A study on art-driven urban renovation: Experimenting with Chinese urban villages and artists

Abstract

This thesis studies the culture-driven approach of social innovation, in order to tackle urban issues both sociological and spatial, i.e. marginalized social groups and urban gray spaces. It takes Chinese artists and Chinese urban villages as subjects. Although the involvement of artists in urban renewal and social innovation is not a new topic, the author finds a research gap. Previous literature on artists focuses on mainstream professional artists, who have already gained much attention from the public. The marginalization of other artists who the professional art market does not accept still exists. These artists are invisible from academics. The research contains two parts, the current situation of urban village upgrading and the struggles of the artists. To study the urban village, the author investigated the literature and government policies. To study the target artist group, the author interviews them from social media and summarizes their plights. Urban villages need factors to energize the community, while artists need opportunities to connect to the real world. The author refers to this fact as a starting point to design. Urban villages can accommodate artists, while artists can enhance community activity of urban villages. After the study, the author conducted a design that took both issues into account.