The Routledge Handbook of Urban Cultural Planning

"This is the first book to map the emerging field of Urban Cultural Planning through an international lens. With a global perspective, urban designers and community leaders from six continents share their on-the-ground experience and insights about how to mobilize the power of culture and the arts to transform urban spaces, enrich community engagement and develop their creative economy. It is an invaluable resource for planners and policymakers as they work to design and sustain more vibrant, creative,equitable and livable cities."

Joan Shigekawa, Former Acting Chair of the US National Endowment for the Arts

"Over the past three decades, culture has emerged as a critical component in strategies for human, social, and economic development. This book contributes to the ongoing conversation about the impact of cultural policies on urban management by showcasing a wide range of case studies from across the globe. It explores how cultural heritage, the arts, cultural institutions, and districts, as well as the creative sector, assist planners in preserving urban identities, landmarks, and places, while creating economically attractive areas that mirror local identities. This book offers planners, citizens, and professionals a wealth of examples of successful cultural integration in urban planning and management, providing an essential toolkit to navigate future challenges."

Francesco Bandarin, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture (2010-2018)

"Amirtahmasebi and Schupbach have deftly collated perspectives that challenge our imagination about making cities solely through the material artifacts of architecture and physical infrastructure. The voices in the book remind us that culture, the implicit rules in any society, is continuously being made and remade, and is in fact dynamic. The book reminds us that through planning for cultural production, we can facilitate addressing a range of issues from economic growth, public health, the arts, and design to questions of equity, participation, justice, a sense of belonging, and, finally, how we collectively mold our future on the planet."

Rahul Mehrotra, Professor in Housing and Urbanization, Harvard University Graduate School of Design