Urban collage: how can affective dynamics shape waterfront landscapes?

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article unravels the factors of affective dynamics that shape and sustain waterfront regeneration while critically examining the essence and influence of megaprojects. It examines why and how urban atmospheres can be provoked and manipulated to dominate the rationale, political orientations, intrinsic motivations, and power struggles behind waterfront landscapes. It provides explicit insight into how waterfront regeneration operates affectively and atmospherically through the convergence of emotion-focused planning, value-creation approaches, and affective adaptability to transform the physical and political landscape. Focusing on the ‘Asia New Bay Area’ (ANBA) project in Kaohsiung, this article explains why and how megaprojects can be accepted and supported by local people, despite a lack of professional evaluation, public participation, and revenue. The key claim of this article is that addressing the city’s affective dynamics and atmospheric resonances is critical for understanding how megaprojects can be employed to direct public emotions and concerns.