Research in China: The Unexpected and the Unbelievable August 3, 2010

I have several reflections about my research on urban innovation strategies in East Asian Megacities. As expected, while conducting my research, a few things surprised me and a few things limited me. However, more than a few things amazed me, and I am learning more about East Asian cities than I ever expected. This trip is an experience of a lifetime as I’ve broadened my horizons considerably. This trip has changed me. In this post I will discuss the unexpected and unbelievable lessons and impressions of my research.

The description of Hangzhou's urban best practice pavilion at EXPO 2010. Under the slogan "Harnessing Five Waters, Charming Hangzhou," the city touts its water elements including canals, a river (Qianting), a lake (famous West Lake), wetland swamps, and the sea (East China). The pavilion, however, isn't very educational about urban best practices to preserve such water elements.

The Unexpected
As with any adventure to a foreign place, one must expect the unexpected. In terms of my research,  I was surprised by the lack of quality information offered by the majority of Urban Best Practice Pavilions at Expo 2010 in Shanghai (see my previous post). I was a bit dismayed at the efforts many cities made to brand their image without putting much effort toward actual urban best practices. This was unfortunate as, in many cases, I didn’t have a substantial baseline of information in which to proceed with my research. However, I found just enough substance at several pavilions to complete my task. Additional constraints including a lack of access to government officials and some language barrier problems limited my ability to get in-depth information about urban innovation.

The Unbelievable: Developing New Eyes
The importance of on-the-ground field reconnaissance has proven immeasurable over the past few weeks. Academic research papers and quantitative analysis techniques can’t supplant visiting a place. Seeing and learning about new cities on the ground provide me with a new set of eyes so to speak. This new way of seeing enables me to really begin to make substantial observations about a particular place and connect that place back to the city’s pavilion at Expo 2010. I believe in getting the “thick description,” which is a term used in anthropology to describe both the behavior AND context of a particular phenomenon in order to understand it. In my research I seek the “thick description” of place by immersing myself in a location as much as possible and researching through field observation and analytical conceptualizations.

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