Completing the Circle: The Old Railways, the New Light Rail, and Existing Modernity in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

ABSTRACT Through examining the changing landscapes brought about by a new light rail system and a concurrent railway underground project in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, this article explores how transport infrastructures layer onto one another and intersect with daily life to reframe a city symbolically and materially. It focuses on the moment of intense transformation and discussions during the light rail's final construction stage to interrogate how it engenders perceptions of the city and generates ideas of and aspirations for the urban future. It underscores the way existing threads of modernity embedded in infrastructure and urban space are rearticulated to foster visions of urban modernity.