Considering green place-making as tool to enhance city branding approaches

Abstract

This study considered green place-making as a tool to enhance city branding. Contemporary cities experience challenges to address the needs of the growing population, whilst managing scarce resources. Contemporary cities often lack identity as the focus has shifted to providing for quantity, rather than quality. Green place-making might pose a solution in this regard, by emphasising the provision of green spaces in the urban landscape, whilst focussing on the various social, environmental and economic benefits related to green spaces, that a city can tap into in attempt to enhance its identity. This research considered the notion of green place-making as a tool to enhance the identity of cities, referring to the concept of city branding. To fully comprehend the interdependency between city branding and green place-making, theory-based sampling was employed as part of a qualitative inquiry into city branding literature in order to identify possible linkages with green place-making objectives, which was then further refined as part of the empirical research, in the form of re-coded objectives (referred to as functions). The empirical research employed the self-assessment method of Boud and Falchikov (1989:529) to reflect on purposefully selected international case studies (Jardin de la Maison, Namur; Place du Cardinal Mercier, Wavre; Place Maugretour, La Louviere) in order to refine the re-coded objectives (functions), and identify possibilities of translating such objectives to a local South African context. The research developed a framework to guide South African city branding strategies from a spatial planning perspective, employing green place-making tools and initiatives. This research aligned the objectives of city branding and green place-making, contributing to the academic discourse on the interface between social and spatial dimensions. It contributes to the Planning Profession by drawing on trans-disciplinary approaches to co-create spatial solutions for the local context