RAFFLES CITY - Lokala och globala dimensioner av ett urbant komplex i Chengdu

Abstract

In a time where many Asian metropolises experience an expansive development new urban conditions are created and the already existing disappears or being replaced. Asian cities develop at a pace that is unprecedented in our history and which, through a western perspective can seem harsh. By focusing on an urban complex in Chengdu, capital of the southwestern province of Sichuan China, the study asks; is it possible to see this rapid urbanization from another perspective? The study examines the local and global dimensions of Raffels City, and how concepts such as nostalgia and authenticity, related to the city, can be understood in an urbanization that is so marked by massive demolitions. The study shows that these concepts can be expressed in several ways, and that an awareness of them does not necessarily control the view of the city.