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Please note that all times are shown in the time zone of the conference. The current conference time is: 19th May 2024, 08:58:09pm EDT
“Where is Wutong Qu?”: Space, affect and discursive planning in urban China
Jiajie Chen
Shanghai International Studies University, China, People's Republic of
Affect assumes a pivotal role in Semiotic Landscape Studies in that particular kinds of affect can be materialized in a given urban site, prompting affective responses from social members and engendering distinctive urban qualities. Governmental entities appropriate semiotic landscapes as a means to institute affective regimes, orchestrating and directing individuals’ emotional and evaluative dispositions to fulfill urban governance objectives. This study aims to explore how affective regimes are produced through semiotic artefacts to evoke particular dispositions in the example of “Wutong Qu” - a tangible and conceptual space emblematic of the authenticity of modern Shanghai. I employed both offline and online ethnography to gain a holistic understanding of “Wutong Qu” . Based on various ethnographic data including photographs, social media content (captured in screen shots from platforms such as Xiaohongshu), walking narrative and online interviews, the results showed the Xuhui District government, as the main authority, in the reterritorialization of the "Wutong" concept. This reterritorialization occurs at the grassroots level through the deployment of materialized maps, graffiti, ground tiles, and community events, fostering an in-depth exploration of this urban expanse. During this process, civilization-themed official semiotic landscapes are constructed to guide embodied practice of “Citywalk” as a novel approach to discovering the city’s aesthetic allure. This study finally highlight the significance of investigating the emplacement of affect and the affective affordances of social space. Such endeavors are imperative for Language Policy and Planning researchers seeking to unravel the intricate and dynamic interactions and relationships among individuals, spaces, and society.
Study on Language Planning of Historic and Cultural Cities in China: Problems and Solutions
Wenkang Dong
Changzhou University, China, People's Republic of
Abstract: Historic and cultural cities are precious legacies of traditional Chinese urban areas, carrying rich historical and cultural connotations and unique regional characteristics, continuing the urban context and collective memory. In the rapid process of urbanization, in order to protect and inherit the unique charm of historic and cultural cities, language planning has become an important task. Based on the main language problems in the process of urbanization of historic and cultural cities, this paper constructs the research dimension of language planning of famous cities from the perspective of protection and development elements, and explores the implementation strategies from three aspects of "cultural inheritance needs", "preservation of historical features" and "urban development and construction", aiming to provide reference for the protection and development of historic and cultural cities from the perspective of urban language planning.
Key words: historic and cultural city; urbanization; language planning; cultural heritage protection; urban language studies
