The sense of place and its influence on place branding: a case study of Sanandaj natural landscape in Iran

ABSTRACT

This research investigates the influence of sense of place on the city’s branding through examining the significance of the natural landscape as an effective factor in the formation of the cognitive images of urban residents and visitors. For this purpose, a theoretical framework was made based on the literature review of place branding and the quality of sense of place, and next, in the experimental section of the research, the needs, preferences, perceptions, and feelings of Sanandaj residents and visitors have been investigated by conducting 41 semi-structured interviews. The result shows that, although urban natural landscape is an identifying feature that may turn into the city brand, sensing the quality of place by the residents and tourists through tangible and intangible factors are also effective factors in forming the city’s identity and image and thus the quality of city branding.

KEYWORDS:

• Hills
• natural landscape
• Sanandaj city
• sense of place
• place branding

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.