No city is an island

Originally posted in Atlantic Cities’ blog (August 2014) Cooperation has become, in EU jargon, an unavoidable word. At the same time, together with the progression made by cohesion policy, the urban dimension has turned the hottest point in the European agenda. So even if the crisis makes individual strategies more tempting, the time has come …

City Branding: The French Revolution

Originally published at Atlantic Cities’ blog (July 2014) July 14th marks the anniversary of the capture of La Bastille by the people of Paris. Because traditional celebrations are a significant component of branding, today we will focus on how city branding has been tackled by some French cities. As a pioneer, the OnlyLyon trademark cannot be dismissed when …

What is the city but the people?

    Initially published at CAAC blog An article written for the Urban Solutions Seminar, Birmingham May 2012.  Amazing cities. Social constructions, where the best and the worst of humanity live together.  From the first fortifications in the Middle Ages to the megapolis of Tokio or Mexico, cities have developed and now seem the most …