地方民俗文化除富含深厚的人文與哲學意涵之外，也是台灣不可磨滅的歷史記憶與地方發展的軌跡；過去人類學家對媽祖信仰相關研究多分為三個部份，一是媽祖傳說與經典、儀式研究，二是媽祖信仰與社會團體行為，最後是其他類，就地方發展而言，寺廟是重要的資源，但這方面研究並無太多深入探討；學者辛晚教先生近年來開始處理此類議題，但也僅從規劃面向去著手，並無探討寺廟、地方民俗與地方發展的社會互動過程；而本文是以地方民俗與文化市鎮治理的關係為主題，並以大甲鎮為例，藉由鎮瀾宮為研究主體，以探討媽祖信仰、大甲地方發展與鎮瀾宮的影響力，此三者之問的關係為何；本文界定若一市鎮與其特有地方民俗文化得以產生互動，並促使此市鎮能夠蓬勃發展，則此一市鎮即可稱之為文化市鎮；然而，探討文化市鎮最重要的還是建構的過程，其中包括制度與組織的整合程度，建構程度是為厚實或單薄的等等皆有探討的必要性。
本文研究面向是以大甲鎮發展歷程之空間、治理與社會網絡所組成之關係，透過治理理論探討當地所形成的網絡關係，詳察其內在動員、組織制度與治理的互動情形，並檢視大甲當地形成的社會資本為地方帶來的影響為何，最後則回歸到最基本的問題一大甲鎮瀾宮廟埕空間上的爭議，俾以都市計畫規劃手法與角度來提出建議、落實並加以改善之，冀望能成為一個真正稱得上是「中部文化市鎮」的範例，得以成為台灣形塑文化市鎮的借鏡。
承上，本研究所得之大甲文化市鎮治理策略意涵為：
（一）治理機制的碎裂細分－黑道網絡橫行以及地方派系爭食
（二）文化環境的空間割裂－封閉的行動者與幻滅的地方願景

Local folklore not only contains the meaning of deep humanity and philosophy but also shows the historical memory of Taiwan and the track of local development. In the past, the researches of Matsu belief made by anthropologists were divided into three parts; one was about Matsu legend and the researches of scriptures and ceremonies. Another part was Matsu belief and social group action, and the other part was the rest about Matsu. For local development, temples are. important resources, but there are not enough researches about temple development. However, the scholar Hsing starts to handle these issues in the recent years, but his researches are about how to plan instead of the process of the interaction between temples, local folklore and local development.
My topic is about the relationship between local folklore and the governance of the cultural town, and I take Dajia for example here. I discuss the relationship between Matsu belief, local development in Dajia, and the influence of Jenlan Gong by the research in Jenlan Gong. I define that the town which grows by following the local folklore and is developed vitally is called cultural town and however, the developed process of the cultural town including the condition of the interaction between institution and organization is the most important, and the constructive level is necessary to be discussed.
The side of the research is focus on the relationship between space, governance and social network of the developed process of Dajia, and I discuss the local network through the governance theory and detect the interaction between the inner mobilization, the institution, the governance and also inspect the influence for med because of the social capital of Dajia. At last, back to the most basic problem-the argue of the space of the square of the temple of Dajia Jenlan Gong, we can develop and improve it by following the advice coming form the urban planning and expect it truly can be called ”central cultural town” and become the example of the development of the cultural town in Taiwan.
Above all, the meanings of the cultural town governance of Dajia are: First, the fragment division of the governance mechanisms.
Second, the space separate of the cultural environments