Purpose Opposition to change is a critical barrier for coastal transitions. It is recently argued that such opposition may arise from “climax thinking”, the belief that current landscapes have reached an ideal state and should remain as they are. However, people’s evaluations of place over time (past, present and future) remain understudied, leaving it unknown whether climax thinking is common, whether other evaluations prevail, and what impact these have on support for change. This study aims to explore how residents evaluate the Belgian coast over time and whether this affects acceptance of “blue projects” that involve changes to the place (i.e. development of dunes, dikes, aquaculture, ports, tourism) and their place attachment. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected among 406 Belgian coastal residents. Respondents’ evaluations of the coast over time were used for cluster analysis. Chi-square and ANOVA tests revealed whether identified clusters differed in socio-demographics, acceptance of blue projects and place attachment. Findings Four clusters emerged: strong pessimists, moderate pessimists, climax thinkers and optimists. There was no evidence that climax thinking was characterized by lower acceptance. Instead, optimism increased and pessimism decreased acceptance, except for dunes. Climax thinking and optimism were characterized by higher attachment, whilst (strong) pessimism seemed to weaken place attachment. Originality/value This study advances understanding of residents’ evaluation of the Belgian coast over time, revealing four profile types and how these relate to acceptance of blue projects and place attachment. This demonstrates the value of investigating climax thinking – alongside optimism and pessimism – to better understand and address factors influencing openness to change.

Purpose This study aims to introduce the Adaptive Co-Design Ecosystem for Place Branding (ACE-PB), a governance-oriented process model that integrates design principles within a structured, iterative framework. It seeks to address the lack of a coherent, operational approach that sustains stakeholder engagement, embeds adaptive learning and promotes inclusive governance in place branding contexts. Design/methodology/approach An integrative literature review was undertaken to synthesise insights from place branding (PB), design thinking (DT) and participatory governance. The review followed a three-stage analytical process consisting of open coding, axial synthesis and conceptual integration applied to 26 studies. Through this process, conceptual patterns were identified, compared and integrated to develop the ACE-PB model. Findings The proposed model reconceptualises PB as an adaptive form of governance rather than a promotional activity. It demonstrates how design-informed principles, such as iteration, empathy and institutional learning, can structure participation and enable long-term legitimacy and collaboration. Practical implications The model provides policymakers and place managers with a structured approach to embed co-creation, reflection and continuous evaluation within place-branding governance. It outlines the competencies, resources and institutional arrangements required to operationalise adaptive collaboration. Originality/value This research contributes a theoretically grounded and process-based framework that bridges design, PB and governance literatures. It enhances conceptual understanding of participatory branding and offers a foundation for future empirical validation across diverse governance and cultural contexts.

Purpose This paper aims to examine why the promise of English devolution has not translated into effective renewal in “left-behind” towns. Drawing on the author’s dual experience as academic and community practitioner in Southport, this paper identifies three under-recognised civic challenges – fiscal misalignment, local information disorder and institutional inertia – that constrain the capacity of devolution to deliver empowerment. The paper argues that these barriers must be addressed for devolution to achieve inclusive and sustainable outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The study combines first-hand practice-based observation from a community regeneration project in Southport with a review of contemporary policy and sociological literature on devolution, civic ecology and place governance. This hybrid civic–analytic approach links micro-level placemaking experience with macro-level institutional structures to reveal how fiscal, communicative and organisational systems interact to enable or inhibit generative local development. Findings Despite broad agreement on devolution’s aims, practical delivery is undermined by systemic misalignments. Centralised business-rate regimes remove incentives for local growth; degraded local information ecosystems amplify gossip and mistrust; and austerity-driven capacity gaps produce risk-averse institutional cultures. Together, these factors inhibit cooperation, distort perception and perpetuate civic decline even amid new investment programmes. Research limitations/implications As a reflective case-based study centred on one locality, findings are context-specific but illuminate wider governance patterns. Further comparative research could test the proposed “generative ecological” model across regions to refine theoretical understanding of civic capacity, feedback loops and multi-scalar governance within devolution frameworks. Practical implications Effective devolution requires reforms beyond policy rhetoric: fiscal autonomy pilots, investment in civic communication infrastructures and targeted capacity-building for councils and intermediaries. Local authorities and combined authorities can operationalise these through micro-grants, secondments and simplified procurement fostering community-enterprise collaboration. Social implications Without rebuilding trust and feedback within civic ecologies, devolution risks deepening cynicism and social division. Strengthening local journalism, transparent forums, and participatory mechanisms can counter misinformation and re-establish shared civic purpose, enhancing collective agency in left-behind towns. Originality/value The paper introduces the concept of generative civic ecology – an integrative framework linking fiscal, cultural and political systems through cycles of initiation, care and release. By grounding theory in lived experience, it reframes devolution as an ecological process requiring generative feedback rather than one-off policy transfer, offering both conceptual innovation and practical guidance for policymakers and place managers.

