Placesbrands talks with Liverpool-based brand agency Uniform about galvanising citizen participation, rekindling a sense of civic pride, and keeping the smart cities of the future definitively people-focused. Congratulations on being named twice in the City Nation Place place branding awards shortlist! How did you feel upon hearing the news? Proud. These are two very different…
Jamaica has experienced problems with its reputation for many years. But hope is on the horizon… In particular, the capital city, Kingston, has suffered from severe negative labelling, that it’s only just beginning to shake off. Kingston’s regular appearances in lists such as ‘the world’s top ten murder capitals’ has helped cement its image as…
Samantha North, Jakarta, Indonesia After just a few minutes in Jakarta, one thing really stood out. The traffic. It took over two hours for the taxi to make the relatively short trek from airport to the diplomatic district, where my hotel was located. This unfortunate fact is well documented. According to a recent survey by…
How do the characters of individual neighbourhoods affect the image of a city? This week, we head to the US to explore the city of Chicago and some of its lesser-known neighbourhoods. We’re in the company of Borough & Block, a Chicago-based brand agency who are engaged in the Whistlestops project, which aims to highlight…
Cities are becoming increasingly influential players in shaping our world. But will the growth of the city help solve global problems? Or will smaller cities get left behind in the wake of mega-cities? And how can city branding play a role? The New Cities Foundation aims to address these questions and many more, in its…
I remember the local market very well. It was an important part of my early life growing up in rural Devon. It took place every Saturday in the nearest big town, a gloriously messy mingling of delicious smells, bizarre yet useful items and intriguing homegrown veggies. “Markets are unique, quirky, unusual, and always a bargain.”…