ABSTRACT
The chapter discusses the crisis of the imaginaries of the Fordist and the industrial city which took place beginning in the 1970s. It presents the branding of innovative, cultural and creative cities, and the general move towards the branding of the urban cultural/knowledge economy. The chapter also discusses the branding of green and sustainable cities and the recent idea of the smart city. It deals with the idea of global cities. The identification of captivating and environmentally friendly images, in contrast to the legacies of the Fordist times, has been a crucial terrain of struggle and confrontation amongst local actors, considering the dynamic character of cultural fashions and urban representations. It is well-known that Fordism has driven the evolution of many urban regions. It is necessary to mention that these imaginaries and trends are not alternative and separated, but rather interdependent: many cities, for example, try to promote themselves as global and smart cities.
