Purpose Public art is a vital contributor to urban placemaking and provides numerous economic, social and cultural benefits. Main streets are hubs of urban activity and are often managed by organizations, such as Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), that install and manage public art. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to explore the impact of public art within main streets and the value of resources for stakeholders to evaluate these impacts, in addition to building a framework to inform the development of evaluation tools and techniques targeted to main street organizations. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative exploratory study involved a thematic analysis of semi-structured key informant interviews with 10 main street representatives based in Toronto, Canada, as well as a content analysis of BIA websites. Findings This research corroborates previous literature on the economic, social and cultural impacts of public art, which often focuses on public art in cities and large urban areas, and demonstrates that many of these impacts also apply to the hyper-local context of main streets. Additionally, main street stakeholders have a need for resources to aid in evaluating and disseminating these impacts to assist with improved decision-making, securing funding and garnering support for public art projects. Originality/value This study explores the impacts of public art within the context of main streets and puts forth a public art impact matrix for main streets informed by literature and interview findings, as a foundational framework to further the development of resources to evaluate the impacts of public art in main street communities.

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 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 This study aims to examine whether local cuisine can motivate urban tourists to explore rural regions in India, focusing on rural xenophilia and various local food motivations among urban residents. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 234 respondents from different urban clusters across four Indian geographical regions, data were collected through an online survey. The data were analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling. Findings Results indicate that rural xenophilia significantly impacts motivations, such as socialization, cultural experience, sensory appeal and health concern, but does not directly influence local food image or intentions. Mediation analysis revealed that cultural experience and health concern serve as mediators in the relationship between rural xenophilia and local food intentions. These findings highlight the potential of local cuisine to drive rural tourism by leveraging specific motivational factors. Originality/value This study provides novel insights into the role of rural xenophilia in shaping urban tourists’ motivations for local food consumption and their travel intentions. It underscores the importance of cultural and health motivations in mediating these relationships, offering valuable implications for tourism marketers and policymakers aiming to promote rural destinations through culinary tourism. The research contributes to the limited literature on rural xenophilia and local food tourism, particularly within the Indian context.

Purpose This paper aims to explore the heritage value and importance to place identity of overlooked material elements and heritage objects in the built environment. Design/methodology/approach The discussion is exemplified by clinker bricks, initially unwanted products of 19th century manufacture created in overheated kilns, which were revalued and deployed between 1880 and 1914 by arts and crafts enthusiasts. Findings The authors contend that they contribute to heritage in three ways: firstly, by adding irregularity, sensory diversity, idiosyncrasy and individuality; secondly, by testifying to local connections with sites of supply, geology and artisanal expertise; thirdly, by potentially inspiring new forms of creativity in material making and building. The authors conclude by highlighting how these brick walls are currently being incorporated into local conservation plans. Research limitations/implications The work solely focuses on the bricks used in one London suburb. However, this allows a suitable focus to be adopted for the study. Practical implications This paper argues that the clinker brick walls serve as an exemplary case through which place managers and marketers might focus more substantively on overlooked aspects of the material environment of places, discerning overlooked features that can significantly add to developing a sense of place. Social implications This paper endeavours to enrich social and cultural relationships with place by seeking to foster more attuned approaches to noticing that which is commonly overlooked and subsequently enquiring about its provenance, origins and qualities. The paper provides examples of the incorporation of the clinker brick walls into local conservation and heritage plans. Originality/value There is little written about mundane and everyday materialities that, the authors argue, are so integral to a sense of place. The authors bring forth ideas about aesthetics, materiality, place and the everyday to investigate a hitherto neglected realm of study.

PurposeThis study aims to show how social innovation offers viable solutions to urban development, by foregrounding community empowerment and transformative impact on urban policy, in the context of municipal–community partnerships.Design/methodology/approachThis study draws on empirical research in four municipalities in the metropolitan areas of Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece, and examples of municipal–community partnerships, which are illustrative of the prospects and challenges for social innovation to introduce novel means for multiactor cooperation at the local level.FindingsConsidering the weak capacity of Greek cities to deploy community-based forms of social innovation toward solution-based approaches to urban issues, municipal–community partnerships are able to bolster bottom-linked social innovations and contribute to the processual creation of participatory policy frameworks, in cooperation with local communities and social economy actors.Originality/valueThis study conceptualizes the role of social innovation in urban development, through the lens of municipal–community partnerships. It contributes empirical insights into the forms that social innovation acquires in unfavorable contexts and the processes that drive urban policy toward new directions.

