From Globalizing Taipei to Learning Amsterdam: Referencing as a politicizing strategy for urban development in Taiwan

This paper deals with changing urban referencing in Taipei City after democratization by applying theories of policy mobility and using the research method of participatory observation to “follow policy changes” for three decades. In the 1990s, Globalizing Taipei was a new urban development strategy for the city that was undergoing economic restructuring and new democratic governance. The new goal transformed the logic of urban planning towards neoliberal urbanism. Housing speculation was intensified by pro-developer urban policies. In 2010, serious problems of housing affordability mobilized the social housing movement, inspired by Amsterdam, where 40% of the total housing stock is social housing. This paper argues that the geopolitical situation of Taiwan is a crucial factor in policy mobility in addition to the economic crisis. The desire to be global is always the underlying force for choosing a new learning model. This case study of Taiwan’s urban development after democratization contributes to the literature on urban developmentalism. Finally, the paper concludes that the mobility process is selective, so Amsterdam serves as a mere inspiration. Neoliberalism hinders both Dutch and Taiwanese social housing policies to achieve housing justice.

2024년 6월 17일 12시부터 From Globalizing Taipei to Learning Amsterdam이라는 제목으로 Yi-Ling Chen 교수님의 세미나를 진행하였다. 발표에서는 타이베이 주택정책의 새로운 변화를 다루었다. 1990년대 타이베이의 정치경제적 변화와 신자유주의적 도시 계획은 2010년대 이후 타이베이의 주택 문제로 이어졌다. 이를 배경으로 사회 주택 운동이 전개되었다. 그 과정에서 타이베이의 지정학적 상황과 글로벌 도시를 향한 열망에 따라, 선별적으로 암스테르담의 정책 이동(policy mobility)을 시도하였다. 민진당 정부는 일부 사회주택을 시범적으로 공급하고 있으며 이와 관련된 내용의 발표 이후에는 각국의 주택 정책과 사회 주택 운동에 관한 열띤 토론이 진행되었다.