Facing similar challenges in urban governance, cities have increasingly adopted forms of formal and informal networking at national, regional and international levels.
City networking is increasingly facilitating peer learning, exchange of good practices, and the establishment of collaborative projects. The promotion of culture as an essential component of local policies has also been a topic of particular interest.
The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) facilitated a conversation around these issues at the 2nd United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Culture Summit on “Commitments and Actions for Culture in Sustainable Cities” held from 10–13 May 2017, in Jeju, Korea.
Participants in the panel discussion on “Asian Networks of Cities for Culture” included: Dr CHUNG Utak, Director, Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding; Dr Neil KHOR, Founding Member, Southeast Asian Creative Cities Network; Dr Rita PADAWANGI, Senior Research Fellow, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore; and Mr Navin PIPLANI, Principal Director, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Heritage Academy. Ms Anupama SEKHAR, Director, Culture Department, ASEF moderated the discussion.
Organised by the UCLG and hosted by the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, the 2nd UCLG Culture Summit gathered over 500 mayors, experts and activists for discussions on culture as a key dimension of sustainability, particularly in cities and local spaces.