Review

In focusing on the cultural-historical connection, an array of contentious social and economic arguments are highlighted as the different perspectives of contributors are presented.

Leisure, Recreation & Tourism Abstracts

Paul Knox

Places have been repackaged, redeveloped and 'sold' in new ways, not just in order to attract inward investment but also as part of a new dynamic in urban cultural politics. This volume is a response to these phenomena. It is a recognition of their complexity and an attempt to examine the discourses involved in manipulating culture and selling places...this book gets us off to a good start.

Progress in Human Geography

H. Lim

...brings together a number of interesting perspectives on the debate over the phenomenon of selling places...will provide a useful reference for researchers in the area.

Regional Studies

Product Description

Places, particularly cities, often strive to sell themselves to encourage inward investment. In doing so, the managers of these places seek to manipulate the interwoven cultural and historical attributes of their localities to create attractive images, ambiences and lifestyles. This is a contentious process involving a fierce battle between alternative cultural sensibilities and historical visions. Much of the existing literature on place marketing either provides a practical handbook of how-to-do-it, or an economic analysis of this new facet of urban capitalism. Selling Places focuses more explicitly on the cultural-historical context of what is being sold. Thus it enriches the economic picture whilst drawing upon newer arguments about the complex politics of cultural and historical representation.