Papers

• Seeing Colonialism through Colonial Architecture on Social Media: A Phenomenon from Indonesia Ahmad Zuhdi Allam Allam Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Angeline Basuki Museum Arsitektur Indonesia

  Social media has increased the visibility of cities and their architecture; however, it has also often reduced architectural heritage to mere aesthetics, detached from its historical and cultural context. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in discussions surrounding colonial architecture. Debates on social media regarding the interpretation of colonialism through architectural and urban heritage have emerged as a contemporary issue, offering valuable insights for heritage meaning-making and decolonization discourse.

  In Indonesia, numerous social media influencers—particularly on Instagram—dedicate their platforms to promoting colonial architectural heritage, its history, and its ongoing conservation. Despite the generally “neutral” intentions of these influencers, discussions in the comment sections frequently reveal more complex and contentious perspectives. Many netizens express notably positive views toward the legacy of colonialism, often framing it in a favorable light.

  This presentation examines this phenomenon through the lens of heritage studies and decolonization discourse. It draws on Instagram posts related to Indonesian colonial architecture and the accompanying user comments, collected in 2026 as part of an ongoing study of the history of architectural conservation in Indonesia. As an exploratory study, this presentation uses content analysis and interviews, and the findings suggest that contemporary interpretations of colonial architectural heritage are closely linked to present-day perceptions of urban and architectural development within the country.

• Rebuilding Quiapo on Roblox: the digital reframing of an urban religious space Daniele Ciocca Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca

  Roblox Filipino Catholics (RFC) is a group of young Filipino Catholic users of the Roblox platform, a Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG). As stated on its Facebook page, it is “a community of young people who aspire to live a holy life online.” Members of RFC come together on Roblox to socialize and engage in explicitly religious activities, inspired by the Filipino Catholic tradition and hosted within three-dimensional spaces that replicate the architecture and aesthetics of actual Filipino religious sites.

  One particularly striking example is the recreation of Quiapo, a central district of the Philippine’s capital city, Manila. Every January 9, the streets of Quiapo host the Traslacion, one of the most attended Catholic processions in the world. Every year, RFC members organize the Virtual Traslacion on Roblox, taking place in a digital replica of Quiapo where its streets, buildings and landmarks are digitally reconstructed.

  Drawing from my ethnography conducted in Manila and Roblox Filipino Catholics from December 2024 to July 2025, when I participated in both virtual and onsite Traslacion, this contribution seeks to address the digital framing of Manila that happens within Roblox Filipino Catholics. Considered the bodily and incarnated experience of the Traslacion, a procession deeply connected to Quiapo and its informal dwellings (Calano, 2015, 2018) and rooted in the Filipino spirituality of the body (Zialcita, 1986; Bautista, 2021; Espiritu, 2023), what remains and what is left behind in the digital translation of Quiapo’s unique architecture and urban landscape? Does Roblox provide users with the tools to produce new ways to imagine and live urban spaces? I argue that Roblox constitutes a powerful set of tools to produce a religious space where urban and visual features are intentionally edited to produce a disincarnated space of collective devotion perceived as “safer” than its physical counterpart.

• The Proposition of a Policy Framework for a UNESCO City of Design through the Findings from a Systematic Literature Review: The Case of Bangkok Dhiyathad Prateeppornnarong National Institute of Development Administration Srayoot Thadsri Srinakharinwirot University

  This study analyzes approaches to using foresight for developing Bangkok as a UNESCO creative city of design through a systematic literature review of academic articles from 2005-2024. The research identifies five crucial factors for Bangkok’s creative city development: creating innovation-friendly creative ecosystems, developing human capital through education and training, promoting cross-sector collaboration, integrating cultural heritage with modern innovation, and developing physical and digital infrastructure. The study emphasizes the importance of public innovation and digital technology in enhancing citizen participation. However, creative city development faces significant challenges including social inequality, lack of affordable creative spaces, and regulatory limitations that hinder innovation. These obstacles require careful consideration in policy formulation. The study recommends conducting additional empirical research to test concepts in real-world environments and developing comprehensive indicators covering both quantitative and qualitative dimensions to monitor progress effectively. Successful creative city development requires cooperation from all sectors while maintaining balance between creative economic growth and preserving cultural identity and social justice. This holistic approach ensures sustainable long-term development that benefits all stakeholders. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and urban planners working toward establishing Bangkok as a recognized creative hub while addressing inherent challenges in urban creative economy development.

Abstract

Keywords

• City of design
• Filipino Catholicism
• Indonesia
• Instagram
• Roblox
• colonial architecture
• creative city
• creative economy
• digital aesthetics
• foresight
• social media
• systematic literature review
• virtual urban space
• virtual worlds