Abstract
Many research studies focus on regenerating localities or the local identity of cities and urban areas. Most of these studies do not address city life experiences that matter in the process and product of urban regeneration. Often, developers and policymakers foresee what the product could be and neglect the fact that the process is more important to ensure locality is at least maintained, if not enhanced. In this chapter, we stress the importance of locality, local identity, and local characteristics of urban areas in urban regeneration. While we could not be part of the regeneration process of Shangri-La’s old town, we did surveys of the city’s transformative changes that clearly highlight various local characteristics of the city. Shangri-La is a unique case in China, as the city itself is just renamed for tourism purposes. Therefore, this case study selection is strategic as it highlights a major research gap in the context of Shangri-La and the larger Yunnan Province area. The findings from the chapter focus on the local characteristics of the city and how they matter in regenerating the city’s old town.
Shangri-La is a state of mind, Vinay. If you’re happy, then everything around you will be okay and in harmony. Nothing is perfect anywhere. We must find our own paradise amidst the chaos.
—James Hilton, from the novel “Lost Horizon”
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Cheshmehzangi, A. (2023). Regenerating the Local Characteristics: The Impacts on City Life Experience and Identity of Shangri-La’s Old Town. In: Map** Urban Regeneration. Urban Sustainability. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-3541-3_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-3541-3_7
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