Small City Branding Around the World

New Book: Destination Branding for Small Cities – Second Edition, Now Released

I am pleased to announce that my second book, Destination Branding for Small Cities - Second Edition has now been released. This expanded and revised edition has updated our 7A Destination Branding Process and includes new place branding elements, advice, checklists and techniques. Some of the changes include:

• Explanations of the different forms of place branding, branding in tough times, selecting place branding expertise and the important role of product development, placemaking and wayfinding in place branding.  
• Actions to introduce a stronger strategic focus to enhance city competitiveness.
• Interesting insights from some of the world’s leading place branding consultants, academics and practitioners.
• Worldwide examples from the USA, Asia, Europe, Middle East and Australia, moving beyond the USA focus of the first.

While the title is Destination Branding for Small Cities, the underlying principles and processes can just as readily be applied to regions, counties, Downtowns, Main Streets, resorts, and even states and countries.

I hope that you enjoy this edition as much as the first. Worldwide sales are available through Amazon.com.

Why Quality of Place Matters to City Competitiveness and Sustainability

DMOs and other tourism organizations often become so consumed by their sales function that they don’t exert any influence on their community’s quality of place.  There are many places where the DMO and tourism folk don’t even have a seat at the table to discuss matters relating to the city’s quality of place and its impact on visitors – and dare I say its image and identity.

An Urban Times article by Saffron Woodcraft suggests that a city’s quality of place involves both the built and social environments.

Woodcraft argues, “Debates about urban sustainability tend to focus on improving the built environment - making it greener, more efficient, less energy intensive. However, as both urban populations and the challenges of making livable cities grow, a radical shift is needed.  Much more emphasis needs to be placed on understanding the social life of cities - how government, public agencies and urban planners can design spaces, but more importantly, services to help neighborhoods flourish socially.”

I would suggest that there is also another layer that involves visitors to the community and whether the attractors, amenities and services designed for them provide a net benefit to residents.

My friend Reyn Bowman touched on this in an interesting blog post last week where he traced the links between billboards, beautification movements and the emergence of tourism marketing organizations. Reyn said, “It is puzzling to me why so many community-destination marketing execs today seem so detached from their role as guardians and curators of sense of place.”

We hear a lot about the role of DMOs being redefined. I feel that when that clarity comes, many DMOs will have a more active role in the development and management of the city’s quality of place. After all, isn’t that an integral part of the essence of many places? It’s in the public domain, isn’t owned by any one company and it’s essential for competitiveness. When a city has a strong quality of place, it brings greater efficiencies to the DMO’s marketing functions and increased satisfaction for visitors – and residents. 

Night Economies: What’s The World’s #1 24-Hour City?

I always thought that because Frank Sinatra sang, “I want to wake up in a city that doesn’t sleep”, it inferred that New York City was the #1 place for night owls. Well it seems that New York is well down the list in a study of the world’s 24-hour cities by Marion Roberts, a professor of urban design at London’s University of Westminster and author of Planning the Night-time City. 

The BBC reports that Cairo was ranked the “most 24-hour” city of all. Next came Montevideo, Beirut, six Spanish cities (Malaga, Zaragoza, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville) and Buenos Aires. London was ranked 17th, Paris 18th and New York 32nd.

Roberts identifies many of the benefits and challenges of managing the night economy of cities. She says, “In the UK, Europe and Australia, a lot of their ‘24-hourness’ has been about extending entertainment and this has disadvantages for city center dwellers unless carefully managed. However, it does generate more jobs, activities and social solidarities.” This is a subject that cities worldwide will increasingly have to address.

Cairo might be the #1 night-time city, and it’s a great place, but I can’t imagine Frank Sinatra belting out, “Cairo – the city that never sleeps!”

Repositioning of Britain’s Industrial Cities Pays Off

It wasn’t so long ago that many of Britain’s industrial cities initiated aggressive tourism strategies and commenced city-wide efforts to reposition themselves as cultural and sporting centers. It seems that these investments have been paying off with the largest of the industrial cities establishing themselves as the UK’s most popular tourist destinations in the 2011 international visitors survey by Visit Britain.

BTN reports that while London and Edinburgh continue to maintain their traditional supremacy as the two most popular urban destinations in the UK, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and now Bristol are emerging as rival attractions.

But Manchester, with its two competing global football teams, its ultra-modern new landmark buildings such as the Lowry Centre, a new state of the art BBC media center (open to tourists) and world-class shopping is firmly in third place with 936,000 visits (up 15 per cent on 2010). Birmingham sits neatly in the fourth spot with 732,000 visitors attracted by its outstanding arts, exhibitions and one of the largest shopping centers in the UK, the Bullring, host to the best designer labels as well as accommodating 25 restaurants.

