-use district that mimics the vibrancy of Hong Kong’s existing urban fabric (Legislative Council of the Hong Kong, 2008). The specific aim of the architects was to extend the cultural activities into the public spaces and to ‘’integrate the cultural venues with the everyday life of the city’’ (West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, 2010). As a result of the interplay between politics, stakeholders, and other economic forces, the design of the project has gone through a series of revisions. As its development is led by pragmatism and efficiency-oriented institutions, following a doctrine of private capital-led urban development tracing back to the city’s foundation as a trading hub, the masterplan has incorporated a series of profit-oriented projects (Yiu, 2022). Despite these changes, the plan preserves the intention to combine cultural venues with public spaces, mixed-use facilities and recreation, similar to London’s South Bank (Figure 2).

Discussion And Conclusions

This paper has presented a multi-level evaluation system that can evaluate the contribution of urban cultural districts to the construction of urban identity, based on the study of precedents and literature. Different aspects and dimen- sions around the construction of urban identity were explored, focusing on the role of cultural districts, their connection to the local context and their urban characteristics. The international case study examples demonstrate how the construction of urban identity is complex and multifaceted, and show how successful precedents offer valuable lessons that could be applied to Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

However, this application should accommodate the differences in temporal, socioeconomic and political conditions. Architectural landmarks with a distinctive character could help to strengthen the identity of a city at the global level, but they cannot constitute the root of urban identity The construction of urban identity should be based on the historical accumulation of a city’s culture, the characteristics of its development and the needs of its inhabitants. The local level is the part of the construction of urban identity that is most closely related to the individual experience of its inhabitants, and where detailed measures or effects that impact their Right to the City are experienced. This implies that public buildings, open spaces and management policies in urban centres should be set up to accommodate a broad range of cultural activities and expressions, inviting participation by all citizens and organised by or in response to community aspiration. As the Right to the City concept implies an inclusive approach to accessibil- ity and co-creation, the production of cultural space in the city should represent and benefit citizens from all backgrounds, to facilitate a platform for cultural expression, exchange and to provide a sense of belonging for all groups. When applying these concepts to the phenomenon of the ‘cultural district’, it becomes clear that these initiatives can contribute to the cultural content and identity of the city, but only when the conditions of openness, connectivity and integration within the wider context are achieved. Successful urban centres are places that are open to transformation by their inhabitants, linked to the accumulation of cultural traditions and activities that are part of their daily life. As part of the economic and cultural development of large cities, cultural districts contain unique and accessible cultural places and public spaces that can help to improve the quality of life of their inhabitants while strengthening the regional and international image and attractiveness of the city. As research on this topic is limited, the role of cultural districts in generating urban identity should be further studied in more detail.

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