The influence of public art in developing Chinese urban public space: Current trends and future directions

Abstract

With rapid urban development and continuous infrastructure improvements, shaping a city’s unique culture has become a new challenge that has attracted considerable interest from many urban developers over the past few years. Amongst a large number of strategies to develop an authentic urban culture, the use of public art is a promising approach. The paper aims to analyse the development of public art in the urban contexts of the Metropolises of Beijing and Shanghai, seeking to identify the developing trends of public art in Chinese cities. The development of public art within the context of mainland Chinese cities has been analytically explored. The findings put forward a number of potential approaches to encourage the implementation of public art policies in China. This can lead to the development of public art and its prosperity that sustains cultural diversity in China.