Language landscapes depict urban public spaces through dialogue and co-evolve with cities, thus serving as a prism for viewing cities. With the redefinition of public space and the reconstruction of social contexts, new perspectives and new approaches are needed to enhance the governance effectiveness of urban language landscapes.

Development trends

In general, a language landscape refers to the collection of linguistic signs displayed within a social space. As the language landscape evolves, it traces the historical trajectory of urban development. Through signs, announcements, advertisements, and informational reminders, urban language landscapes project a city’s image and showcase its capacity for public service. This landscape not only mirrors urban language use, but also constructs and disseminates urban narratives.

The evolution of urban functions has spurred diversity in language landscapes. Modern cities encompass economic, social, cultural, and ecological dimensions, necessitating a variety of landscape signs to represent these hybrid and complex functions. First, sith increasing international engagement, multilingual public signs are now common in highly internationalized urban centers and tourist attractions. Additionally, online language has begun to appear on signage, showing an advanced form of “code-mixing,” where letters, numbers, and various digital symbols are embedded within standard Chinese text. Second, urban language landscapes comprise a “symbol set” wherein images, colors, materials, actions, and other modalities are presented simultaneously. This dynamic text-image narrative mode, where language conveys core information and imagery compliments it, is transforming the abstract logic of traditional language-based narratives. Third, modern urban life fosters diverse subcultures, which in turn produce more non-traditional language landscape elements such as vehicular ads, electronic signage, and graffiti.

Urban sensemaking highlights the symbolic nature of language landscapes. First, the language landscape in a particular urban area tends to be centered around specific economic or social functions, guiding perceptions of the social and economic vitality in that area. Second, language landscapes, regarded as important resources for identity formation amid sociocultural evolution, create a sense of place through which groups affirm their belonging, which is confirmed within the associated social circle. Third, production entities utilize linguistic rhetoric, supplemented with visual rhetoric, to expand the connotations of urban culture and create symbolic, unique urban spaces.

Urban development trends toward digitalization, intelligence, and personalization boost interactions among different entities and elements. First, as urban language landscapes arise from context-dependent language practices, part of this landscape requires considering specific spatial contexts to understand its functions and meaning. Second, urban administrators play a regulatory and guiding role through policy formulation and implementation, producers initiate interactions through design, production, and display, while audiences interpret or even modify these landscapes based on personal experience, interests, and preferences. Third, virtual linguistic spaces form a hub for discourse dissemination in the digital age, blurring the boundaries between online and offline languages, and even leading to their full integration.

Enhancing governance effectiveness

Improving the comprehensive governance mechanism for urban language landscapes: First, a development-oriented mindset and a global perspective should be adopted to integrate the construction, maintenance, and upgrading of language landscapes into urban branding and urban renewal efforts. Second, governance should be area-specific, dividing urban spaces geographically or functionally. Third, governance bodies can be further clarified according to spatial and landscape classifications, and synergistic mechanisms should be established to enhance efficiency.

Activating the sensemaking function of urban language landscapes: This can be achieved by focusing on exploring and presenting local cultural elements, selecting language landscape resources aligned with a city’s identity, and emphasizing the role of landscape aesthetics in urban sensemaking.

Effectively addressing the need for interaction in urban language landscapes: First, advanced technologies can be deployed to facilitate the construction of urban language landscapes and improve urban language services. Second, platforms for multi-stakeholder dialogue should be established to facilitate public feedback and ensure the openness and effectiveness of interaction channels.

Yu Min is an associate professor at the Changsha Municipal Party Committee School.