Systematic Review of the Role of Arts Places in Fostering Urban Sustainability and Resilience

Xinyu Zeng (), Frederick Peter Ortner and Bige Tunçer
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Xinyu Zeng: Faculty Architecture and Sustainable Design, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Rd, Singapore 487372, Singapore
Frederick Peter Ortner: Faculty Architecture and Sustainable Design, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Rd, Singapore 487372, Singapore
Bige Tunçer: Faculty of Information Systems in the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology, Groene Loper 3, P.O. Box 5135600, 5612 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-22

Abstract: This systematic review examines the role of arts places in fostering urban sustainability and resilience, investigating how these spaces contribute to long-term urban development goals. By synthesizing 79 peer-reviewed articles published between 2013 and 2024, this review identifies the mechanisms through which art spaces promote sustainability and resilience across economic, social, environmental, and cultural dimensions. Urban resilience is achieved through civic engagement and empowerment, as well as the repurposing the spaces to adapt to new uses within the community and strengthening cultural heritage and identity. Similarly, urban sustainability in different aspects, such as economic, environmental, and social, is fulfilled by new revenues from tourism income, as well as educational promotion on ecological issues through art. The findings reveal how arts places—ranging from permanent museums and galleries to temporary and public art installations—stimulate community engagement, economic revitalization, and environmental stewardship. This study provides a theoretical framework that illustrates the connections between the types of arts places, their initiators, and their intended outcomes. The results also highlight challenges such as gentrification and the tension between artistic and commercial purposes. Implications for urban planners and policymakers include integrating arts places into urban regeneration strategies. Future research should focus on quantitative measures of the long-term impact of arts places and their role in mitigating urban inequities.

Keywords: arts places; arts; urban sustainability; urban resilience; urban planning; urban regeneration; cultural planning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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