CULTURE-LED URBAN REGENERATION IN TAIPEI: THE CASE OF URS PROJECT

• Main Authors: Hoang Thi Phuong Thao, 黃芳秀
• Other Authors: Huang, Kuang-ting
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/57184307438713725699

碩士 === 中國文化大學 === 建築及都市設計學系 === 102 === Since the beginning of post-industrial era in the 1970s, the economy of most developed countries had undergone a major transition from the production of goods to the provision of services; and, therefore, not only the spatial structure of their cities had consequently undergone a major change, but, more importantly, culture had gradually become a key factor in affecting the process of such restructuring. Taiwan, despite being in its developing stage, had also begun to face similar pressure of economic transition since the late 1990s and, likewise, cities like Taipei had since then shown the need to recognize the importance of culture in restructuring their spatial structure. This paper thus examines the recent development of Urban Regeneration Station (URS) project in Taipei (initiated by Urban Regeneration Office of Taipei City since 2010) and explores its meaning in this regard. Specifically, two interrelated meanings of the URS projects are emphasized: First, all the existing URS are successful examples of reusing abandoned historical buildings. Such reuse is therefore crucial to reminding us that the oft-forgotten history of Taipei still has tremendous value in promoting an open exchange of cultural experience, especially among the general public. Second, most of the existing URS have been developed into a popular hub of cultural activities, such as art exhibition, music performance, film screening, and lecture series etc. It can therefore be seen that the popularity of URS stimulated the gradual transformation of its surrounding environment, further pushing forward the development of the so-called culture-led urban regeneration. To sum up, this paper, by examining the case of URS project in Taipei, has revealed that the potential of culture in both changing the public’s attitude towards the city and in regenerating the old urban fabric is vast and effective in comparison with that of other traditional planning methods.