Cities, Museums and Soft Power

Museum planners Gail Lord and Ngaire Blankenberg demonstrate how museums and cities are using their soft power to address some of the most important issues of our time.Soft power is the exercise of influence through attraction, persuasion, and agenda-setting rather than military or economic coercion.Thirteen of the world's leading museum and cultural experts from six continents explore the many facets of soft power in cities and museums to include: how it amplifies civic discourse, accelerates cultural change, and contributes to contextual intelligence among the great diversity of city dwellers, visitors, and policy makers. The authors urge city governments to embrace museums which so often are the signifiers of their cities, increasing real estate values while attracting investment, tourists, and creative workers. Lord and Blankenberg propose 32 practical strategies for museums and cities to activate their soft power and create thriving and sustainable communities. Follow the link below to watch co-author Gail Lord speaking about soft power on The Agenda, a popular public affairs program on TVO, a leading educational television broadcaster http://tvo.org/video/programs/the-agenda-with-steve-paikin/a-cultural-sleeping-giant. To Read More: http://tvo.org/article/current-affairs/shared-values/how-museums-help-cities-realize-their-soft-power 'soft Power' Emerged As A Concept In The Late Twentieth Century To Describe International Relations Based Not On Military Or Economic Strength, But On Influence. While The Resources Of 'hard Power' Are Tangible--force And Finance--soft Power Resources Include Ideas, Knowledge, Values, And Culture, As Well As The Ability To Persuade. This Volume Discusses Soft Power From The Vantage Point Of Museums And Demonstrates How They Are Quietly Changing The World. With Contributions By Thirteen Experts From Ten Countries, Cities, Museums And Soft Power Reveals The World's 80,000 Museums To Be Sleeping Giants. Two Major Characteristics Of Soft Power--the Rise Of Cities And The Role Of Civil Society--are Pushing Museums From The Margins Toward The Center As These Institutions Serve As Education Hubs, Employers, Magnets For Creative Industries, And Engines Of Economic Development. Meanwhile, The Growth Of Technological Networks And Connectivity Has Enabled This Soft Power To Spread Even Farther And Deeper Across The Internet And Groups Of People. Whether Cozy And Local Or Internationally Renowned, Museums Possess A Cultural Strength That Extends Far Beyond Their Walls -- Introduction: Why Cities, Museums And Soft Power / Gail Dexter Lord And Ngaire Blankenberg -- The Economics Of Museums And Cities / Javier Jimenez -- Museums In Public Diplomacy / Frederica Olivares -- London's Knowledge Quarter : The Soft Power Of Museums In The Knowledge Economy And Urban Development / Baillie Card -- Museums In The Age Of Brazilian Soft Power / Gege Leme Joseph -- Museums As Signifiers In The Gulf / Hayfa Matar -- When Soft Powers Collide / Ngaire Blankenberg -- Unearthing The Genius Loci Of Museums In The Indian Subcontinent / Batul Raaj Mehta -- Cultural Nomads : Creative People On The Road / Robert Punkenhofer -- Cranking Up The Soft Power Engine Of Chinese Museums / An Laishun -- A Tale Of Two Civil And Human Rights Cities / Gail Dexter Lord And Joy Bailey Bryant -- Cairo And Its Museums : From Multiculturalism To Leadership In Sustainable Development / Mohamed Gamal Rashed -- Global And Local : Fairs And Biennials, Temporary Urbanism And Pop-up Museums / Lourdes Fernandez -- The Museum Building Boom / Guido Guerzoni -- Thirty-two Ways For Museums To Activate Their Soft Power / Ngaire Blankenbert And Gail Dexter Lord. Edited By Gail Dexter Lord , Ngaire Blankenberg ; Preface By Richard Florida. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 245-251) And Index. Contents 6 Acknowledgements 8 Preface • Richard Florida 10 1. Introduction: Why Cities, Museums and Soft Power • Gail Dexter Lord and Ngaire Blankenberg 14 2. The Economics of Museums and Cities • Javier Jimenez 38 3. Museums in Public Diplomacy • Federica Olivares 58 4. London’s Knowledge Quarter: The Soft Power of Museums in the Knowledge Economy and Urban Development • Baillie Card 68 5. Museums in the Age of Brazilian Soft Power • Gegê Leme Joseph 80 6. Museums as Signifiers in the Gulf • Hayfa Matar 96 7. When Soft Powers Collide • Ngaire Blankenberg 108 8. Unearthing the Genius Loci of Museums in the Indian Subcontinent • Batul Raaj Mehta 126 9. Cultural Nomads: Creative People on the Road • Robert Punkenhofer 140 10. Cranking Up the Soft Power Engine of Chinese Museums • An Laishun 154 11. A Tale of Two Civil and Human Rights Cities • Gail Dexter Lord and Joy Bailey Bryant 162 12. Cairo and Its Museums: From Multiculturalism to Leadership in Sustainable Development • Mohamed Gamal Rashed 174 13. Global and Local: Fairs and Biennials,Translation: Marina Ramirez Temporary Urbanism and Pop-Up Museums • Lourdes Fernández 184 14. The Museum Building Boom • Guido Guerzoni 196 15. Thirty-two Ways for Museums to Activate Their Soft Power • Ngaire Blankenberg and Gail Dexter Lord 210 Authors 250 Bibliography 254 Index 262 "'Soft power' emerged as a concept in the late twentieth century to describe international relations based not on military or economic strength, but on influence. While the resources of 'hard power' are tangible--force and finance--soft power resources include ideas, knowledge, values, and culture, as well as the ability to persuade. This volume discusses soft power from the vantage point of museums and demonstrates how they are quietly changing the world. With contributions by thirteen experts from ten countries, Cities, Museums and Soft Power reveals the world's 80,000 museums to be sleeping giants. Two major characteristics of soft power--the rise of cities and the role of civil society--are pushing museums from the margins toward the center as these institutions serve as education hubs, employers, magnets for creative industries, and engines of economic development. Meanwhile, the growth of technological networks and connectivity has enabled this soft power to spread even farther and deeper across the Internet and groups of people. Whether cozy and local or internationally renowned, museums possess a cultural strength that extends far beyond their walls "--Résumé de l'éditeur "'Soft power' emerged as a concept in the late twentieth century to describe international relations based not on military or economic strength, but on influence. While the resources of 'hard power' are tangible ... force and finance ... soft power resources include ideas, knowledge, values, and culture, as well as the ability to persuade. This volume discusses soft power from the vantage point of museums and demonstrates how they are quietly changing the world. With contributions by thirteen experts from ten countries, Cities, Museums and Soft Power reveals the world's 80,000 museums to be sleeping giants. Two major characteristics of soft power ... the rise of cities and the role of civil society ... are pushing museums from the margins toward the center as these institutions serve as education hubs, employers, magnets for creative industries, and engines of economic development. Meanwhile, the growth of technological networks and connectivity has enabled this soft power to spread even farther and deeper across the Internet and groups of people. Whether cozy and local or internationally renowned, museums possess a cultural strength that extends far beyond their walls "