City Imaging: Regeneration, Renewal and Decay (GeoJournal Library Book 108)

This book examines the paradoxes, challenges, potential and problems of urban living. It understands cities as they are, rather than as they may be marketed or branded. All cities have much in common, yet the differences are important. They form the basis of both imaginative policy development and productive experiences of urban life. The phrase ‘city imaging’ is often used in public discourse, but rarely defined. It refers to the ways that particular cities are branded and marketed. It is based on the assumption that urban representations can be transformed to develop tourism and attract businesses and in-demand workers to one city in preference to another. However, such a strategy is imprecise. History, subjectivity, bias and prejudice are difficult to temper to the needs of either economic development or social justice. The taste, smell, sounds and architecture of a place all combine to construct the image of a city. For researchers, policy makers, activists and citizens, the challenge is to use or transform this image. The objective of this book is to help the reader define, understand and apply this process. After a war on terror, a credit crunch and a recession, cities still do matter. Even as the de-territorialization of the worldwide web enables the free flow of money, music and ideas across national borders, cities remain important. __City Imaging: Regeneration, Renewal, Decay__ surveys the iconography of urbanity and explores what happens when branding is emphasized over living. Front Matter....Pages i-vii Introduction: Sliced Cities....Pages 1-9 Front Matter....Pages 11-11 Glasgow the Brand: Whose Story Is It Anyway?....Pages 13-27 My State Had a Mining Boom and All I Got Was This Lousy Train-Line....Pages 29-52 Swan Valley Sideways: Economic Development Through Taste and Tourism in Western Australia....Pages 53-70 The Atrium: A Convergence of Education, Leisure and Consumption....Pages 71-82 Culture of Car Parks or Car Parking Cultures?....Pages 83-91 Sticky Brighton: Dog Excrement in Brighton and Hove Public Areas....Pages 93-101 Hacking the City: Disability and Access in Cities Made of Software....Pages 103-116 Security and the City: The CHOGM Lockdown....Pages 117-124 Luanda: Running on the Wrong Track Towards Global Acceptance....Pages 125-131 Front Matter....Pages 133-133 When Bohemia Becomes a Business: City Lights, Columbus Avenue and a Future for San Francisco....Pages 135-155 Working the Crowds: Street Performances in Public Spaces....Pages 157-169 Third Tier Rave Towns: ‘The Orbit’ in Morley....Pages 171-181 Beats by the Bay: Sixties San Francisco Music and the Development of a Contemporary Tourism Industry....Pages 183-194 Brighton Sound? Cities, Music and Distinctiveness....Pages 195-199 Makkah Al-Mukaaramah: A Second Tier City for Religious Tourism....Pages 201-208 Unseen Napa: QR Codes as Virtual Portals....Pages 209-220 Osaka In and Out of the Nation: Neoliberal Spatial Gestures for the Globally Competitive City-Region....Pages 221-227 Brand Wellington: When City Imaging Is GLAM’ed....Pages 229-247 Conclusion: Imaging Injustice....Pages 249-254 Back Matter....Pages 255-268 Glasgow The Brand: Whose Story Is It Anyway / Mhairi Lennon -- My State Had A Mining Boom And All I Got Was This Lousy Train-line / Leanne Mcrae -- Swan Valley Sideways: Economic Development Through Taste And Tourism In Western Australia / Tara Brabazon -- The Atrium: A Convergence Of Education, Leisure And Consumption / Danny Hagan -- Culture Of Car Parks Or Car Parking Cultures / Zuzana Blazeckova -- Sticky Brighton: Dog Excrement In Brighton And Hove Public Areas / Ana Kvalheim -- Hacking The City: Disability And Access In Cities Made Of Software / David Cake And Mike Kent -- Security And The City: The Chogm Lockdown / Leanne Mcrae -- Luanda: Running On The Wrong Track Towards Global Acceptance / Boniswa Vaz Contreires -- Fado: Faracy Grouse -- When Bohemia Becomes A Business: City Lights, Columbus Avenue And The Future Of San Francisco / Tara Brabazon -- Working The Crowds: Street Performances In Public Spaces / Andrew Carlin -- Third Tier Rave Towns: The Orbit In Morley / Nick Dunn -- Beats By The Bay: Sixties San Francisco Music And The Development Of A Contemporary Tourism Industry / Nadine Caouette -- Brighton Sound Cities, Music And Distinctiveness / Abigail Edwards -- Makkah Al-mukaaramah: A Second Tier City For Religious Tourism / Saeed Al Amoudy -- Unseen Napa: Qr Codes As Virtual Portals / Mick Winter -- Osaka In And Out Of The Nation: Neoliberal Spatial Gestures For The Globally Competitive City-region / Joel Matthews -- Brand Wellington: When City Imaging Is Glamed / Tara Brabazon -- Conclusion: Imaging Injustice / Tara Brabazon. Tara Brabazon, Editor. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.