Per reporter: Zhang Lingxiao Per editor: Gao Han
Image source: Photo by reporter Zhang Jian (data map)
On November 4th, the 2021 World Cultural Cities Forum Global Conference hosted by the World Forum of Famous Cities of Culture and the Chengdu Municipal People's Government will be launched in Chengdu. Cultural leaders, institutional representatives and city leaders from around the world will gather to focus on important issues such as global park cities, urban cultural assets, and climate change, and explore the development trend of culture, economy and environment. The forum will be held in the form of a combination of "online + offline".
As one of the important guests of the Forum, Justine Simons, President of the World Forum of Cities of Culture and Deputy Mayor of London, will deliver a welcome speech at the second phase of the Global Conference of the World Forum of Cities of Culture.
Before the conference, Simmons shared her understanding and observations about culture-urban ecology and the role culture plays in combating climate change. She believes that in the context of the global pandemic, culture keeps cities alive and will contribute to sustainable urban development.
<h2>Culture, the new engine of urban development</h2>
Culture and urban development have always been one of the hot topics discussed in the World Forum of Famous Cultural Cities.
Simmons believes that art and culture are the oxygen of a city, as well as the life and soul of a city. Realistically, culture increases job opportunities, drives economic development, and attracts tourists.
As cities have gone through the process of industrialization and entered the information age, the development of cultural industries has been accelerating, becoming a new engine for urban economic development. Domestically, according to data from The National Bureau of Statistics of China, in 2019, the added value of Chinese culture and related industries accounted for 4.5% of GDP, an increase of 0.02 percentage points over the previous year. In the past few years, the added value of cultural and related industries has gradually increased, and its proportion of GDP has been rising, and the average annual contribution rate of cultural industries to GDP growth has gradually increased.
Urban development, in turn, provides conditions for cultural prosperity, and Simmons believes that there should be an ecosystem between cities and cultures.
The city has become a "container" of culture, and the buildings, environment, culture, customs and other elements in the city are incubators for cultural industry innovation, allowing culture to grow freely.
Simmons said that cities provide spaces where freelance art workers can have a place to create their creations, and cultural creativity can be produced. Therefore, the government provides cultural facilities and free space in the city, which is conducive to promoting the prosperity and continuation of urban culture.
More and more cities around the world are activating and promoting cultural development by shaping cultural spaces. Taking Milan, Italy, as an example, it founded the "Piano City" music festival (Piano City) in 2011, which uses decentralized performances to bring piano culture to various communities, including squares, parks, museums, schools, ferries, etc. it has become a "mobile cultural space" where residents and tourists can easily participate and experience the charm of the city.
<h2>Culture, promote the sustainable development of cities</h2>
The ecosystem between culture and cities is not static, Simmons believes that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we interact with culture, "but in addition to the direct negative impact of the epidemic, we cannot ignore the opportunities that innovation and support for new models of culture and cities." Simmons said.
Although the sudden outbreak of the epidemic has brought unprecedented challenges to urban services and governance, the resilience, resilience and resilience of cities are facing a huge test. But in Simmons's view, last year's epidemic made everyone see the importance of culture, which is that culture connects people closely, and even if people are not out of the house, they can still feel the power of culture. Arts and culture are important factors in keeping a city alive.
Some cities rely heavily on intangible heritage, such as handicrafts, music, dance, visual arts, traditional cuisine and theatre. Under the new crown epidemic, cities need to explore new understandings, new models and new driving forces for development in the new context, and the ecology between culture and cities will also change. How to safeguard the development of cultural and creative industries in the face of the pandemic and promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth is crucial. "We're trying to explore what role culture will play in the post-pandemic era and what kind of future we want." Simonsy said.
Culture is a prerequisite for sustainable urban development. Simmons argues that cities will continue to be a strong driver of economic development, and that we need to re-emphasize the humanity of cities – livable, empathetic and sustainable – with culture at its core. "Building more resilient cities requires culture."
<h2>Culture helps cities cope with climate change</h2>
In addition to the interaction between culture and cities, Simmons also shares the role culture plays in combating global climate change. "We are facing climate change on a global scale, and if we do not take measures as soon as possible, the impact will be difficult to predict." Simmons said.
Climate change is an important global challenge of our time. In August, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) drew on the work and research of hundreds of experts from around the world to release its sixth assessment report summarizing the scientific evidence collected on climate. The report predicts that global temperatures are expected to rise more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels over the next two decades. The report also argues that extreme weather is likely to be more frequent in the future, and for the first time, the report explicitly affirms the impact of human activities on climate change, "which is certain that human influences warm the atmosphere, oceans and land." ”
Cities around the world are actively responding to climate change, and many governments are working to maintain sustainable urban and social development, starting with policy and planning. Urban policymakers are increasingly recognizing that culture can support these policy agendas and can be a powerful tool for increasing popular participation. Simmons mentioned that there are many cultural projects related to climate change around the world, and artists work with governments to develop and publicize actions to combat climate change.
Simmons believes that culture helps educate people about the meaning behind climate change and encourages people to take action to address it.
Simmons said the impact of culture on climate change is positive. "We have a huge challenge ahead of us, but individuals, cities and the international community as a whole will work together to make changes and survive the crisis," she said. ”
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