Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Figures and Tables
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction: The Master Narrative and the Lived City – Half a Century of Imagining Singapore
- Part I (De)-Constructing Master Narratives of the City
- Part II The Arts as Prisms of the Urban Imaginative
- Part III The City Possible in Action
- Conclusion
- Index
- Publications
8 - Place Management/Making: The Policy and Practice of Arts-Centred Spatial Interventions in Singapore
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 November 2020
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Figures and Tables
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction: The Master Narrative and the Lived City – Half a Century of Imagining Singapore
- Part I (De)-Constructing Master Narratives of the City
- Part II The Arts as Prisms of the Urban Imaginative
- Part III The City Possible in Action
- Conclusion
- Index
- Publications
Summary
Abstract
This chapter examines the role of the arts and artists in rejuvenating urban spaces in Singapore, where place management ideas are currently being used to rejuvenate parts of the city centre. Coexisting alongside state-driven initiatives are artist-led strategies where local art practitioners and organizations activate latent and/or under-utilized spaces. Through an analysis of policy documents and qualitative ethnographic fieldwork, this study explores the interplay between top-down aspirations and formal place management efforts, and the organic ways artists have activated and engaged with spaces. Ultimately, I argue that there is a need to balance formal governance structures with more support for artists engaging in organic, ground-up initiatives.
Keywords: place management, arts-led urban rejuvenation, spatial intervention, placemaking, arts and culture
Introduction
Singapore has won numerous accolades and garnered global attention for its physical infrastructure and iconic architecture. Despite these achievements, its government has recognized that certain parts of the city still lack a certain human vitality and buzz. Additionally, like other post-industrial cities, the production of a positive urban experience has been identified as that critical competitive advantage that would differentiate Singapore from other cities. Consequently, the Singapore government adopted a strategy called ‘place management’ in 2008 to inject ‘heart and soul’ into the city, and deliver a liveable, globally competitive and amenity-rich urban environment for its increasingly educated and upper middle-class population.
Currently, place management ideas are being used to rejuvenate areas within Singapore's city centre, including the Civic District, Marina Bay and Bras Basah.Bugis precincts. Beyond aesthetic improvements such as restoring historic buildings, greening the streets and widening pavements, place management efforts have also harnessed arts and culture to animate public spaces. For instance, public art installations, arts-centred night festivals and concerts have been staged across Singapore's downtown precincts, livening up public spaces there. Coexisting alongside these state-driven initiatives are artist-led strategies in which local arts practitioners and organizations have been activating latent and/or under-utilized spaces through site-specific performances, pop-up events and temporary takeovers.
This chapter critically examines the nature, extent and implications of the emergence of place management as a place governance strategy for artistic and cultural production in Singapore. More specifically, I am interested in the stakes, tensions and implications of the role played by artists and the arts in rejuvenating urban spaces in Singapore.
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- Information
- Hard State, Soft City of Singapore , pp. 191 - 212Publisher: Amsterdam University PressPrint publication year: 2020
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