高雄為東亞相對可及性最高的港口，歷經多樣的文化衝擊，造就了獨特的商貿、移民、社會與文化。本文為作者直接對高雄港市長期實地考察與訪談，尤其針對 1998 年以後高雄市由民進黨執政的都市景觀變遷，嘗試就都市、政治地理與社會空間分析角度，對於一個都市景觀整體發展，提出一個概念性的分析架構。就高雄都會空間結構性意象與社會意涵，將理論內化於經驗觀察之中。首先，分析高雄港市及其支持新空間形式，再根據這個分析架構，透過不同的地理尺度，討論高雄市發展之都市意象與城市自明性。試圖解釋高雄城市多元文化衝擊所形塑之社會與空間文化內涵。探討高雄城市空間意義之「空間再現」與「再現空間」，深化對空間梳理，提出
政策性意涵。

Kaohsiung with its relatively high accessible harbor to the East Asia experiences the diversity of cultural impacts to shape the uniqueness, trade, immigrant, society and culture. This paper based on the long-term on-site observations and investigation in Kaohsiung,particularly to 1998 thereafter as Democracy Progress Party in power of ruling the city,
attempts on the perspectives of urban, political geography and social space to propose an analytical framework for scrutinizing the development of urban landscape. By definition of urban spatial structure and social meaning of Kaohsiung, this paper launches from urban geography of Kaohsiung and its supported metropolitan region in new formation of spatial structure in information age. Then, this paper elaborates the identity of Kaohsiung, basedon its city image to draw out the various and vibrant Kaohsiung city textures. Finally,the discussion of the ‘representation of space’ and ‘space of representation’ in urban
development reflected on the social spaces and critiques on landscape show the meanings of social space and the contexts of spatial culture of Kaohsiung.