Networks and cities' news

A sense of place: positioning identity in northern Portugal

If you can't beat them, work together.

Age-old rivalry often makes for the best stories. But in modern times, instead of driving apart, distinct characteristics providing fodder for timeless feuds between cities can be parlayed into collective assets. In northwest Portugal, four cities with four different urban contexts have come together to create Quadrilátero Urbano, a policy tool to combine the strengths of its members: Barcelos, Braga, Vila Nova de Famalicão and Guimarães. Separated by an average of 20 kilometers, the four cities all have their distinct identity. Rather than vying for prominence as the historical context might encourage, each city is improving their public policy by leaning into specific attributes in a uniquely modern way.

Guimarães holds the lofty title as the “Birthplace of Portugal”. A plaque on the ancient city fortifications proclaims the phrase “Aqui nasceu Portugal” (Portugal was born here). A short drive away lies the city of Vila Nova de Famalicão, the New City of Famalicao. One city boasts history while another conjures youth in its name. Braga is known as the city of churches but in the 21th Century, the city is an ardent believer in culture, of its youth and the diversity of recently arrived inhabitants. Rising above the Cávado River rich in a clay perfectly suited to crafting spellbinding ceramics, notably the emblematic Portuguese rooster figurine, Barcelos is a capital for artisans and handicrafts. 

City branding: more than a slogan

With such proximity, identity and local traditions are the key to economic and social vitality for all four cities, instilling a sense of pride in the overall region. City branding is a relatively new phenomenon but has always existed in the cultural consciousness. New York is the city that never sleeps. Paris is the city of lights. In an era of intense globalisation and big-city fatigue, smaller cities are looking to stake their claim as an alternative to aggressively dense megalopolises. Place branding plays a key role in forging a new identity for lesser-known urban areas, allowing smaller cities to compete with global capitals.

Much more than a logo or slogan, a successful city brand is backed by good policy and defines the essence of a place, proclaiming what exactly that city has to offer. All too often, a place brand fails to dive deep, opting for a catch phrase and a cryptic visual meant to distill centuries of history and context in a few hundred pixels. Seen through the Cities@Heart lens, city centres serve as a showroom for cities on the rise and the identity they choose for their future. A famous example of revolutionary city branding is the “Bilbao Effect”. Once a hub of industry, the city invited the Guggenheim museum to set up a satellite museum in its declining downtown area, an architectural landmark successfully repositioning the Basque city as a cultural capital on the world stage at the dawn of the new millennium. With a finite number of international museum outposts, it’s not every city that can rely on the media power of “starchitects”. Whether a city embraces its history or decides to take on a rebranding project, authenticity remains at the core of any successful place promotion initiative.

A well-rounded approach: highlights from the Fourth Quarterly Network Report

After more than one year of network activity, through meetings and dedicated workshops, the Network has explored all topics included in the Cities@Heart methodology. This quarter, we have developed topics 6 and 7, focusing on Public Space and Managing Mixed Uses. Governance, integration, decision-making tools, sustainability, and inclusion have been transversal drivers of our learning pathway.

Globalisation in a microcosm: stories of touristification and climate adaptation in Granada

The struggles of a Spanish city provide a lesson in preservation and promotion of the historic city centre. 

The city of Granada is synonymous with the breathtaking Alhambra palace. This outstanding cultural asset is truly a wonder from another time. Yet, an identity so closely linked to heritage brings a multitude of challenges. Granada’s central district has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1984 (Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín) As a result, the city is now blessed and plagued with an influx of tourists who understandably place the Alhambra on their list of must-see sights. In recent years, locals have seen their numbers dwindle, and university students (which represent almost 20% of city population) struggle to find affordable accommodation, as short term rentals on platforms such as AirBnb flood the market. Visitors often stay for only one or two nights, eating tapas, visiting the Alhambra and continuing their tour after buying some inexpensive souvenirs. Owing to its position in southern Spain, between the sea and the mountains, the city is now charged with innovating strategies to grow their destination in a sustainable way, all while grappling with climate events that are becoming increasingly more noticeable. Behind the aesthetically pleasing facade, Granada has the third worst air quality in all of Spain, mainly due to topography and traffic pollution.

Making every step count: Last-Mile Logistics for City Centres

According to Laetitita Dablanc, Director of the Gustave Eiffel University Logistics City Chair, “city logistics represents more than the mere transportation of goods within urban areas. It can be defined as any service provision contributing to efficiently managing the movements of goods in cities and providing innovative responses to customer demands (City Logistics).

Sharing and strengthening our good practices– summary of our third Quarterly Network Report

After one year of network activity, through meetings and dedicated workshops, we have explored the management of complexity,
gentrification, adaptation to climate change, new supply models and the creation of a city centre identity. Governance, integration, decision-making tools, sustainability and inclusion have been transversal drivers of our learning pathway. This quarterly report gives insight into the exchanges taking place on a local level and the best practices of each network partner. 

Delve into the learnings and exchanges of this quartier summarised below. 

Read the full report here: https://www.calameo.com/read/00597960952ac86ccde1f 

Diving into planning—the second Cities@Heart Quarterly Report

The second quarterly report of the Cities@Heart network covers significant progress and initiatives in revitalising city centres, focusing on a wide range of topics such as heritage, culture or technology. The report highlights the ongoing efforts and insights gained from collaborations aimed at fostering vibrant and sustainable city centres. Taking a pragmatic approach, the report presents practical strageties city stakeholders can impliment to improve the vitality of urban centres