Global Asia Lecture Series: City Stories: Digital Placemaking and Public History in Singapore

As part of ASU's commitment to global engagement, sustainability and future-oriented knowledge and research, the Asia Center at the Arizona State University is organizing a series of virtual lectures for the 2023-2024 academic year on the theme of "Global Asia in a Multipolar World." This virtual lecture series highlights research from prominent scholars in an array of disciplines in the humanities, social sciences and beyond, broadly centered on Inter-Asian networks and flows of ideas, peoples and texts across national and linguistic borders.

This is the second lecture in our series, and it will be provided by Dr. Kristy Kang, associate professor of Urban Media Art and Design at the School of Arts, Media, and Engineering. Titled "City Stories: Digital Placemaking and Public History in Singapore," this talk will discuss the development of Chinatown in Singapore and a more complex understanding of place and public history. Please read the full abstract below.

Abstract

Created under the direction of Dr. Kang and supported by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore,“City Stories: Mapping the Narratives of Singapore’s Landscapes” is a digital placemaking project that explores the multi-cultural identity and urban history of two of Singapore’s earliest streets – Telok Ayer and Amoy Streets. Developed in the 1820s, they are part of what is known today as “Chinatown” – the largest conserved historic district in Singapore. In this interactive project, viewers can discover the changing landscapes of these streets, and explore the transformation of this area from Singapore’s shoreline to skyline.  This talk will discuss the development of this project and show how this enclave, while known as Chinatown, has historically been home to multiple ethnic communities whose everyday activities create a more complex understanding of place and public history in the city.