Cities and Urban Studies: Four Perspectives on Museums

Art museums and cultural institutions more generally have often been perceived as special components of cities. Multiple dimensions contribute to understand their role and effect on citizens and visitors. This chapter covers four major perspectives by providing essential discussion and examples drawing on international urban studies and planning debates. First, cities are sociopolitical organizations and art museums’ organizations and buildings often embody civic and cultural values. Second, art museums are central components of socio-economic systems of cultural production and consumption, as they may be part of cultural clusters, districts and quarters or attractors for tourism and other activities. Third, museums often stand out in the urban fabric, as landmarks and iconic elements in the urban landscape. Fourth, museums have become center pieces in urban regeneration plans and projects with high attention paid to their design and visual appeal. Drawing on a joint overview of these four perspectives and on a set of short examples, this chapter portends a complex understanding about the relationships between art museums and cities.