The 1990s signified the beginning of Taiwan´s "era of localism". Local places in Taiwan and the idea of Taiwan as a place were to gain unprecedented status in both political narratives and social practice. These place-centered acts gradually converged into the state-led Integrated Community-Making Program, in operation since 1994. Amid the prevailing phenomena, the past of a place was frequently perceived as representing a utopia which was rapidly fading or had been already lost as the result of development. The heritage sites, as "sites of memory", have thus not only served as "memory tactics" in rebuilding the sense and identity of a place, but are also expected to mediate the construction of a better future in terms of locality production. This paper examines the substantial components of locality in Taiwan within three frame works: globalization, machizukuri and community-building, which comprise the significance of locality in Taiwan. It concludes with case studies, which examine the social practice of place-making through the development of controversial sites of memory. It attempts to reveal the dialectical relationship between state-propaganda and the local practice of community-building, as well as the dilemma generated from the uses and abuses of global/local discourse.
Partnerships have a long history in European social housing with a mixed degree of success. They are an emerging model in post-socialist countries driven by budgetary constraints, rapid privatisation of public housing, and pragmatic efforts to respond to a complex housing affordability crisis. This article evaluates the challenges and opportunities of a new partnership model implemented in Albania to provide social rental housing. The project, launched in 2009, involves a legally defined partnership between central and local governments, the private sector, and an international financial institution. It has doubled the amount of municipal rental housing, addressing the needs of low- and mid-income households in Albania through the construction of 1,138 rental apartments for 4,300 people in eight cities. The allocation process, although politically charged, has been targeted. The partnership has capitalised on efficiencies, sound fiscal management, and cost and quality control. Despite some construction delays and potential concerns related to future sustainability, we argue that the partnership model is effective and has an important learning and innovation role for the future provision of social housing in Albania as well as in other post-socialist countries in South-East Europe facing similar challenges.