Qualitative planning philosophy and the governance of urban revitalization, a plea for cultural diversity

Abstract

Urban revitalization is a substantive area of Urban and Regional Planning philosophy. Culture, arts and entertainment, and urban innovation have assumed a growing importance in urban revitalization. However, there is need to clarify the basis of research endeavors in this area. This paper analyses how downtown revitalization governance has evolved in recent decades. A thorough discussion on the causality of qualitative planning research to study urban revitalization is provided. The paper's approach builds upon various contradictions surrounding culture-based urban policies. Although, it concentrates mostly on the use of cultural mega events in Europe, it recognizes that a main research limitation is the paucity of published research on similar events of alternative cultures in other parts of the world. The paper identifies three main findings: The evolution of downtown revitalization has caused a substantial body of knowledge, which includes myths to be dispelled, and areas of proven success; in spite of various contradictions, downtown cultural policy has been used mostly as a form of civic boosterism; and qualitative planning research methods are critical to study empowering urban revitalization which has liberating city and culture developments at its core.