从明末清初的江南市镇经济到晚近的租界开埠贸易和城市化进程，苏州评弹书场的文化空间深受社会变迁和文艺创作的影响。作为城市文化研究的理论工具，第三空间理论强调多元开放、协商对话的空间思想，其对国际大都市的文化多样性和文化强国战略有重要的启发意义。财政拨款是文化部门为保护和复兴传统文化所做的可贵的空间努力，但在空间实践缺少文化竞争和作品创的激励机制，而失去了文化空间的活力。如何更智慧地使用财政资源以激活文化空间自身的活力和创作热情，成为文化部门需要反思的问题。

From the township economy in regions south of the Yangtze River in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties to the concession port trade and the urbanization in Shanghai, the cultural space of Suzhou pingtan(an art form of storytelling ballad singing in Suzhou dialect) teahouses has been strongly influenced by social changes as well as literary and artistic creation. As a theoretical tool of urban cultural research, the third space theory emphasizes spatial diversity, openness, negotiation and dialogue, which has great significance for cultural diversity and cultural power strategy of an international metropolis. Financial allocation from the cultural sector is a respectable effort for conserving and revitalizing traditional culture, but its spatial practice cannot produce culture vitality since it fails to provide internal motivation for cultural competence and creation. The cultural sector should consider how to wisely use the financial resources to activate cultural space vitality and creative enthusiasm.