City and festival: spaces of “site” identity, territorial development and branding

Abstract

The article considers the spaces of city festivals, their research as a special form of the “site” identity manifestation, a way to make the urban realm more comfortable and a component of territorial branding and development driver. Today a festival involvement into the system of territorial development and using it as the means of building a positive reputation for the site and increasing its investment attractiveness is relevant and explained, among other things, by common interest in the formation of the quality environment in Russian cities and the competition in the promotion of territorial vital priorities. The paper includes the analysis of traditional festivals as the basis of a modern urban life and culture, on the one hand; the actual trends of existing of the city festive culture as a component of urban daily living activities, development and branding space, on the other hand. It also stipulates for the identification of the image function of modern festivals for territories. It is important to address the festival as a form of the interpretation of traditions and immersion into the “site” culture, a means for improving the quality of life in the environment. The paper puts a special emphasis on the importance of the festive living space in a city as a space integrating traditions, popular trends and commercial interests (including touristic business interests).