This success did not happen overnight. It has taken unwavering commitment to their visions, strong strategic foundations, sustained investments by successive governments, partnerships with private investors, and a belief by everyone that they could successfully turn the page on their industrial past.

Walkability is Vital to Small City Tourism Success

In the tourism readiness reports for small cities we develop, one of the critical success factors that we look for is their walkability. I just came across an article by Dan Burdon, “The Roads Scholar” in which he provides an excellent checklist for cities.  In the AARP article, Dan provides his checklist of the five things that make small towns walkable.  

Dan says that his rationale for the focus on walking is because, “people worldwide want to live in a town or city that is walkable. Places that seek to become more walkable and livable - everyplace from Maui to Abu Dhabi, where the prince has declared that he wants his city to become one of the five most livable in the world - must invest in the features that make it happen.”

While his checklist is really designed for the comfort of residents, it is directly applicable to the needs of tourists as well.  

Why Venice is one of the World’s Most Fascinating Tourism Destinations

 

Give yourself a well-deserved three minute break to watch this great video of a Day in Venice. You will see why Venice is one of the most fascinating, romantic and spectacular cities in the world. Being in Venice is like being in a 360° theater production and this video catches much of that.

Take a break. You deserve it!

India’s Brand Awareness Increases Need for Rural Tourism Development

The Incredible India marketing campaign launched in 2002 has increased brand awareness for India as a global destination. Despite its outstanding cultural and natural tourism assets, its development in rural areas has been patchy because of shortfalls in infrastructure and service standards. Major steps are underway to address these situations

The 2022-12 Annual Report of the Indian Ministry of Tourism reports that the Ministry has approved 160 tourism projects worth approximately $160 million, mainly in rural areas. The Ministry has given special focus to the development of important destinations and circuit routes through approval of fifty-three mega projects. Mega projects are a mix of cultural, heritage, spiritual and eco-tourism attractions. Priority is also being given to projects involving construction and upkeep of wayside amenities along highways/roads leading to tourist destinations, cleanliness at tourism sites and development of tourism in rural areas.

A study by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Yes Bank identifies the positive influence that the “Incredible India” marketing campaign has had on rural areas. It recommends that there should be increased focus on capacity building in regard to human resources in key rural areas. It suggests programs to address service-oriented needs, citing this as a major reason why Indian tourism falters in some regional areas. It also highlights the need to train entrepreneurs. "Rural entrepreneurs, in recent times, have proved to be the success story of the emerging Indian economy, and provided that a clear direction is given, they can very well champion the cause of sustainable tourism models." The study also recommends conserving tradition and values, besides ensuring infrastructure development.

Several decades ago, China was referred to as “the sleeping giant”. Considering the vast tourism appeal of India I think that in tourism terms, the title aptly applies to India, and particularly many of its rural areas.

Residents Call For Panama City Beach FL to Address It’s Conflicted Brand Image

Balancing the visitor mix can be a challenge for many destinations. What attracts one group may just as easily be negatively impacted by the actions of another group.  This particular challenge is being debated in Panama City Beach FL, the self-proclaimed "Spring Break Capital of the World", which is also a popular family destination.

Local residents are becoming increasingly concerned about the annual invasion of some 250,000 college students. Many regard them as being more trouble than they’re worth, despite the Spring Breakers typically leaving over $100 million in local businesses during the month of March.

"We are having a big problem with the culture of our guests,including vulgarity and a lack of respect," County Commissioner Mike Thomas told the Panama City News Herald. "Every town is having these problems, but you ought to be able to have community standards. Our main business is the family business.”

"It used to be school kids having a good time," Vice Mayor Ken Nelson said. "Now it's thugs coming here for the biggest party in Florida. We need drastic action. When you throw a party you are responsible for who shows up.  We have to change our marketing," added Nelson, noting that similar beach cities with fewer Spring Break problems tell him that "we don't invite the same people that you do."

As we have seen with some European fun and sun destinations, weaning local businesses off these lucrative markets can be very difficult. Eventually, the question will be asked, “Who’s city is it – the visitor’s or resident’s?”

Panama City Beach could learn a lot from the very popular restaurant and event venue, The Hangout on the beach in nearby Gulf Shoes AL, where the tagline is “Be Nice or Go Home”.

Newcastle, Australia Rebrands With Comprehensive Brand Strategy

Last week I had the opportunity to meet with Simon McArthur, the Tourism and Economic Development Manager for Newcastle City Council, Australia. I wanted to gain some insights into how their work for the Brand Newcastle project is coming along.

