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Spatial Imaginaries and Tech Cities: Place-branding East London’s digital economy

Author

Listed:
  • Max Nathan
  • Emma Vandore
  • Georgina Voss

Abstract

We explore place branding as an economic development strategy for technology clusters, using London’s ‘Tech City’ initiative as a case study. We site place branding in a larger family of policies that develop spatial imaginaries and specify affordances and constraints on place brands and brand-led strategies. Using mixed methods over a long timeframe, we analyse Tech City’s emergence and the overlapping, competing narratives that preceded and succeeded it, highlighting day-to-day challenges and more basic tensions. While a strong brand has developed, we cast doubt on claims that policy has had a catalytic effect, at least in the ways originally intended.

Suggested Citation

  • Max Nathan & Emma Vandore & Georgina Voss, 2019. "Spatial Imaginaries and Tech Cities: Place-branding East London’s digital economy," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 19(2), pages 409-432.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jecgeo:v:19:y:2019:i:2:p:409-432.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/jeg/lby018
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Nathan, Max, 2022. "Does light touch cluster policy work? Evaluating the tech city programme," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(9).
    2. Christoph Stich & Emmanouil Tranos & Max Nathan, 2023. "Modeling clusters from the ground up: A web data approach," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 50(1), pages 244-267, January.
    3. Han Chu & Robert Hassink, 2023. "Advancing spatial ontology in evolutionary economic geography," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 16(3), pages 391-404.
    4. Di Wu & Neil M. Coe, 2023. "Bottom-up cluster branding through boundary spanners: The case of the Jingdezhen ceramics cluster in China," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(14), pages 2874-2900, November.
    5. Sharon Zukin, 2021. "Planetary Silicon Valley: Deconstructing New York’s innovation complex," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(1), pages 3-35, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Clusters; place branding; entrepreneurship; ICT; Tech City; local economic development;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy
    • R3 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location
    • R38 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - Government Policy

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