Place Branding and Urban Regeneration as Dialectical Processes in Local Development Planning: A Case Study on the Western Visayas, Philippines

Christian Nagaynay,Jeongwoo Lee

doi:10.3390/su12010369

Abstract

Place branding is an emerging concept in urban regeneration strategies. To date, case studies on the link between place branding and urban regeneration have utilized ambiguous terminology and definitions, and often lack empirical and theoretical grounding. Available literature seldom considers the perspectives of government officials and experts, which are critical in terms of policy support and direction. In order to ensure the sustainability of place branding initiatives as core parts of urban regeneration, it will be necessary to engage local development stakeholders. Hence, this study frames place branding and urban regeneration within a dialectic process involving these key actors in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Our results indicate sporadic, but pragmatic, perceptions of place branding that are highly focused on slogans and logos. Moreover, the commonality between place promotion and cultural and historical preservation suggests a connection between place branding and urban regeneration. Specifically, flagship construction is the most favored place branding strategy, due to its high-weighted value in terms of applicability, sustainability, and the promotion of local development. The results of this study can serve as the groundwork for policies that will bring place branding and urban regeneration strategies into the mainstream of local development planning, with particular foci on how place branding can strengthen a place’s identity and establish sustainable regeneration strategies.

Highlights

Place branding and urban regeneration are considered drivers of positive change in urban planning
The first part of this section deals with responses from local government units (LGUs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) representatives with respect to their experience as direct policy implementers, while those from national government agency (NGA) were considered with respect to their experience as policy and oversight enforcers
The first topic discussed is the respondents’ demographics (Table 1); the second is the association between place branding and urban regeneration, based on the literature as well as respondents’ inferences from either experience or practice; the third involves the intersection between place branding and urban regeneration, focusing on sustainability; and the fourth deals with perceived implementation strategies and factors, to be considered by cities before pursuing place branding initiatives

Summary

Introduction

Place branding and urban regeneration are considered drivers of positive change in urban planning. Previous studies have framed place branding as an emerging approach to regenerate cities, stemming from the corporate concept of branding [1,2,3,4,5]. Effort must be taken to distinguish place branding from corporate associations with place marketing and place promotion. As the concept of place branding finds its niche within urban planning parlance, work must be done to meticulously clarify its definition and properties [6]. The terms place marketing, urban marketing, and place promotion are interchangeable among scholars and studies [7]. Boisen et al have attempted to distinguish these terms as interrelated means of reaching different goals [5]. Further accordance and the common adoption of such delineations must be pursued in order to establish cohesive frameworks from which to work

Methods

Results

Conclusion