An aspect that caught my attention was their product development focus to ensure that the city delivers on its brand promise. Central to this is attracting and reinvigorating events (many associated with the beach and sports), the opening of the Newcastle Museum, the development of innovative harbor tours, and City Evolutions which will feature digital projections on buildings and lit moving sculptures that interpret some of the key stories that formed and rebuilt the city. The next phase is likely to feature a function center overlooking the beach, a coastal spa, regional convention and exhibition center, new hotels and expansions to Newcastle Airport. Another interesting feature is the plan to rebrand several of the city's key suburbs and visitor precincts such as Hamilton and Downtown Newcastle.

“This rebranding will enable us to consistently promote a more contemporary view of the city - a genuine, ever-changing, vibrant and energetic place that is home to hardworking people and world-class industries,” Simon McArthur said.

Newcastle is attempting to shed its long established ‘Steel City’ image with a comprehensive rebranding program.  This includes a new logo and tagline (See Change) as well as increased promotions through tourism websites, brochures and signage. The city has also installed sixteen visitor information kiosks throughout the city, in lieu of operating a traditional tourist information center.

Urban Branding: The Evolution of Kansas City’s Graphic Identity

We have all heard the line that we “stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.” Sharon Gochenour writing in ThisBigCity offers the perspective that the generations of graphic designs and signage on the streets and buildings of Kansas City combine to capture the authenticity and ethos of the place. They also have a strong influence on the city’s contemporary look.

She sees Kansas City as not only a modern, high tech city, but being the product of an industrial boom in manufacturing, warehousing, rail traffic, and stockyards in the early part of the 20th century. Accompanying these activities was the accumulation of generations of signage, billboard ads and graphic designs, many of which are still evident.  Gochenour explains that by walking through many of Kansas City’s streets and districts you can discover what the city has been and how the layers of graphic imagery accumulated over the past century differ from the modern marketing of the city seen in websites and brochures, but are evidence of what makes Kansas City, Kansas City.

Gochenour advocates, “A city’s image is not only formed by what it is but all the things it has been. Perhaps the next step in city branding is to generate virtual spaces through the accumulation of images from various sources on all levels of city development - planners, artists, officials, individual city dwellers. These images could be presented on a platform that allows visitors to arrange each of these layers of meaning, generating new designs and new understandings.” 

Atlantic City NJ Masterplan to Reinvent the Tourism District

Few destinations have attempted to reinvent themselves on the scale that is being undertaken in Atlantic City NJ. This internationally renowned for gambling, conventions and leisurely strolls on its boardwalk.  But the destination has languished for decades.

Atlantic City’s Casino Reinvestment Development Authority recently released a 300-page masterplan that spells out redevelopment options for the city’s Tourism District - a 1,700-acre area encompassing the casinos, the boardwalk, and shopping and dining districts. State Governor Christie is giving the district five years to gain traction before reconsidering whether to expand casino gambling to the Meadowlands and other parts of New Jersey.

The plan contains short, medium, and long-term goals. Among the short-term is to introduce new attractions along the 2 ½ mile Boardwalk. The designers envision up to 10 "innovation pavilions”, sponsored by private companies, having entertainment and educational components.

The city has had five or six master plans since gambling was legalized in 1976, and most of those recommendations were never implemented. Some people are concerned that this plan may suffer a similar fate if there isn’t sufficient investment in the area’s basic infrastructure, let alone the multi-billion dollar casino and resort investments.

“If you make Atlantic City attractive, people will definitely come”, said Jack Plackter, a real estate lawyer with Fox Rothschild in Atlantic City.  “Atlantic City is only 48 blocks long. You can fix this place one block at a time," Plackter said. "The issue is can it be done quickly enough. We don't have a huge window. We don't have 20 years."

This will be a fascinating case study over the coming years.

Who’s a Desirable Loiterer in Your Placemaking Plans?

An article by Emily Badger in The Atlantic Cities appealed to both my sense of humor and my eye for placemaking in downtown precincts. Badger points out, “(When) residents moved out of cities and stopped using their public spaces and streets, the only people still walking them were deemed riffraff: the homeless, jobless and, officials feared, gang members and prostitutes.” These are the loiterers who caused local authorities and urban planners to form all types of rules to protect the citizenry and the park benches.

Many cities now recognize that people lingering in downtown precincts are not necessarily loiterers, and are actually good for their economic and social well-being. I totally agree with Badger who goes on to state, “Lingering, on the other hand, is both a means to an end and a desirable end in itself. People who linger create vibrant public places and welcoming streetscapes. They also increase the safety of an area, with more eyes on the street. And leisurely foot traffic can lead to more street commerce, more connected communities, and spontaneous exchanges.”

When I lived in New York City, Bryant Park was near our office and was certainly not the place you would want to venture, even in daylight. It is now one of the best examples of a rejuvenated public space in the USA where people hangout day and night, i.e. linger. The successful cities will increasingly be those that recognize and cater to the differences between loiterers and lingerers.

