Services
Territorial Competitiveness
The growing global flows of FDIs—often leading to the formation of networks of places— and the increased mobility of the creative class have inevitably promoted competition among territories following economic globalization.
As a result, nearly at any geographical scale, territories find themselves in the international marketplace and must make themselves attractive to FDIs and creative professionals.
Equally important, competitive cities must offer tangible benefits from superior quality of life to their residents: employment opportunities, modern amenities, urban infrastructures, access to affordable healthcare, enjoyment of diversity and inclusion; but also, spatial justice, and environmental sustainability.
“Luxburry Strategies Inc. supports local governments to design their branding strategies, build and develop policies and communications in a way that delivers positive, differentiated, and long-term value for the territorial competitiveness.”
However, to create competitiveness, position themselves in the international marketplace of territories, and remain resilient, cities need to develop a robust ‘competitive advantage’ drawn upon local strengths and built around a coherent narrative.
Such an end cannot be achieved unless local governments and city managers engineer policies, strategic place-making, and management schemes that are measurable and truly innovative.
In this process, the adoption of an entrepreneurial approach in governance is the recipe for more effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainable economic impact.
Hence, urban entrepreneurialism, well-suited nowadays as a policy instrument to lifting a city from the ranks of laggards to a vanguard position in the marketplace of cities, is articulated around three distinct yet mutually reinforcing programs, on which Luxburry Strategies Inc. provides technical assistance services to cities-clients:
- City Diplomacy
- Territorial Competitiveness
- Territorial Branding
City Diplomacy Strategies
The urbanization of international affairs, as increasingly being witnessed, comes with mounting acknowledgment of the active participation of subnational entities and the role of cities not only as places but also as actors.
Importantly, cities are standing on the frontline of key challenges such as migration and social inequality, climate change and its global warming effects, industrial pollution, and the spread of infectious diseases.
Therefore, City Networking, alongside with twinning partnerships, city-to-city, and city-to-other actors’ cooperation, is no longer a mere option but a pressing call for reason. Cities need a more strategic and less opportunistic approach to networking.
Either in the form of institutionalized governance structures, a coalition of cities, or informal initiatives between cities for mutual learning, the practice of city diplomacy by local authorities must go together with more integrative and strategic thinking at both local and international levels.
“Luxburry Strategies Inc. helps city authorities engage with the networked landscape and international cooperation more strategically and deliver an impactful City Diplomacy framework.”
Territorial Branding & Competitiveness Strategies
Cities are not only places or containers of social livelihoods, but they are also products to consume, imbued with distinctive endowments: a unique identity, heritage, economic resources, demography, and shared values.
Cities are different from one another, and that’s their wealth. Hence, the practice of city branding is a powerful means for cities to transform themselves, appear as attractive destinations, and stay (or become anew) competitive and relevant in the quest for investment and consumption.
Unlike corporate branding, the branding and positioning of cities are far more complex as it involves a much greater number of stakeholders and is strongly connected to the planning, management, and governance processes.
“Luxburry Strategies Inc. supports local governments in designing their branding strategies, building and developing policies and communications in a way that delivers positive, differentiated, and long-term value for the territorial competitiveness.”
Prosperous Entrepreneurial Cities with an established brand indeed embrace techniques or processes of territorial marketing, strategic communication, selling, promoting, and positioning, but the crucial stage in their efforts is the actual creation of an identity brand coupled with an entrepreneurial narrative.
In pursuing public action for territorial branding and competitiveness, elaborating a monitorable city branding plan is a priority.
