Hot on the heels of the Good Country Index comes another novel idea from Simon Anholt – the Good Country Party. In an in-depth Guardian interview, Anholt outlines his plan to change the world. He talks about the Good Country Party’s ‘natural constituency’, which potentially consists of around 700 million ‘new cosmopolitans’ (global citizens who…
Everyone’s getting excited about smart cities these days. Often planned from scratch, these ultra-modern metropolises bristle with the latest innovations in technology: environmentally friendly buildings and infrastructure; computers that control many aspects of urban dwelling; wi-fi as ubiquitous as oxygen. The UAE and South Korea already have their own smart cities; China and India aren’t…
Istanbul’s protestors are out in force once more. Last night, the streets erupted, with cars blazing, windows smashed, and volleys of the usual tear gas unleashed by Turkish police. But this was not just another anti-government protest. This time, much more is at stake, mainly the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. The world…
In the Turkish city of Izmir, a gigantic rock carving of the country’s secular founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, displayed prominently over one of the major highways, shows the city’s continuing allegiance to a certain set of values. Such rebellion suggests a trait in the people of Izmir, a mentality that marks the city out among…
Last month, Tokyo dashed the Olympic hopes of Istanbul and Madrid by winning the right to host the 2020 Games. The victory was a significant confidence booster for Japan, recently troubled by economic problems and the aftermath of Fukushima. Even before Tokyo was announced as the winner, Japan had already been rebuilding its national brand….
Placesbrands caught up with Julian Stubbs, founder and senior brand strategist at global cloud-based agency UP There, Everywhere for a chat about place branding, Liverpool’s history, and why taxi drivers make great city ambassadors. Hey Julian, thanks for talking to Placesbrands today. UP There Everywhere has a place-branding wing called UP For Real. What are…