“Until we change the vocabulary,” Dan Burden of the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute says, “then we’ll (not see change). (When I see) the last loitering sign in America, I want to photograph it and say ‘this is it.’ Maybe the new signs will say ‘please linger.’”

Image - Bryant Park NYC - Baker

Santa Monica’s Place Brand Ambassadors Take to the Streets

While visiting Los Angeles over the weekend, I took a walk through Downtown Santa Monica to see the latest additions to Third Street Promenade.  I used to live nearby and over the past twenty years I’ve enjoyed observing the evolution of this lively precinct.

What caught my eye this time were several very well-uniformed, enthusiastic people who were located strategically throughout the precinct as “Downtown Ambassadors”. They were proactively greeting visitors in a very friendly way, and seemed to be well trained and genuinely enjoying what they were doing. I discovered that there are approximately forty of the ambassadors, with eight usually rostered for weekends throughout Downtown.  I was also impressed to learn that they are paid and not volunteers.  Their uniforms were sharp, well suited to the beach environment (and the Santa Monica destination brand), and clearly identified them as being there to help visitors.  There was also a small visitor information kiosk located conspicuously in the center of this pedestrian street – staffed by a live person!

At a time when many DMOs and communities are wondering about the future role of their visitor information centers, Santa Monica is solving the problem where people need assistance – in the pedestrian precinct. I have no doubt that this is contributing toward extending Santa Monica’s lengths of stay and holding and dispersing people throughout the neighborhood, as well as contributing toward increased satisfaction and return visits – all the while reinforcing the Santa Monica brand – the essence of California lifestyle. A wise investment!

I realize that other communities conduct programs like this, but this is one of the best I have seen. I also appreciate that not all places can adopt this approach because they do not have the critical mass of visitors within a precinct.  Several things impressed me, but most of all it’s the commitment, consistency, professionalism and resources dedicated to this program. So big props to Bayside District Corporation and the team at Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau.  I’d really like to hear of similar programs in other cities or towns.

Branding a Fashion District for Durban, South Africa

Durban, South Africa is well known for its Indian culture and fabulous beaches, but it will soon have a dedicated fashion district.  Durban Daily News reports on an interesting economic development branding initiative where a specific city neighborhood will be nominated, and then boutiques, material suppliers, designers and pattern makers are invited to set up shop in the area. The long term objective is to develop a sub-brand for Durban as South Africa’s Fashion Capital, and then acceptance as a world class leader in fashion.

“We want it to house the entire fashion industry supply chain,” said Jasmine Sultan, the program director of the KZN Fashion Council. “After many years of talking, it is now time for action. The next step is for the city’s urban design department to see how to design and brand the fashion district. We want to position Durban as a fashion destination, and the district will eventually be marketed as a tourist route,” Sultan added.

South Africa has had great success in fostering collaborative partnerships to establish tourism and economic development initiatives. It’s going to be interesting to see whether they can successfully pull together all of the necessary stakeholders and achieve their lofty ambitions on the world’s fashion stage. I wish them well.

Image: Flights Australia

Why Are so Many Romantic Comedies Set in Cities?

I just came across a very insightful article in Atlantic Cities by Kaid Benfield, the director of the Sustainable Communities and Smart Growth program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Kaid answers one of the most provocative questions that is probably on your mind this Valentine’s Day: “Why are so many romantic comedies set in cities?”.

He refers readers to the criteria he set last year in a short essay entitled, "What Do the World's Most Romantic Cities Have in Common?" The criteria are:

• Strong sense of place anchored by historic preservation
• Lively, walkable, diverse downtowns
• Compact development patterns
• Extensive and well-used public transportation
• Great public spaces for lively human interaction
• Parks and quiet places mixed in with the urban setting
• Great traditional neighborhoods with a strong sense of community
• Welcoming to people of diverse cultures

He’s so right, and these are really characteristics that small cities should aspire to in their urban core as well. They also contribute toward places that are vibrant and great to hang  out, shop, dine, work, live and study – on the other 364 days beyond Valentine’s Day!

Detroit: An Amazing Case Study in the Making

The furor over the Clint Eastwood ad for Chrysler during the Superbowl, at its core is very interesting. Here was an auto company in decline, or demolition, in possibly the country’s most maligned large city, Detroit. This is the city that no-one wanted to be associated with. Even in Oregon, the small town of Detroit wanted to change its name to disassociate itself from the auto city.

Then during last year’s Super Bowl, Eminem’s “Made in Detroit” ad for Chrysler marked the comeback of the company – and Detroit. The grisly voiceover starts the commercial asking viewers "What does a town that's been to hell and back know about the finer things in life?" It then took viewers on a short tour past historic buildings and snow, presenting a cold, hard look at what makes the city strong. And as the Los Angeles Times reported, “it was an editorial in defense of a beleaguered Detroit and, perhaps, a withering philosophy of what America is about.”