PurposeThe fundamental mission of every green city is to harmonize urban living with environmental preservation. However, a critical challenge arises when the residents of such cities do not share the same level of environmental consciousness, potentially eroding the integrity of the green city’s brand identity. Hence, this study aims to explore the factors influencing residents’ identification with green city branding and assesses how this identification subsequently affects their green citizenship behaviors.Design/methodology/approachA survey of 1,217 residents from 15 green cities across six countries was conducted and analyzed using SPSS 28.0 for descriptive statistics and PLS-SEM for measurement and structural model analysis.FindingsThe results indicate that green city-self connection, green city distinctiveness and environmental benefits significantly impact GCRI, which, in turn, significantly influences green city protection, loyalty and advocacy behaviors. However, green city social and economic benefits did not affect resident identification.Practical implicationsThe results of this study provide valuable managerial insights for city brand managers, green city developers and governmental representatives. The study underscores the importance of considering residents as crucial internal stakeholders in the creation of a green city identity that effectively promotes sustainable urban living and an eco-friendly culture.Originality/valueThis study provides theoretical insights into the relationship between green identification and residents’ willingness and commitment to act as ambassadors and promote their city’s green values.

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the unique Chinese context by analyzing the city labels (e.g. smart city and eco city) used by Chinese local governments at or above the provincial capital level to represent themselves (adopted city labels) and the developmental pathways they actually pursued (adopted developmental pathways).Design/methodology/approachThe authors compared the city brand choices to those anticipated based on their geographic and economic contexts (predicted city labels and developmental pathways) as well as the directives outlined in national planning documents (imposed city labels and developmental pathways). The authors identified ten main categories of city labels used to designate themselves and establish the frequency of their use based on municipal plan documents, economic and geographic data and national plan documents and policy reports, respectively.FindingsThe authors discovered that both local economic development and geographic factors, as well as top-down administrative influences, significantly impact city branding strategies in the 38 Chinese cities studied. When these models fall short in predicting adopted city labels and pathways, it is often because cities favor a service-oriented reputation over a manufacturing-focused one, and they prefer diverse, multifaceted industrial images to uniform ones.Originality/valueThe originality and value of this paper lie in its contribution to the academic literature on city branding by developing a predictive model for brand development at the municipal level, with explicit attention to the national-local nexus. The paper’s approach differs from existing research in the first cluster of city branding by not addressing issues of stakeholder involvement or adoption and implementation processes. Additionally, the paper’s focus on the political power dynamics at the national level and urban governance details at the municipal level provides a unique perspective on the topic. Overall, this paper provides a valuable contribution to the field of city branding by expanding the understanding of brand development and its impact on the socioeconomic environment.

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to explore the role and potential of lived experiences in informing and shaping the formation of place identity within the sphere of the production and consumption of craft objects.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is part of a larger funded research project and focuses on Manchester’s Craft and Design Centre. It draws upon a series of in-depth interviews conducted with craft makers and visitors.FindingsThe analysis and interpretation of textual data help to theorise an experiential identity of place, which revolves around the fusion of the cultural heritage and lived insideness of the physical setting; activity spaces and the micro-encounters of craft-making; and conflicting meanings and attachments to the Craft and Design Centre.Originality/valueThis study provides a novel perspective on the understanding of place identity in the context of craft-making by focusing on the lived experiences of various stakeholders and acknowledging the multi-faceted, dynamic and processual nature of place.

PurposeThis study aims to explore whether adopting a sustainability narrative in city branding and urban development strategies results in more inclusive governance arrangements (process) and a more pluralistic approach to generating sustainability value (outcome), in line with the triple bottom line approach advocated by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The authors argue that a necessary step to enable meaningful sustainable urban development is to rethink the way in which “value” and “value creation” are being interpreted in urban development policies and city branding narratives.Design/methodology/approachMixed-methods case study of New York City’s (NYC) urban development and city branding strategies (2007–2019) combining analysis of academic and grey literature on NYC’s urban development and city branding, value hierarchies in NYC urban development strategic plans and local media reports covering NYC’s development and branding processes.FindingsDespite claiming commitment to urban sustainability, NYC’s urban development and branding narratives reveal a clear dominance of interpreting “value” primarily as “exchange value”, thus prioritising economic growth.Research limitations/implicationsIn the authors’ view, a systemic, systematic and structured approach to generating “sustainability value” is necessary if city branding is to become a governance tool to support sustainable urban development. A “tetravaluation” approach is recommended as a practical, structured framework that can bridge across the ideas of “sustainability value” and “pluralistic governance”, ensuring effective implementation. Further investigation in additional urban contexts is required.Originality/valueThe research contributes to current scholarly debates towards more balanced and pluralistic conceptions of “value” and place branding as a more holistic, participatory and democratic governance model for sustainable urban development.