Case Study on Cultural Industry Empowerment in Urban Renewal: A Focus on Guangzhou, China

In recent years, the strategic development and utilization of historical and cultural resources in historic urban areas to foster advanced cultural industries has become a pivotal approach for promoting urban renewal. However, there are significant differences between the urban development models of Western countries and the unique context of China, rendering it challenging to directly apply Western theories to explain China’s urban development. As one of the leading cities in both cultural industry growth and urban renewal in China, Guangzhou offers a valuable case for examining how cultural industries can effectively empower urban renewal. This paper aims to explore and analyze the mechanisms through which cultural industry development influences urban renewal in China, using Guangzhou as a case to illustrate the dynamic interactions between cultural industries and urban transformation. Furthermore, it proposes a contextualized model and strategy for the role of cultural industries in driving urban renewal, thereby providing evidence-based insights and practical recommendations for enhancing the contribution of cultural industries to urban development. This study suggests that Guangzhou should further advance this goal by strengthening policy support, promoting the digital cultural industry, strengthening infrastructure for cultural industry spaces, and developing distinctive cultural industry projects, thus facilitating sustainable and high-quality urban development.