Bouke van Gorp

The selective nature of place branding and the layering of spatial identities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to strengthen the conceptual understanding of place brands and place branding by exploring to what extent place branding implies a level of selectivity and how this relates to the layering of spatial identities.Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual approach has been taken in this paper to provide an analytical conceptualisation of place branding to guide future empirical studies. The research, and the resulting paper has been structured around a progressive discussion of place as concept, of place brands as limited forms of geographical representations and of place branding as a highly selective process.Findings – Places are highly complex and cannot simply be understood as spatial entities within a closed hierarchical, territorial‐administrative system. Places only exist when they have an audience, and the resulting spatial identities often overlap, contradict or complement each other across existing territorial‐administrative levels. The rise of new forms of s...

Layering spatial identities: the identity discourses of new regions

The number and importance of regions are increasing at the same time as traditional regional identities are undermined through processes like globalisation and individualisation. Local and other administrations increasingly cooperate and create new regions which are too changeable for a distinct collective identity to develop. Nevertheless, a clear identity discourse helps administrators to justify their policies; to mobilise local stakeholders; to attract outside resources; and to get attention and funding from the central government. This paper studies how the identity discourses of these new regions are constructed by administrators and other stakeholders by using elements linked to the identity of more established spatial entities. Especially important are the selective downloading of characteristics from the nations and regions to which they belong and the uploading of specific qualities from the cities and areas within their boundaries. We analyse how in two areas in the Netherlands the identity discourses of new regions have been constructed through selective association with the complex layers of more established spatial identities nearby.

Assessing the Potential of Resident Participation in Local Heritage Conservation, the Case of Qingdao, China

Traditional expert-led heritage conservation is challenged from dissonance and multi-participation perspectives. Researchers highlight the importance of involving residents who encounter heritage every day and value heritage differently from professionals. However, professionals in our study in Qingdao complain about a lack of enthusiasm from the public. This paper explores the advantages and disadvantages that local professionals see when considering resident involvement in heritage conservation. Results indicate that residents recognize the significance of heritage and have some knowledge of heritage, but ignore their responsibility of heritage conservation. Inhabitants who reside in old buildings pursue other priorities than conservation. Attempts are made to involve residents but in practice, professionals still perceive residents’ understanding and willingness from authorized perspectives, and prefer to reduce gaps of knowledge through ‘educating’ the public.