Installing Shanghai's Software: Building a Competitive City for the 21st Century

Abstract

<p>This presentation will detail two particular aspects of Ifsoftware" and demonstrate the consequences of neglecting them on Shanghai's economic development and modern situation. It will also illustrate areas where Shanghai is making improvements to its "software" with regard to those two particular aspects. The Shanghai of the mid-1980s was in dire shape. For the city to be resurrected, it would need to Ifupdate core infrastructure," by addressing issues of housing, which it lacked sufficient amounts of, traffic jams, communication infrastructure, as well as a growing problem with pollution (Kuhn, 2010, p. 224). In addition to the difficult problems of "hardware," Shanghai needed to reinvent its atmosphere to promote investment. Aside from the large amount of foreign investment and multinational enterprises whose investment the city was hoping to attract, Shanghai's environment itself would need to foster the growth of a creative culture of artists and entrepreneurs who would be at the core of creating domestic products, entertainment, and art unique to Shanghai and China. In order for this to happen, Shanghai would need to update what has come to be known as Ifsoftware." Software includes ideas such as Iffree-flowing economic and business information," increased transparency and accountability, intellectual and artistic freedom; greater political responsiveness to local constituents; and decision-making autonomy from Beijing (Yatsko, 2001, p. 294). While an analysis of all of these ideas would require volumes, this study will examine two particular aspects of this description: Anti-corruption/Transparency and accountability efforts and the promotion of intellectual and artistic freedom as it relates to stimulation of cultural capital and economic growth.</p><p>This presentation occurred at the Wright State University Campus-Wide Celebration of Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities on April 8, 2011</p>