Learning from Taiwan’s Post-Colonial Heritage Conservation

Abstract

Informed by the concept of subsidiarity, this paper is a preliminary study of the efforts undertaken by the Taiwanese Government to conserve some historical areas of Taipei. While the state’s primary concern was to foster the cultural identity and historical value of these places, it has also brought about the conservation and promotion of “old street shops”, leading to a growth in tourism. Therefore, this role of the Government in innovative planning fits a version of the allegedly libertarian Coase Theorem, which holds that the state can play an important role in expanding a market.