Power to the people: when culture works as a social catalyst in urban regeneration processes (and when it does not)

This article focuses upon the relationship between culture, urban regeneration schemes, and their impact on socio-cognitive assets - namely, social and human capital. It examines three major urban regeneration projects in the districts of Saint Michel (Montreal, Canada), Auburn (Sydney, Australia) a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European planning studies 2017-02, Vol.25 (2), p.241-258
Main Authors: Ferilli, Guido, Sacco, Pier Luigi, Tavano Blessi, Giorgio, Forbici, Stefano
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cognition
Cognitive ability
Comparative analysis
cultural capital
Culture
culture-led urban regeneration processes
Districts
Effectiveness
Human capital
Marketing
Neighborhoods
Participation
Public policy
Real estate
Residents
social capital
Social impact
social sustainability
Sustainability
Transformation
Urban areas
Urban regeneration
Urban renewal
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Summary:This article focuses upon the relationship between culture, urban regeneration schemes, and their impact on socio-cognitive assets - namely, social and human capital. It examines three major urban regeneration projects in the districts of Saint Michel (Montreal, Canada), Auburn (Sydney, Australia) and Bicocca (Milan, Italy), where culture has been invoked as a main transformational driver at the economic and socio-environmental levels, but with different approaches and results. Through comparative analysis, we develop a more general reflection on the social impact of culture-led urban transformation processes, questioning the actual role of cultural initiatives - particularly those related to the creation of new cultural facilities and the programming of big cultural flagship events - and participation as a means to improve the local social milieu. We find that a key role for social efficacy is played by projects' capacity to elicit the commitment of residents through inclusive cultural participation, as opposed to instrumental top-down initiatives mainly addressing city and neighbourhood branding and real estate marketing purposes.
ISSN:0965-4313
1469-5944
DOI:10.1080/09654313.2016.1259397