Place branding and city centre management: Exploring international parallels in research and practice

Abstract

International approaches to city centre management and place management practice have evolved considerably over the last 40 years. Parallel to this, there has been a rising level of interest among academics and practitioners in the concept of place branding. This paper explores some of the parallels and knowledge gaps in the development of both concepts from a practice as well as research perspective, using published evidence from Europe and references to other parts of the world. It also argues that place branding will continue to increase in influence strategically as urban regeneration and management processes become more visionary and multidisciplinary in their strategic focus. The need for towns and cities to improve their resilience to future global downturns through innovative and entrepreneurial communities with a strong sense of attachment to their locations will also create a platform for strategic place branding to evolve and develop in a direction that has received as yet limited attention by academics, policy makers and key decision makers.