Purpose This study aims to critically evaluate the knowledge on place marketing and branding by offering a comprehensive investigation of 63 systematic literature review (SLR) articles that were published between 2002 and 2024. Design/methodology/approach This study integrates elements of a typical systematic review with aspects of critical narrative reviewing. In particular, the paper develops a critical appraisal of SLRs by combining the approaches of Gough’s (2007) and Aromataris et al. (2015) and performs an evaluation of SLRs’ contribution to knowledge (Palmatier et al., 2018). Overall, the paper resonates with the spirit permeating the work of Alvesson et al. (2017) and their discussion on meaningful research in academi. Findings Besides identifying reiterated claims and unsolved issues, as well as the most common pitfalls in executing a systematic review, the study emphasises notable review papers that are rigorously executed and indicate fruitful directions at the intersection of destination-related and urban studies. Recurrent failures and constructive efforts in bringing knowledge forward are emphasised in a context that is being quickly reshaped by AI research tools. Originality/value This “review of reviews” calls for a more pondered use of systematic reviewing in place branding and marketing. Furthermore, the study problematises the redeeming role often assigned to systematic reviewing within current management scholarship (Maclure, 2005).

Purpose This paper aims to explore the underutilized potential of pilgrimage routes to contribute meaningfully to the sustainable development of the rural areas they cross. While these routes successfully attract visitors, the impact often fails to benefit nearby communities. The study analyzes how these routes can be leveraged as strategic tools for rural revitalization, cultural heritage promotion and stakeholder collaboration, based on insights from the rurAllure project and its four European pilot studies. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a qualitative methodology, including in-depth expert interviews, SWOT analysis and pilot-based experimentation. Four diverse pilgrimage routes across Europe – Santiago de Compostela, Rome, Trondheim and Csíksomlyó/Mária Út – serve as case studies. Each pilot focused on a specific type of heritage (literary, thermal, ethnographic, natural) and reflected the sociocultural characteristics of its territory. This comparative approach enabled the identification of strategic areas of action and the formulation of context-sensitive recommendations for integrating rural heritage with pilgrimage-based tourism. Findings The research reveals a limited integration between pilgrimage routes and their surrounding rural landscapes. Although these routes generate high visitor traffic, nearby areas remain excluded from the associated cultural and economic benefits. The findings highlight opportunities to develop synergies through slow tourism practices, intersectoral cooperation and heritage-driven programming. The study offers a set of actionable recommendations to enhance the territorial impact of pilgrimage tourism and to support the sustainable transformation of marginal rural regions. Research limitations/implications The research is limited by its qualitative nature and context-specific pilots, which may affect the generalizability of results. However, the comparative framework provides valuable insights applicable to other regions facing similar challenges. Future studies could incorporate longitudinal approaches or quantitative data to assess long-term impacts. The implications suggest that stronger policy support and local capacity-building are needed to replicate successful interventions beyond the pilot territories. Practical implications This study provides tourism planners, local authorities and cultural managers with a strategic framework to strengthen the relationship between pilgrimage routes and rural areas. It offers tools for enhancing community participation, diversifying tourism offerings and designing experiences that connect pilgrims with local heritage. The recommendations also support more equitable distribution of tourism benefits, helping rural communities become active stakeholders in cultural tourism development. Social implications The paper underlines the role of pilgrimage routes in promoting social inclusion and cultural continuity in rural areas. By involving local actors and emphasizing slow, experiential tourism, the approach fosters community engagement and intergenerational transmission of intangible heritage. It contributes to mitigating rural depopulation by reinforcing local identity, pride of place and alternative livelihoods based on sustainable tourism practices rooted in cultural values. Originality/value This research contributes a novel perspective on pilgrimage tourism by shifting the focus from route-centric development to integrated rural revitalization. Its originality lies in combining qualitative, pilot-driven research with strategic policy-oriented recommendations. The rurAllure framework highlights how diverse forms of heritage can enrich the pilgrimage experience while empowering marginalized rural areas. The study offers valuable guidance for scholars and practitioners aiming to align tourism with regional cohesion and cultural sustainability goals.

Purpose This study aims to examine the complex interrelationships between cognitive evaluations (natural atmospherics performance and state park image), affective evaluations (emotional well-being and experiential satisfaction), and place attachment (place identity and place dependence) in shaping life satisfaction and revisit intention among state park visitors. Furthermore, this study investigates the moderating influence of cross-national differences between Korea and the USA. Design/methodology/approach Validity testing, metric-invariance testing and a structural analysis were used to collect data from two distinct cultures, which included the USA and Korea, via a self-administered survey of 620 people. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling techniques to evaluate the proposed hypotheses. Findings The proposed complex interrelationships among cognitive and affective evaluations, place attachment, life satisfaction and intention are mostly supported with proof that place identity of tourists influences their life satisfaction and repeat visit intention. Moreover, the findings reveal that place attachment works similarly among diverse groups of tourists, which is regardless of their cross-national differences. The attachment bonds of visitors with state parks could be stronger than their cross-national differences. Practical implications The findings concluded that intention of repeat visits to state parks is a function of place attachment and affective evaluations as the direct antecedents of place attachment, which are influenced by the cognitive evaluations of tourists. State Park managers could promote state parks differently in different regions of the world by developing culturally diverse promotional strategies that will enhance traveler perception that are in conjunction with their cultural perspectives. Originality/value This research is one of the few studies that use and combine the attachment theory and the social exchange theory to understand human behaviors and relationships with nature. This study particularly focuses on noneconomic value domains as the natural atmospherics and image of state parks, which include a specific emphasis on the moderating role of cross-national differences among constructs in the USA and Korea. The proposed framework contains sufficient prediction power for repeat visit intentions.

