Digital Chorographies: Conceptualising experiential representation and marketing of urban/architectural geographies

Abstract

An important theme in place marketing, branding, and architectural literature - and practice - is the development of a strong, attractive image, through (primarily) visual representation of a location. But considering that today we live in cities that are digital hybrids, in which we are connected to a wider system of information, how is an 'image of the city' constructed in this context, and are there other strategies and tactics that should be considered? Using Plato's notion of chora and Claudius Ptolemy's notion of chorography as points of departure that will lead us to consider de Certeau's (1984) concept of walking as an experiential and dialectic process through which we relate the spatial stories of places and, in the context of digital locative media, we will point to ways by which this may be accomplished. In introducing the reader to the concept of 'digital chorographies', we suggest that a current emphasis on visual representation (e.g. of attractive place 'product' elements/attributes, such as architectural landmarks and cityscapes etc.) should be considered in conjunction with the articulation and narration of qualities contributing to a place's realm of meaning. Technological developments put greater emphasis on developing a co-created experience in and of space and place, with significant potential implications, not only for how urban locales are represented, but also for their management more generally via more participatory approaches. Co-creative processes and practices have implications for developing more overt performative dimensions to place marketing, as it moves from an emphasis on materiality (via the static representation of places - i.e. maps) to a focus on multiple narratives in a system of dynamic storytelling. Indeed, we argue that incorporating performative aspects into place marketing activities is a means by which the genius loci is more effectively communicated, to create distinctiveness in an increasingly competitive spatial environment.