The Concepts of Cultural Planning in Relation to Two Local Councils in Australia - Term Paper Example

Cultural Planning Name Institution Course Date Introduction Culture has been influential in the political, social and economic life of humans for a long time. It plays an important role in shaping the live of the human beings. The cultural concepts are used for the purpose of providing the guidance to the operations of human beings in their day to day activities. The cultural values play an important role in terms of establishing the identity of an individual. Although most of the cultural values have been eroded due to the modern development and technology, most of the aspects of culture are still evident. One area that still displays the cultural aspects is the urban planning (Evans, 2001). Cultural planning plays an important role in the urban areas by recognizing the importance of culture in the society. The cultural planning process has thus become one of the strategic plans that have been used to communicate different information within the society. The opportunities within the urban areas have been identified through the cultural planning process. This is an indication that cultural planning plays an important role in the growth and development of the urban areas. The paper thus discusses the concepts of cultural planning in relation to two local councils in Australia. Definition of cultural planning According to literature it is evident that cultural planning is defined as the integral use of cultural resources for the purpose of growth and development urban areas. The cultural resources provide a variety of opportunities that enables the city to develop. It also ensures that the sense of the local culture is promoted within the city. This has played an important role in the development of buildings and other infrastructure within the city. The cultural resources also play an important role in the planning process. The resources include a variety of cultural aspects due to the diversity of culture within a given area. It is thus common for the planers to consider several factors before undertaking the cultural planning process. Cultural planning process is important in terms of restructuring the existing businesses and hence creating an opportunity for the growth and development of a business and the urban area as a whole. It also ensures that the urban areas are more attractive to the people and hence attracting people in the urban areas. The development of heritage districts is important in terms of ensuring the growth and development of the urban areas (Stevenson, 2010). This is one of the concepts that the cultural planning entails. The attraction of the local and international tourists is also attributed to the urban planning process. It is also through urban planning that the landscape of an urban area is changed. The cultural planning is also important in terms of establishing a distinctive sense of regional identity. This is evident in most of the cities in the world that have been associated with the cultural planning. Culture as an art and way of life Culture has a close relationship with the way of life and it for this reason that it is defined as a social landscape that people live in. Culture plays an important role in terms of shaping the lives of the people both in socially and economically. It is for this reason that culture has influenced the planning process in the urban areas. On the other hand, art has also been influenced by the cultural aspects. Art is important I terms of giving form to the human imaginations. This is because art ensures that the cultural beliefs are transmitted directly to the world and the society. The concepts of art involve the transmission of meaning and beliefs within the culture. The meaning of some of the cultural aspects can only be transmitted through the use of architecture. It is for this reason that culture is influenced by art. Architecture is also important when it comes to the urban development (Mills, 2003). This is because the architectural designs are used for the purpose of developing the urban areas. In most of the cities, the cultural aspects have influenced the architecture of most buildings. It is for this reason that art is associated with the culture. Paintings and sculptures are common in most of the buildings in the urban areas. This is for the purpose of beautifying the structures and buildings. However, it is also important to note that the sculptures and paintings are different in most of the cities. This is due to the diversity in the cultures in most of the cities and different parts of the world. However, it is important to note that the culture is a way of life and it is influenced by arts. Brisbane City Council Brisbane city council is the largest local government in Australia. This city council has initiated most of the cultural aspects in the development of the city (Brisbane City Council, 2003). The city council also has an established strategy for the development of the cultural planning. The purpose of carrying out cultural planning in the city council is for the purpose of ensuring that the cultural aspects of the people are reflected in the city. In the city some of the most common cultural activities include the artistic expressions. The artistic expressions play an important role in terms of ensuring that the buildings have been decorated. This brings about the sense of culture in the city and hence attracting the tourists as well as local people. Human cultural heritage is also an activity that has been involved in the cultural planning in the city. Cultural heritage has led to establishment of museums among the city. The conservation efforts have also been increased within the city. In the planning of the city council development, the cultural planning has been incorporated in most of the plans. The plans also involve the cultural aspects and the preservation of the cultural heritage. The cultural heritage has played an in important role in terms of attracting the local as well as the international tourists. Intellectual and artistic production has also been enhanced within the city as part of the efforts to enhance the cultural planning. It is thus evident that the cultural planning activities in the city council have played an important role in the development of the city council. Queanbeyan local council The local council in Queanbeyan has also adopted cultural planning concepts that have been important in terms of developing the urban area. The purpose of cultural planning is also to ensure that the cultural aspects of the people are reflected in the government plans. Craft design and fashion are some of the most common activities in the council. The designs are for the purpose of promoting the cultural heritage of the people. On the other hand, it is also common to find the media participating actively in the field of cultural planning. This is through the promotion of the cultural aspects within the city. The presence of museums and galleries also plays an import ant role in terms of promoting the cultural aspects of the people within