Purpose This study aims to segment local residents of a medium-sized city in France that has recently formalized its proximity tourism strategy, based on their perceived place image; explore the willingness of these resident segments to support tourism development using cultural participation variables; and offer insights on how bottom-up strategies and proximity-based tourism can be designed, offering recommendations for destination managers and policymakers seeking to promote inclusive and place-based tourism plans. Design/methodology/approach Latent profile analysis was applied to a sample of 518 residents of Limoges, the historical French porcelain capital and a UNESCO Creative City for Crafts and Folk Arts since 2019, based on their responses to a perception survey containing 16 destination image items. The survey also included measures of pro-tourism behavioral intentions, cultural participation (as a proxy for civic engagement), and sociodemographic variables. Chi-squared tests and ANOVA were used to examine whether sociodemographic and behavioral variables varied significantly across latent profiles. While image perception approaches can be applied to any destination, linking resident perceptions to proximity-based tourism is particularly relevant in the context of Limoges – a city with limited transport connections, lacking iconic landmarks and whose tourism strategy primarily targets local families and excursionists – offering insights for aligning tourism plans with what the local community values and engages with. Findings The findings suggest the presence of three resident groups – called Enthusiasts, Moderately satisfied and Discontented – and show that these groups differ in both cultural participation and tourism-related intentions. The Enthusiasts, who hold the most favorable image of the city, were more likely to recommend it as a tourist destination than the Discontented, and they also reported higher levels of participation in cultural activities, specifically visits to museums. Practical implications The results offer valuable insights for destination managers and local authorities aiming to design tourism strategies that align with community perspectives. Elements of local heritage – such as porcelain in this case – that are positively perceived across resident groups can serve as unifying symbols in promotional efforts, strengthening place identity and encouraging individuals to reinterpret familiar surroundings from new perspectives, thereby fostering innovative forms of territorial appeal. Conversely, shared concerns – such as dissatisfaction with transport infrastructure – highlight areas where targeted improvements could enhance both resident quality of life and the visitor experience. Notably, residents who reported higher levels of cultural participation – such as frequent museum visits – also tended to hold a more favorable image of the place. This suggests that encouraging participation in cultural life may positively shape how residents perceive and promote their city. Therefore, policies that increase access to cultural experiences, alongside inclusive urban development and community-based storytelling, may foster broader support for sustainable, proximity-based tourism initiatives. Originality/value While tourist segmentation is common in tourism research, the segmentation of local residents based on their perceived image of the place they live in has received limited attention. This study goes further by examining not only residents’ image perceptions and tourism-related intentions but also their cultural participation, postulating that higher levels of engagement with what the city has to offer may foster stronger support for promotional initiatives. By integrating these dimensions, the study provides one of the few examples of resident segmentation that considers how image perception, cultural participation and tourism intentions jointly inform strategies for attracting proximity visitors, who – because of physical and cultural closeness – may share similar views with local residents. Beyond Limoges, the approach offers transferable insights for post-industrial, medium-sized cities aiming to strengthen their attractiveness through community-aligned tourism development.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to undertake a review of options available post-devolution, for place-based governance and delivery in England, that accommodate place management. Design/methodology/approach This is a viewpoint article drawing on the knowledge and experiences of two experienced practitioners supported by appropriate referencing. Findings The paper supports the idea that devolved local governance should adopt a pluralist approach, with options including area committees; existing town and parish councils; place-based, systems approaches; place partnerships; and community anchors and covenants. There is scope for different delivery options to co-exist and complement each other in the same area. Originality/value This paper provides a framework to discuss a pluralist approach to devolved local governance, including consultation with government.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore Finnish public saunas as third places. Taking the theoretical lens of assemblage thinking, the study reveals how the socio-material capacities of public sauna assemblages enable and/or constrain public saunas to facilitate their unique social atmosphere. Design/methodology/approach This study develops insights from an interpretative data set consisting of interviews (n = 39) with sauna bathers in hotel sauna departments, three focus group discussions arranged in a commercial sauna environment, and articles from the Sauna Magazine published between 2018 and 2022. Findings The findings demonstrate how the elements of people, spaces and materials contribute to the production of public saunas as holy places, democratic places and experiential places. The study also addresses how socio-material capacities enable public saunas to facilitate their social atmosphere by connecting each assemblage to the four social dimensions – social leveller, regularity, diversity and enjoyment (Yuen and Johnson, 2017) – of third places. Originality/value This study extends previous third-place studies by looking beyond human agency in the construction of third places. That is, the study illuminates how the heterogeneity of material elements in collaboration with a variety of people creates diverse third-place assemblages and reveals how the assemblages interact with the social dimensions of public saunas. In particular, the study shows how the finetuned layers of social interaction, including pursuing for silence, facilitate thesocial atmosphere of public saunas.