Several weeks ago, Crains Detroit Business observed “the "Imported from Detroit" ad campaign and Midtown Detroit's economic development progress exemplify the new, hopeful Detroit. While the city has pressing financial challenges, the rebranding and risk-taking success stories of the campaign and Midtown are part of a bigger Detroit story that may be reshaping national perceptions.”

We saw the next passage of the “Imported from Detroit” campaign featuring Clint Eastwood during the Super Bowl and highlighted the renaissance of Chrysler and Detroit are not disconnected from the challenges that America has been facing.   

I am quite certain that Detroit in years to come will form an amazing case study for place branders and urban planners and will show how the synergistic actions of an ailing auto company and a down-and-out city reinvented themselves – and the nation’s industrial capacity. Beyond that it will highlight how corporations and places should build together, rather than always have a short term bottom line view of what’s best for just them.

Image Credit: Walter P. Chrysler Museum

 

The Science and Benefits of Urban Wayfinding

Wayfinding systems serve vital roles for cities and can be an important element in developing a place brand. They inform, guide, and motivate visitors and residents. They are also important in shaping the identity of a place through their style, design, colors, lettering, content and placement. Good signage can contribute significantly toward the satisfaction of visitors and community pride among residents.

Emily Badger has an interesting article in Atlantic Cities about the importance and challenges of introducing wayfinding systems for cities of all sizes.

In her article, urban wayfinding expert Sue Labouvie, explains the science of helping us find our way in a city. She says, “Architectural signage and wayfinding isn’t about building a nicely designed sign. It’s about the information content and the analysis of the space or place that you’re trying to move people through, and coming up with a strategy of how you make this big complex thing simple and understandable to the user.”

When conducting Visitor Readiness Reports and brand strategies for communities we find that inadequate signage to be one of the main causes of visitor dollars leaking from places. This article provides some interesting perspective on wayfinding and its benefits. The wayfinding system in Forest Grove, Oregon (pictured) was installed in recent months and is already contributing to increased visitor satisfaction and the community's sense of identity.

New York City Shows the Benefits of Branding Buildings

When I first went to live and work in New York City, I quickly became aware of the branding of buildings and their addresses. I learned that the address of a building was not necessarily where it was situated. This realization helped me make more meetings on time. Whenever possible businesses try to use an “Avenue” address rather than use a less prestigious cross-street address where the building may actually be located. Aligned with this goal of making buildings more attractive is the naming and branding of buildings, including residential buildings. This has elevated branding to being an essential for developers and real estate agents because it provides them with powerful selling tools.

Assigning handles to New York apartment buildings dates back to the late 1800s according to Elizabeth Hawes, the author of “New York, New York: How the Apartment House Transformed the Life of the City (1869-1930).

“I think it was a way of validating the decision to live in an apartment and to give the building a sense of permanence and longevity and breeding,” Ms. Hawes said of structures like the Dorilton, completed in 1902. “It was pretentious, but it was reassuring when people weren’t sure how stable or classy an apartment house was.”

An interesting article in The New York Times explores the concept of the branding buildings.

All That Glitters Isn’t Always Olympic Gold

One of the first things that I learned in researching tourism strategies in conjunction with the Sydney 2000 Olympics is that the world’s biggest sporting event is not necessarily a boon for all tourism operators or nearby destinations. In fact, it can be an extremely quiet period for them.

Firstly, the “Olympic family” fills many hotels before and during the Games, thus dislocating the normal flow of visitors to the host city, sometimes for months in advance. This includes both leisure and business travelers who will find rooms hard to come by. In turn this can mean that local attractions, restaurants and nearby destinations experience a downturn in visitation. Then during the Games, most of the accommodation is taken by people involved with the event as officials, athlete families, sponsors, media and event attendees. Again, their attention is on the Olympic events, possibly from early morning to late at night. And residents may be inclined to watch the event on television or in public venues rather than visit domestic destinations and local attractions.

In the meantime, many tour operators and domestic tourism destinations find that there’s no gold in it for them. The Daily Telegraph reports that a survey by the European Tour Operators Association of 38 different travel companies - responsible for bringing a total of two million overseas tourists to London each year - revealed that bookings for travel during the 2012 Olympics were down 95 per cent year-on-year, while bookings for travel during the rest of the 2012 have fallen by a fifth. The Olympics do however provide an outstanding opportunity for countries and host cities to take advantage of the unprecedented media coverage to add new dimensions to its brand identity. Something that Visit Britain is working hard to achieve.

Frank Gehry Weaves More Architectural Magic for City Brands

Bilbao (Spain) is a Basque port city that has a long history stretching from medieval times. But it was  Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum that enabled the city to gain international acclaim. This was the result of city leaders wanting to reposition the place as a second-tier world city - a bold objective for a city that was regarded as a rust belt city. The engagement of Gehry, a stunning new museum and $110 million later, Bilbao has enjoyed a Cinderella-like transformation.

