Exploring how digital technology facilitates the city’s resilient relationship between modernity and tradition, development and preservation

Chai, Sunyu (2024) Exploring how digital technology facilitates the city’s resilient relationship between modernity and tradition, development and preservation. The European Association for the Study of Science and Technology and the Society for Social Studies of Science. 16 - 19 Jul 2024.

Abstract

This proposal aims to discuss the “Hanok,” representing a traditional Korean housing form that embodies a unique architectural heritage, and the case of Hanok Village in Jeonju City, renowned as one of South Korea's successful examples of urban revitalization and a prominent tourism destination. The success can be attributed to long-term strategic planning since the early 1990s, which has embraced aesthetical approaches, pivotal in preserving cultural heritage while fostering economic and regional sustainability. This has been achieved by facilitating dynamics among diverse stakeholders, including citizen and resident communities, small businesses such as artisans, restaurants, and hotels, as well as urban design professionals, supported by government policies that incentivize and coordinate development initiatives.

While the village has adeptly navigated the resilient relationship between modernity and tradition, development and preservation, there is a need to discuss the role and scope of digital technology in facilitating the city's ongoing prosperity. Given its critical agenda to invest and incorporate digital infrastructure to embody the concept of a smart city, its multifaceted influences can be further discussed by drawing from Henri Lefebvre's concepts including (1) the spatial realm - how technological aspects (e.g., digital mapping) influence or influenced by the form of housing, roads, and nodes; (2) the discursive realm – how the cultural identity has been both preserved and transformed amidst the infusion of digital concepts; (3) the lived space - how these changes resonate with and impact the daily lives of residents and visitors.

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Contributors

Author: Sunyu Chai

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