Redai dili (Sep 2023)
Everyday Life and Social Space Evolution of Culture-Led Regeneration Based on Field Theory: A Case Study of Pingjiang and Xietang Districts in Suzhou
Abstract
As an important driving force to stimulate urban development, cultural consumption is often implanted into traditional streets, breaking the original homogeneous field environment and gradually promoting the dissolution and differentiation of social relations. In the context of cultural oriented urban renewal, it is significant to explore the evolution of social space during the renewal process, which is of great importance for their sustainable development. In the field theory, Bourdieu's "nonbinary opposition" view has a high degree of theoretical application adaptability with the historical districts that gather cultural consumption and daily life in sharp contrast. The integration of daily life theory also provides a means for analyzing the subject's behavior and field construction, which is a supplement to the existing research on cultural oriented urban renewal. Combined with the theory of everyday life practice, this study established a social space analysis framework based on field theory and explored the mechanism of social space evolution in the field of cultural consumption and everyday life. Taking Pingjiang road and Xietang street districts in Suzhou as case studies, this study used qualitative methods of participatory observation and in-depth interview. The results reveal the following: 1) Different locations lead to significant differences in the historical and cultural accumulation of districts and the cost of space regeneration, which also determines the plasticity and typicality during the renewal development itself. Historical districts located in the center of the ancient city have accumulated a large number of typical historical and cultural capital in the long-term stable environment. In contrast, districts located in new urban areas may be more vulnerable to being damaged and influenced in the process of modern urban development. 2) The development foundation of the districts will have an impact on the decision-making. The governance transmits their practical intentions through system, planning, and other decisions, and their intervention timing and implementation strength may directly affect the direction and practical results of strategic discipline. 3) Renovation promotes the reconstruction and organization of the social space inside the districts, and is divided into two fields: everyday life and cultural consumption. Consequently, two situations exist between the fields in these two cases: intertwined balance and mutual stripping. Retaining the Aboriginal everyday life field does not necessarily lead to an "either or" conflict outcome, and it can even enhance the creativity of everyday life initiatively or passively. However, the separation of Aboriginal may inevitably lead to common consumption or elitism. Reflecting on the spatial practices of the historical districts in Suzhou, there is no unified renewal paradigm that can be applied to all historical districts. The capital accumulation formed under different development environments will limit the decision-making and renewal path. Additionally, during the renewal period, the continuous debugging according to the stage effect makes the district renewal a dynamic change that cannot be completely predicted for a long time. However, activating the community attribute of districts during urban regeneration is not only the core driving force to maintaining the flavor of life and continue local culture but also an important competitiveness to stimulate cultural consumption with real situational experience. Therefore, practicing orientation with humanism, and promoting the positive evolution of social space to realize the symbiosis of cultural consumption and everyday life should be the proper meaning of urban renewal in cultural oriented historical districts.
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