Exploring ‘liveability’ as a city branding tool in urban planning

Abstract

By the year 2050 it is estimated that 60 percent of the world’s population will be living in urban areas. As the world’s population and the number of people living in cities continues to grow a key issue for urban planners has become the maintaining and improving of a city’s liveability. As globalisation processes begin to play more important role in shaping city economies and encouraging competitiveness, cities have begun to rely on their liveability as a city brand. The ability of a city to be rated high in terms of liveability has become a marketable trait to attract foreign investment, tourism and skilled labour. As a result the quest for liveability has been characterised by tensions of power as the various stakeholders attempt to create their own version of a liveable urban environment for their own agenda. This thesis seeks to explore urban liveability as a branding tool in the urban planning process. This will be achieved by using Flyvbjerg’s methodology of ‘making social science matter’ as a point of departure into gaining a better understanding of the power relations that underpin the liveable city brand. Vienna, Vancouver and Melbourne have been identified as three of the world’s most liveable cities according to popular liveability surveys. The experiences of these three cities will be reviewed to gain insight into liveability and its power relations. The findings conclude that the notion of what constitutes a liveable city is very much shaped by the various liveability ratings constructed by the media which do not necessarily contain academic merit. Whilst liveability is a desirable characteristic in a city, urban planners need to ensure that its focus is placed on improving the quality of life for its citizens and not merely a signifier used as a means towards achieving political success. Urban planners also need to ensure that emphasis is placed on providing environments that are liveable for all its citizens, not just a privileged minority.