Barcelona, Dubrovnik, and Tirana have all undergone transformations to develop distinctive city brands. Barcelona established the "Barcelona model" through urban renewal projects and campaigns promoting citizen participation from the 1970s-today. Dubrovnik rebranded after the 1991 war through restoration funded by UNESCO and positioning itself as a historic World Heritage Site. Tirana transformed from a isolated city under communism to reclaim its identity through architectural competitions, demolishing illegal buildings, and projects like "Paint the town for hope" engaging artists.

1. Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Tirana:
Common places and different points
Georgia Voudouri
Maria Sfyraki
Angeliki Zervou
Georgia Psychogyiou
Ilira Aliaj
Katerina Papathanasiou

2. BARCELONA
From the “Barcelona model” to the BCN brand

3. From the “Barcelona model” to the BCN brand……… BARCELONA
1st period ( 1973-1979)
• End of Franco’s dictatorship
• Plan General Metropolitano de Ordenación Urbana
• FAVB – Residents association that gathered representatives from all
areas of the city
• Official use of the Catalan language, revitalization of folklore and other
catalan traditions
• Beginning of urban architectural projects and their implementation as a
model of social cohesion and civic involvement

4. From the “Barcelona model” to the BCN brand……… BARCELONA
2nd period ( 1979-1986)
• 1979 Mayor Narcis Serra i Serra
• Beginning of campaigns to motivate citizen participation in urban matters
• A series of advertising campaigns and slogas , accompanied by urban
images, buildings or representative monuments of the city -> gradually
inserted in the collective imaginary of Barcelona
• Definition of “Areas of new centrality” project by Joan Busquets:
solutions to problems of diverse land use,disuse of spaces within
neighborhoods and circulation problems
• Gradually increased interconnection and accesibility
• Decentralization- “local urbanism” and neighborhood cultural and social
centres
• 1984 Barcelona Olympic Office
• 1985 launch of campaign “Barcelona, més que mai”
“a B of optimistic colors, mediterranean, of Miró, that will unite and reinforce
the strategy to raise the spirit and enthusiasm of citizens”- Toni Puig
-Asesor de Comunicación del Ayuntamiento de Barcelona

5. From the “Barcelona model” to the BCN brand……… BARCELONA
[Source: http://www.bcn.cat]

6. From the “Barcelona model” to the BCN brand……… BARCELONA
3rd period (1986-1992)
• 1986 Spain enters the European Union
• Mayor Pasqual Maragall (1982-1997) -> Introduction of the term
“Barcelona Model”
• Launch of campaign “Barcelona posa’t guapa” – One of the most
representative campaigns of the “Barcelona model” : improvement of
urban landscape (renovations, restorations etc) & architectural heritage

7. From the “Barcelona model” to the BCN brand……… BARCELONA
• Preparation for the Olympic Games of 1992:
1. Integration and production of public spaces
2. Contact with the sea, La Barceloneta, new beaches
3. Regeneration of historical center
4. New constructions by “star architects”

8. From the “Barcelona model” to the BCN brand……… BARCELONA
4th period (1992-2004)
•Broad study & use of the term “Barcelona model” and rise of the BCN
brand
•Strategic importance of the historical center as a symbolic space of cultural
representation
•CCCB and MACBA in Raval
•“Cultural boom” within the western european context, new museums and
cultural centers by famous architects
•2004 Fórum Universal de les Cultures
•Thematic years: 2002 Any Gaudi, 2003 Any del disseny
•2000 Launch of campaign “Fem-ho bé”

9. From the “Barcelona model” to the BCN brand……… BARCELONA

10. From the “Barcelona model” to the BCN brand……… BARCELONA
5h period (2004-today)
• Technology-Innovation-Smart economy, Culture, Sports, Fashion-
Design
• Modification of Poble Nou area into 22@-The Innovation District
• High concentration of new buildings by star architects
• Opening of the last part of Diagonal to reach the Forum area

11. From the “Barcelona model” to the BCN brand……… BARCELONA
• Strengthening cultural activities
1. Thematic years: Any Cerdá 2010
2. New Disseny Hub Museum to open in Glories this year
3. Local festivals- La Merce
4. International festivals – Primavera Sound, Sónar
• World Mobile Capital – World Mobile Congress
• Working on the nomination for 2022 Winter Olympics

12. From the “Barcelona model” to the BCN brand……… BARCELONA
•Financial support for the 3 fashion brands of Barcelona (Desigual, Custo
Barcelona, Mango) + multiplication of stores
•Incubating business plans- Barcelona Activa
•Legal structure for the uses of the denomination "Barcelona" - Barcelona
City Council holds a suitable legal position in order to avoid abusive
commercial uses(2011)
•Various campaigns: “Barcelona batega”, “Visca Barcelona”, “Barcelona
m’impulsa”, “Barcelona m’escolta”, “Barcelona em connecta”, “Barcelona
m’obre al món”

13. From the “Barcelona model” to the BCN brand……… BARCELONA

14. DUBROVNIK: a brand's rebirth, from theory to practice.
1991: Dubrovnik was bombarded during Croatian war of independance.
Afterwards a question arose: how to relaunch Dubrovnik onto the
West European tourism agenda.

