The names of urban dispossession: a concluding commentary

ABSTRACT

This concluding commentary discusses some of the ways in which branded renaming reflects conflicts over ownership, authority, property and power. Practices of sponsored renaming and place branding are not monolithic, but this special issue shows that they are deeply rooted within neoliberal urbanism. It should therefore not be surprising that place branding is almost always contested, and often a flashpoint in struggles over urban space.

KEYWORDS:

• Urban development
• toponymy
• neoliberalism
• critical urban theory
• place branding

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.