Places, particularly cities, often strive to
sellthemselves to encourage inward investment. In doing so, the
managersof 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.