the city. The cultural planning has been enhanced for the purpose of ensuring that museums are developed and the cultural heritage sites are also developed. Libraries are also present and they have materials that are useful in the promotion of the culture. Through libraries, the members of the public as well as the tourists can obtain useful information with regard to the culture of the people. The architectural designs of some of the most important buildings have also been influenced by the culture of the people. This has played an important role in terms of displaying the uniqueness of the culture of the people. Cultural festivals are usually held in the city and have played an important role in displaying the culture of the people. It is thus evident that the cultural planning plays an important role in terms of promoting the culture of the people (Florida, 2002). Analysis of the activities The activities in the two local councils share some similarities and some differences also exist. The architectural designs found in the local councils are import ant in terms of attracting the tourists. This is because the designs that are influenced by the culture are always unique and they display information about the culture of the people. The ability of the council to incorporate the architectural designs is also important in terms of displaying the rich art of the culture of the people. This is also an indication that the government recognizes the importance of reflecting the culture of the people in terms of planning (Hawkes, 2001). On the other hand, the artistic expressions in the buildings are useful in terms of displaying the art in the culture of the local people. This not only acts as a tourist attraction but also displays the skills of the people in terms of their culture. The conservation efforts are important aspects of planning as it enables the cultural facilities and structures to be maintained and included in the planning. This is also important in terms of ensuring that the culture of the people is maintained. It also enables the people to know more about their past. The availability of museums and libraries also plays an important role in ensuring that the people are able to access the information regarding their culture. The cultural planning efforts are thus useful in terms of ensuring that the urban areas also posses as sense of identity in relation to the culture. This is one of the advantages of cultural planning in the urban areas. The two local councils have thus ensured that the cultural aspects are incorporated in the planning process. The aspects of culture thus play an active role in enriching the urban areas (Mercer, 2002). Although the councils have put in place measures to ensure that the cultural planning activities are successful, some weaknesses are still evident. The activities do not fully reflect the ability of the council in terms of involving the local community in the process. The local communities are more equipped with the knowledge of the cultural aspects which could aid in the planning. The short tem community projects in relation to the cultural aspects are not involved in the plans of the council. This is because most of the activities ate long terms and hence leaving little room for improvement. However, it is also important to note that the improvements can be made to strengthen the existing planning activities. Greater awareness should be created among the members of the community in terms of ensuring that the concepts of cultural planning are well understood (O’Regan, 2002). This should be done by ensuring that local councils engage the local and indigenous people in the process of planning so as to ensue that the existing initiatives are strengthened. The councils should also develop the indigenous consultation protocols. This will play an important role in terms of ensuring that the designs are improved and the existing structures enhanced. The council should also ensure that the roles of the museums and historical site are clearly understood by the society. This will also ensure that the community participate more in the implementation of the cultural planning. Community council networks should also be set up for the purpose of coordinating the activities of the council in relation to the cultural planning. The community council networks should also advise the council in terms of the cultural planning. The wider engagement by the council staff is also important in terms of enhancing the cultural planning (Wilkins, 2002). Conclusion In conclusion, the cultural planning aspects in Australia plays an important t role in the development of the urban areas. The cultural planning process has been enhanced for the purpose of attracting the tourists as well as the local people. The city council in Brisbane has put in place measures to ensure that the cultural planning activities are enhanced within the city. The activities involve the architectural designs as well as paintings within the city. Through this, the council has been successful in terms of ensuring that the enhancing the beauty of the cities. It is also important to note that the cultural activities have been enhanced through recognizing the importance of culture in the urban planning. It is also evident that the cultural planning is an expression of the diversity of the people in the urban areas. However, it is also evident that the councils have not engaged the local people fully in terms of creating awareness of the import ant of culture in the urban areas. This has resulted to the popularity of the long terms strategies only. The creation of awareness among the local people is a process that will enhance the cultural planning in the urban areas. The capacity of the council can also enhance during the cultural planning by involving the local community members as they can also contribute positively towards the cultural development. List of References Evans, G, 2001, Cultural planning: An urban renaissance? Routledge Publishers, London. Stevenson, D, 2010, Cultural Planning in Australia Texts and Contexts, The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society. Mills, 2003, Cultural Planning – Policy Task, not Tool, Artwork Magazine - Issue 55 Florida, R, 2002, The Rise of the Creative Class and how it’s transforming work, leisure, community and everyday life, Basic Books, New York. Brisbane City Council, 2003, Creative city draft, Brisbane City Council, Brisbane. Hawkes, J., 2001, Four pillars of sustainability: The essential role of culture in public planning, For the Cultural Development Network (Victoria), Common Ground Press, Melbourne. Mercer, C, 2002, Towards Cultural Citizenship: Tools for Cultural Policy and Development, the Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation & Gidlunds Forlag. O’Regan, T, 2002, Too much culture, too little culture: Trends and issues for cultural policy making, Media International Australia (Incorporating Culture and Policy) 102:9–25. Wilkins, R, 2002, 2001–02: The year in review, director general’s statement, NSW Ministry for the Arts 2001/2002 annual report. : Read More