The 3A-Strategy: grassroots public art as a catalyst for sustainable community development in resource-constrained urban contexts

Abstract This research adopts a mixed-methods study to propose the 3A-Strategy, which promotes sustainable development in urban communities through grassroots public art practices amid a lack of cultural policy and public funding support. The study comprises four main sections: Part one briefly introduces the research background, significance, and fundamental concepts of the 3A-Strategy. Part two reflects on art-driven community development strategies and related practices within China’s context, drawing on discussions by both Chinese and Western scholars regarding the relationship between public art and community development, whilst articulating key research questions. Part three describes the research methodology—including traditional and artistic approaches—applied to investigate these questions through a series of grassroots art initiatives in Shunde’s Hecheng Community over the past five years. Part four elucidates the operational logic of the 3A-Strategy and presents primary findings. This study bridges a critical research gap in public art interventions within China’s third-tier urban communities, whilst simultaneously offering a transferable reference pathway for community development in other regions, particularly across the Global South.