EUROPEAN CITIES AND PLACE IDENTITY

Abstract

Scholars concerned with different aspects of cities (formal, spatial, social, economic) converge in pointing place identity – the city’s distinctive characteristics - as a powerful means to play right with intercity competition in the era of economic globalisation and European integration. To enhance place-identity in European cities, European Union and local governments have been supporting built heritage; financing research and projects on conservation of build ings and historic urban cores. Since European cities are nowadays more than ever being transformed into multi-ethnic and multi-cultural entities, is built heritage - usually reflecting national identities and often exhibiting common morphological properties – still capable to spatially represent contemporary European urban societies? What might additionally be an effective means for creating place-identity in contemporary European cities? This paper examines the potential of innovative design to reflect in space post-modern cultural pluralism, create new place-identities and consolidate new social ‘locale’. It develops the argument that by creating experimental new types of public space, avant-garde design schemes fist, allow themselves to divergent interpretations by individuals and second, become new landmarks both enhancing place identity and promoting economic (especially tourism) development of cities. In these ways, they offer ‘membership’ to all social groups and generate new social ‘locale’.

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