Creative Space, Cultural Industry Clusters, and Participation of the State in Beijing

Abstract

A Taiwanese urban planner investigates the spatial strategy for the development of creative cultural space (i.e., cultural industry clusters) in Beijing, utilized by the municipal government since 2000 as part of Bejing's effort to join the group of elite world cities. The research is focused in particular on the art cluster popularly known as the 798 Art Zone, which is used as a case study to demonstrate how the construction of cultural space (a state-sponsored effort that emphasizes the building of infrastructure and institutions) to a large extent neglects the development of local grassroots artistic networks. He concludes by arguing that local state intervention was ultimately not beneficial to the construction and organic development of creative culture space in the city.

Keywords:

• China: organic development of creative culture
• cultural industry cluster
• grassroots network
• local state
• Beijing