Atlantic Cities magazine has an interesting interview with Gehry and his views on the urban impact of his architecture and how architects can play a stronger role in creating better cities. Gehry says, “The professionals that know my work consider me a contextualist because I spend a lot of time thinking about the environment that I’m working in. I try to respect the neighboring buildings, and not to overpower them or talk down to them. You might not like the building that’s next to you, but it’s there. You don’t criticize the building, but in your actions make a continuum. So I try to do that”.

Gehry's next iconic building will be the stunning Guggenheim designed for Abu Dhabi due to open in 2015. This will be after the Louve’s opening in Abu Dhabi in 2013. No doubt the Gehry magic will work for the repositioning of Abu Dhabi as well.

Are Many British Cities Copying Their Distinctiveness?

Many of Britain’s cities are aiming to be distinctive, but too many are trying to do so by copying each other. Patrick Butler asks in The Guardian, “beyond the boutiques and public art, is there any fresh thinking?”

Cities from Newcastle to Birmingham seem to have been able to develop new retail, sporting, cultural and architectural wonders through an off-the-shelf makeover, as Butler calls it. He argues that retail, leisure and consumption have been the driving force of these ambitious visions and have resulted in streetscapes and communities that are basically replicas of each other and lack distinctiveness.

Butler also points to the New Economics Foundation’s (NEF) 2004 report, Clone Town Britain, which identified that too many English towns have "lost their sense of place and the distinctive facades of their high streets under the glass, steel and concrete blandness of chain stores that have been built for the demands of ... a string of big, clone town retailers."

Butler quotes from the NEF report, “How do you reinvent, capture and maintain distinctiveness? Not simply through eye-catching new buildings. Redevelopments must be owned (in the cultural rather than legal sense) by local people, developments must be authentic and rooted in history and communal memory. The texture of a place is as important

I first came across similar observations about the USA in The Geography of Nowhere when it was published in 1994. In it, Kunstler traces America's evolution from a nation of unique Main Streets and communities to a country where every place is like no place in particular.

Maybe the end of cheap credit (for a while) and increased consciousness regarding energy consumption and the environment will lead toward a new age in architecture and communities that are more distinctive because they are a reflection of the visions of the people living there and not of corporations and developers who only see the place from a balance sheet perspective.

What Role Do City Centers Play in Local Economic Growth?

Working in small cities across the USA, we frequently find ourselves referring to downtowns and city centers as being the heart and soul of the community, and the need to constantly invest in their vitality and relevance. Here’s an interesting article in The Guardian that considers the benefits for high value businesses being located in the city centers of several mid-sized cities in England, Sunderland and Preston. Paul Swinney, the author argues that despite rapid growth in industrial estates on the outskirts of these towns, city centers have still prospered.  

Swinney advocates that changes should be made to city centers to make them more profitable places for businesses to locate. Lack of parking space is a common gripe, but public transport, road access and quality of office space are all factors that must be improved to make city centers a popular choice in many cities in England. I dare say that some of these factors are also at play in many American cities as well.

Arts Grants to Accelerate Economic Development and Placemaking

Last month, eleven national foundations plus the National Endowment for the Arts announced the founding of ArtPlace America, a nationwide initiative to drive revitalization in cities and towns with a new investment model that puts the arts at the center of economic development. The launch of Artplace, based in Chicago, coincided with the awarding of $11.5 million in grants to 34 community-oriented arts organizations nationwide.

The grants reinforce the widely held belief that in a down economy, the arts – and the foundations that support them – can play a critical role in stimulating urban revitalization. The aim of the grants is not only to support individual organizations but also to promote economic development and revitalization of areas where the organizations are located. Artplace operates on the principal that the arts can contribute just as much to a local economy as can conventional businesses and industries.

“We are acting very deliberately to affect places and we believe vibrancy is the best proxy for quality of place, and quality of place is essential to attracting and retaining talent,” said Carol Coletta, executive director of ArtPlace.”

This is a truly visionary initiative which will provide benefits way beyond the cultural communities of these cities and towns. It is timely consideration of culture and the arts as serious engines of economic growth and urban renewal and I hope that future grants find their way into many more small communities around the country. 

Why Should Museums be Stuck in Cities?

Holly Finn asks this provocative question in her article in the New York Times. Her inspiration for the question is the $1.2 billion Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opening this week in Bentonville, Arkansas. Funded by the Walton Family Foundation and stocked by Alice Walton, daughter of Wal-Mart's founder. The place is heaving with works by artists from John Singer Sargent to John Baldessari.

