This course aims to explore the growing and diversified roles of "arts" and "culture" in contemporary global urbanism, and to interrogate how categories such as "arts" and "culture" can transform cities. In particular, this course will focus on the changing conditions and challenges of the arts and culture in today's global and urban landscape, with a focus on the role of Singapore in the Asian region during this time of rapid change, global complexity and increasing austerity.
Students who complete this course should acquire the following course-specific skills:
- A critical understanding of the development of cultural planning approaches globally, with the ability to highlight central assumptions, global trends and practices, and local peculiarities.
- A sound grasp of the major scholarly approaches to, and debates on, urban cultural planning and urban cultural economies, and the ability to contextualise them in relation to specific instances and case studies.
- A critical ability to question the role of the arts in urban regeneration and revitalisation, and the consequences and repercussions.
To enliven the vibrancy of the Bras Basah Bugis precinct, students proposed several placemaking ideas and initiatives that will be able to attract the various target audiences.