ICT, Urban Regeneration and Creation of Local Identity A Comparative Case Study of Preparation of Hackney for Olympics and Paralympics Games 2012 in London and Urban Regeneration Program in Kyoto

With the advent of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and its multidimensional utilization in different fields of culture, economy, politics and environment, new tenets of its exploitation has been argued and introduced. One of those newly adopted tendencies can be attributed to the new functions of ICT, cyberspace and internet in urban regeneration projects. In fact, nowadays ICT can be assumed as a kind of irrefutable and indispensable technological tool; significantly in urban regeneration projects. However, the recognition of the potential cultural and social aspects of ICT and the extent of its employment in urban regeneration programs by the governments and relevant organizations has become a controversial issue. In the other words, the appropriate application of technological tools in tandem with the creation of “Sense of Place” and rejuvenation of cultural identity and traditions; has become a problematic and debatable matter. In this regard, this survey delves into scrutinize the application of ICT, significantly internet, in urban regeneration projects by introducing a new categorization of adopted approaches towards cyberspace and internet, specifically in urban regeneration programs, that can be divided into: 1.Top-down approach (Governmental Approach) and 2.Bottom-up approach (Public Oriented Approach). It has been implemented and exerted within a comparative case study by selecting two representative cities from the western context and eastern one in order to examine the extent and salience of cultural background and so; its diffusion and assimilation in urban regeneration projects. To meet the targeted goal, this comparative study has been conducted between Hackney (London) and Kyoto (Japan), based on a top-down approach; to anatomize the role of ICT in the creation of local identity and its particular performance in urban regeneration programs. The main reason for choosing these cities can be attributed to the long cultural and historical history of Kyoto alongside its old and noteworthy traditions and conventions in comparison with the other urban areas of Japan. Moreover, Hackney, has been regarded as an important and noticeable area because of its high rank of multiculturalism and IMD (Index of Multiple Deprivation) that has made the area as a unique case for scrutiny and attention specifically, within preparatory programs for Olympics and Paralympics Games 2012. In fact, selecting these two urban areas can be useful for the interrogation and anatomization of policymakers’ attitudes and roles towards social and cultural aspects of urban regeneration programs as well as their concentration on cultural and conventional traditions and dimensions in those selected urban areas too. Ultimately, after analyzing the two aforementioned official Websites and e-documents released by Hackney Council and the Website of Kyoto, it was elaborated that the application of ICT in regards of creating the local and even global identity, in the implemented urban regeneration projects, had a high rank in Kyoto due to its robust cultural background; while in Hackney it had been confined just to the public informing.