No doubt the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will be a great boost for Bentonville tourism. There are many examples around the world of outstanding museums being built in rural areas.  There are however, not so many examples of $1.2 billion museums being built in these locations. The legacy of projects like this can be game-changers for small cities when it comes to their identity and economic diversity and well-being.

Downtown Las Vegas - The Other Vegas with Soul

An important element of most successful city and destination brands is their ability to resonate with local residents, as well as external audiences. A challenge for Las Vegas is that the it’s iconic brand strategy with its famous, "What happens here. Stays here." tagline probably doesn’t work with the community in ways that generate self-pride and project it as a place to live. While I am sure that residents respect the success of the tourism brand, it really is aimed 100% at external audiences – and does a darned good job! However, the Las Vegas identity that it supports is mainly focused on The Strip and not on the city’s central business district in Downtown Las Vegas.  

Downtown Las Vegas is a few miles south of The Strip and is the city’s original gambling district. This area in recent years has played second fiddle to the larger and more famous Strip. However, the City has been working on revitalization efforts to entice more visitors and residents to downtown. This has involved the redevelopment of Downtown and the surrounding older commercial districts to create jobs and eliminate urban blight.  With an unemployment rate hovering around 14% and one of the worst real estate markets in the country, it is important for the economic vitality of the city to extend way beyond The Strip. Revitalization efforts have joined property and business owners for a $5.5 million streetscape improvement program over a three-block area that includes pedestrian-friendly street redesign, landscaping and retro-looking neon signage.

A new slogan was unveiled Wednesday for Downtown Las Vegas. The winning line, "Every City Has a Soul", captured 35 percent of more than 1,200 votes in an online contest between four finalists. While we are not fans of community competitions for slogans, on this occasion it was important because this time residents would be a priority target audience.  While it will not rise to the stellar heights of the famous tourism slogan, it does have an important role in addressing what has been an economic development void for the city.   

Welcome Signs Mark Many Places That Are Out of Touch

Welcome signs can play an important role in the marketing and branding of cities. They not only provide a sense of arrival, but also communicate a welcome to travelers and can signal that the place is ready for them. They can also serve to convey the distinctive identity of the place and why it may be of interest to prospective visitors and new residents. One of the most famous of course is the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign which was erected on what was then the outskirts of The Strip in 1959.  

Mark Burns, writing in The Atlantic Cities has assembled a slide show of some of his favorite welcome signs around the USA. I think that Mark must have quite a sense of humor. Some are funny, some interesting, but unfortunately many of them reflect small towns that are totally out of touch with the needs and interests of prospective visitors and new residents. At a time when places of all sizes are locked in competition for their economic well-being, I found myself looking at many of the signs and asking “who would care?”  The signs reminded me that cities of all sizes in the next decade will have to work much harder at marketing themselves and developing a competitive identity than they have done in the past. Their audiences are becoming more discerning and demanding and their competitors are increasing and becoming more sophisticated. There are so many other choices.

Has the Image of Detroit Turned the Corner?

There is a very interesting dynamic taking place in regard to the image of Detroit MI.  The city was once synonymous with the decline of America’s auto industry, urban decay and an unenviable crime record, but now there are welcome signs of a turnaround. This dynamic is captured in an article in USA Today which identifies how the city is finally rebounding on several fronts. Auto sales are on the rise, home sales in the Motor City are improving and major corporations are choosing to move downtown.

An Emmy-winning television ad for Chrysler is proudly promoting the city's working-class roots, knowhow and advanced technology with the tagline, “Imported from Detroit”.

Adding to the positive vibes, The Detroit Free Press points out that one of the Chrysler commercials to the skepticism of some locals says that Detroit was once known as “The Paris of the Midwest” because of its French heritage, tree-lined boulevards and elegant architecture. This period following Henry Ford’s $5-a-day wages drew hundreds of thousands from all over the world to what was fast becoming America’s Motor City. Right now, many Americans are cheering for Detroit’s turnaround because a lot of America’s economic wellbeing is tied up with the rejuvenation of its auto industry – not to mention a restatement of the country’s capacity for world class innovation.

Paris of the Midwest may not have too many supporters, but one thing is for sure, the Detroit Tigers are on a roll in the World Series baseball playoffs and the Detroit Lions football team has started the year with a 4-0 winning record. Let’s hope all of this positive news for Detroit continues because one way or another we are all linked to their success.

Surprising Best Place Winners, But New Orleans Rules!

OK, I know we shouldn’t take many of these reader surveys too seriously that are designed to identify the best places. But I must confess that a few have caught my attention lately. I see that Stonehenge (England) has been voted the world's must-see destination in Intel's Seven Visual Wonders of the World Poll.

