Public art for placemaking and urban renewal: Insights from three regional Australian cities

Abstract

Public art is internationally used as a place-making device to drive urban regeneration and boost social capital. Benefits include enhanced urban environments, increased resident and tourist footfall and improved local economies This paper examines public art provision in three regional cities in Australia: Townsville, Gold Coast and Toowoomba. Each city leverages public art for placemaking and renewal, seeking to deliver thriving and creative urban precincts with strong community identity. This paper investigates how planning approaches to managing public art vary across the cities and how effective they are in delivering artworks. Theoretical contributions focus on the intrinsic and instrumental values of public art for urban communities. Empirical findings derive from policy reviews, spatial audits and semi-structured interviews with art producers - elected officials and industry professionals. Findings from Townsville, Gold Coast and Toowoomba reflect international experiences, where public art projects improve spaces and remediate a range of disorderly urban conditions. This paper contributes to international literature on the planning and provision of public artworks as a form of creative placemaking and urban renewal. Its focus on regional, marginal cities is novel, considering the preponderance of international research focused on major cities and their metropolitan surrounds.