Local Culture Preservation Through Design in Global City

Abstract

Global cities are becoming the centers of innovations in the XXI century. The image of urban society is a multicultural one, stipulating cross-cultural communications, but the trends show something different. The symbols of national culture dissolve in the information flow, and the differences are neutralized. This article reflects upon the preservation of the local culture that was formed throughout history under the new conditions of existence. Local culture, in this article, stands for a system of cultural values formulated by a group of people in a certain territory. This research covers the visual identification of local culture expressed through design. Within the modern communications model, design can reflect the most significant and prominent features of local culture in a visual form.The current visual culture of big cities features a hodgepodge of styles that demonstrates the dissociation of the visual environment as a result of modernist and post-modern project technologies and, to a lesser extent, specific local cultures. This article deals with the positive examples of competition works by young designers where the local culture of regions is seamlessly entailed in the modern visual environment. Such initiatives are the signs of shifting towards the reassessment of the cultural values of regions.Launching an open dialog about values serves as a boost to preserve the cultural heritage for future generations. The authors see any initiatives from professional communities, civil society organizations, and researchers as an important part of public introspection about the identification and preservation of regional culture in a global city.