I then noticed that one-third of Outside Magazine readers had voted Chattanooga TN the "best town ever" in the magazine's contest to determine the nation's foremost outdoors destination. To add a contrarian note, the author of the article wrote, "It's not easy twisting your head around the idea of Outside's Best Town being in a place with a history of monstrous industrial abuse ... ubiquitous evangelical dogma, and a reputation for red-state conservatism." But at least he added that he had a blast there and will return.

The viewers of the television show Good Morning America voted Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, in the northwest corner of Michigan, as the most Beautiful Place in America. I’m sure that one sent many scurrying for their atlases.

One that I do take very seriously is a survey of Travel & Leisure readers who voted New Orleans as America’s Best City for Foodies. I am working in Louisiana this week and with New Orleans a short drive away, I might have to satisfy my love of Cajun and creole cuisine. I also have to make sure that the Travel & Leisure readers are correct. If I don’t check on them, who will?

Somerset’s East Coker Ponders a Double-edged Sword

Combining the power and celebrity of famous authors, famous literature and the credibility of a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site listing can elevate a destination to a whole  new level of attention and status. The little English village of East Coker in Somerset has become the unlikely battleground where poets, academics and residents have launched a campaign to add the village beloved by T.S. Eliot to the UNESCO list. The plan is to stop developers proceeding with a planned development of 3,700 homes.

Eliot celebrates East Coker in his Four Quartets series and is also his final resting place. A plaque in the church bears the opening line of his East Coker poem: "In my beginning is my end."

Fans of T.S. Eliot have travelled to East Coker from around the world to experience the place that inspired him. As well as the Eliot connection, the village is notable for its sunken lanes, a medieval dancing circle, as well as Roman remains.

The council leader, Ric Pallister said, "Heritage is an important element of the appeal of South Somerset and we are proud of our history and the people who have played a major part in this country in the past. It is very definitely not in our interests to destroy any of the significant cultural history of East Coker or its setting, which played such an important part in the life of T.S. Eliot." The plans will be discussed by South Somerset Council later this year.

My concern is that by escaping the new housing development they might be opening themselves up to an even stronger force in the form of the UNESCO listing which will increase the awareness and reputation of East Coker as a great place to visit – and introduce the crowds and a different sort of development they were hoping to avoid.

Downtown Bridgeport CT Seeks Love and Investment

MetropolisMag.com has an interesting exposé on Bridgeport CT (population 144,000) and how, in this tough economic environment, this post-industrial city is trying to revitalize its downtown and shed its industrial image. The city is about 1 1/2 hours from  New York’s Grand Central Station.

The article cites a recent report by the American Institute of Architects sustainable-design assessment team which describes the city as having “great bones”.  The report was upbeat in describing “The pre-war fabric of downtown provides the bones for the type of walkable urban place that is increasingly in demand.”

Karrie Jacobs the article author writes, “And what Bridgeport clearly needs is love, which - and I’m serious here - is exactly the sentiment America’s many woe-be-gone cities require. Our bleakest cities cry out not just for civic pride but civic passion. Oh, yeah, and lots of investment dollars.”

Jacobs adds, “So this is it, the moment for Bridgeport and other struggling cities like Detroit, Buffalo, Cleveland to blossom. It’s time for a revival of those cities that were abandoned by the industries that once sustained them and have thus far been untouched by the waves of prosperity that have buoyed our showcase cities. Why now? The conventional wisdom about cities has finally changed.”

The task for Bridgeport is not an easy one and we wish them well. Getting the love and investment is one thing, but we have found time and again that after post-industrial cities have undergone a total revitalization, it can still take another 10-20 years to turnaround its tarnished image with external audiences.

Are We Ready for Affluent Chinese Visitors?

One of the changing dynamics in international tourism is the emergence of China as a source market for western countries. For example, about fifteen years ago there were only a few thousand Chinese visitors to Australia. This year, there will be 273,000 with a 20% annual growth rate to make it Australia’s #3 country source market. This dynamic is repeated in many countries around the world.

As new and larger markets emerge in China, Inside Retail questions whether the world’s multinational hotels, airlines and luxury retailers are prepared to handle the needs and expectations of China’s growing number of affluent travelers.

Travel experts in China say western hotels, airlines, restaurants and luxury retailers in Asia, the US and Europe are not ready to cope with the increase of Chinese tourists heading their way.

According to the World Tourism Organization, 66 million Chinese will travel overseas in 2011, a 15 per cent increase over last year and by 2020 that number will have soared to 100 million.

The rising number of Chinese travelers “will completely change the face of tourism,” especially in the hottest destinations for Chinese travelers, New York and Las Vegas, says Pierre Gervois, president and CEO of China Elite Focus, which specializes in affluent Chinese outbound tourism.

I think that in another decade the need to better cater to Chinese visitors is going to extend far beyond major cities and will be an issue that many regions and small cities will have to address.