ABSTRACT
Place is a central concept in place-branding and -marketing literature. It has been defined through various dimensions, including geographical borders, legal characteristics, tangible and intangible attributes, and emotions related to it. This chapter adds to the state of the art through a global approach, focusing on places’ role and centrality in attractiveness policies. The notion of multiscalarity is of particular interest, since places are complex public objects to manage. Places usually relate to material, psychological, and representational perspectives. This chapter investigates these various dimensions and perspectives, defines the main characteristics used in the book, compares the public-policy and place-branding approaches to places, and provides examples both from the academic literature and concrete situations experienced in certain regions.
