Implications of urban branding to local economic development in the inner city of Johannesburg

ABSTRACTThe significance of Local economic development (LED) in South Africa has grown since the historicaldemocratic elections of 1994. At the same time the practice of urban branding has become widely notablesince the 1990’s. This research report specifically focuses on the implications of branding to local economicdevelopment in the inner city of Johannesburg, using Main Street and the Newtown Cultural Precinct as casestudies. A review of numerous theories for both LED and branding has been undertaking to provide atheoretical background to their development. The research report adopts an evolutionary/historical andcomparative approach in examining the evolution of LED and branding so as to comprehend and appreciatetheir origins and developments in South Africa and abroad. The theoretical reviews of both LED andbranding show that they have been influencing each other over time. The case studies also revealed anumber of challenges such as: marginalisation, lack of co-ordination, rights and exclusion. This researchreport recommends the use of cultural planning in order to bridge the chasm between branding and LED inthe city of Johannesburg. Through the cultural planning framework, the study employs planning theoriessuch as Advocacy Planning, Equity Planning, Collaborative Planning, and Strategic Planning in order toaddress these challenges and to enhance representation in development processes, efficient allocation ofresources, responsibilities, and integrated development. While these challenges requires a multi-prongedand integrated approach, it is notable that more research and awareness education need to be done togovernment, private businesses as well as the public. This will become even more important as thedevelopment of creative cities become crucial. This study, in a small way, opens up possibilities for furtherresearch on the branding of spaces and cultural planning, more especially for the economically-depressedareas and places that are not well-endowed in terms of cultural resources that can be used to create theirbrands and generate growth.