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'Best Places': Interurban Competition, Quality of Life and Popular Media Discourse

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  • Eugene J. McCann

    (Department of Geography, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6, emccann@sfu.ca)

Abstract

This paper explores relationships between the politics of urban competitiveness and popular media discourse about the 'good life' and 'good places'. Specifically, it focuses on the influence of popular 'best places to live' rankings on urban policy in three US cities. It addresses two issues: how and why similar policies are transferred from place to place; and, how 'extra-economic' factors are mobilised in formulating local economic development policy. It argues that the media's role in these processes is understudied and that its normative discourse is powerful and political. This argument is influenced by and illustrative of a recent attempt to locate the study of discursive power much more centrally in political economy approaches to urban studies.

Suggested Citation

  • Eugene J. McCann, 2004. "'Best Places': Interurban Competition, Quality of Life and Popular Media Discourse," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 41(10), pages 1909-1929, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:41:y:2004:i:10:p:1909-1929
    DOI: 10.1080/0042098042000256314
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bob Jessop & Ngai-Ling Sum, 2000. "An Entrepreneurial City in Action: Hong Kong's Emerging Strategies in and for (Inter)Urban Competition," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 37(12), pages 2287-2313, November.
    2. Allan Cochrane & Jamie Peck & Adam Tickell, 1996. "Manchester Plays Games: Exploring the Local Politics of Globalisation," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 33(8), pages 1319-1336, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Marco Bontje & Philip Lawton, 2013. "Mobile policies and shifting contexts: city-regional competitiveness strategies in Amsterdam and Dublin," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 104(4), pages 397-409, September.
    2. Silvia Cerisola, 2018. "Multiple creative talents and their determinants at the local level," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 42(2), pages 243-269, May.
    3. Juan Pablo Celemín & Guillermo Ángel Velázquez, 2018. "Spatial Analysis of the Relationship Between a Life Quality Index, HDI and Poverty in the Province of Buenos Aires and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 140(1), pages 57-77, November.
    4. Albert S. Fu & Martin J. Murray, 2014. "Glorified Fantasies and Masterpieces of Deception on Importing Las Vegas into the ‘New South Africa’," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(3), pages 843-863, May.
    5. Loris Servillo & Rob Atkinson & Abdelillah Hamdouch & Loris Servillo & Rob Atkinson & Abdelillah Hamdouch, 2017. "Small and Medium-Sized Towns in Europe: Conceptual, Methodological and Policy Issues," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 108(4), pages 365-379, September.
    6. Tom Baker & Kristian Ruming, 2015. "Making ‘Global Sydney’: Spatial Imaginaries, Worlding and Strategic Plans," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(1), pages 62-78, January.
    7. Ida Andersson & Thomas Niedomysl, 2010. "Clamour For Glamour? City Competition For Hosting The Swedish Tryouts To The Eurovision Song Contest," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 101(2), pages 111-125, April.

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