15. The purpose: projection of a strong renewal brand image of
Dubrovnik as a cherised World Heritage Site.
Nigel Morgan, Annette Prichard, Roberd Pride, Destination Branding, creating the unique
destination, proposition. 2002, pg. 121

16. Fact: The Old City of Dubrovnik IS enlisted to the UNESCO list
of World Heritage Sites.
UNESCO participates in the restoration of Dubrovnik. A large amound of money
Helped the flourish of Dubrovnik.

17. Methodology: Five questions for city branding and Dubrovnik's
answers!
●
What do we want to be known for?
●
How can we stand out from the crowd and be more
competitive?
●
What thoughts and feelings do we want to come to
mind when people are exposed to our name?
●
How can we gain improved results from our resources?
Bill Baker, Destination Branding for Small Cities, 2nd Edition/2012, pg. 17

18. Dubrovnik NOW!
http://www.tzdubrovnik.hr

19. A new logo for Dubrovnik
Find the similarities between the logo and the image!

20. Continious movement: towards luxury accomodation and cruise
tourism, an example of SWOT analysis

21. http://www.summum-design.com/croacia/Dubrovnikexperience

22. Aftermath and statistics
• 1. In 2011 Dubrovnik was Tripadvisors' travellers' Choice
Destinations Winner
2. Since 2010 the Dream World Cruise Destinations magazine
ranked Dubrovnik tenth among 50 world’s most
frequented ports and third on the Mediterranean,
after Naples and Livorno.
http://www.tzdubrovnik.hr/newsletter/eng.php?id=2915
3. In early 2012 one of the major Internet portals in the U.S.A.,
The Huffington Post, based on data from the tourism site Uptake
founded by Yen Lee - ranked Dubrovnik as the second top
destination chosen by Facebook users.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yen-lee/top-10-travel-destination

23. Tirana "Return to identity"

Transformations in post-socialist cities and the Balkans reveal the transition
from the socialist to the capitalist world

Albania : a self-isolated country for almost 50 years.

Hoxha's mistrust of a world in motion put Tirana in a freezer

Public spaces as every other aspect of people's lives were controlled,
approved or rejected by the leaders of the totalitarian regime.

Nationalism as a tool to keep the regime alive for 50 years.
Tirana before 1990

24. Tirana before 1990

25. Tirana before 1990

26. The transition from the socialist to the
capitalist world

Political decentralisation : decision
making transferred from the central to
the local level (Tosics: 2005: 55)

Furore of illegal barbaric constructions
as an act of revenge for the regime of
the past 50 years.

Disrespecting everything that had to do
with “the commons”

The freedom that was won in 1990
brought about a state of anarchy in the
city.

The lose of hope for the city.
Lana river 1990-1999

27. Reidentifying the city

The strategy for a succesful city branding should start from the inside.

The city was in need of immediate and radical change.

What do you do in a city where the citizens aren't necessarily by your side?

The mayor had to resist and persist.
Strategy

IDENTITY : Get back to what was lost during the transitional period

IMAGE: "The city as a canvas"

"produced a series of exploitable images, either as well set urban sceneries,
or as photographs, videos and advertisements. Through these images, urban
renewal was presented to have a pedagogical character that could change
the everyday life and the behaviour of the urban dwellers"

ARCHITECTURE: "architects around the world were invited to experiment in
Tirana, through a series of architectural competitions (among them the
architectural competition for the masterplan of the centre, the competition for
Scanderbeg Square) and workshops (such as the one of Berlage Institute)."

Source:http://tiranaworkshop10.pbworks.com/f/loukas%2Btriantis%2Btirana%2Burban
%2Brenewal.pdf

28. Daring to bring the change

A series of international architectural and urban design competitions

Preserving historic center & reconstructing public buildings

demolition of illegal constructions in order to get public space back

demolition of 5.000 illegal buildings

removing 123.000 tons of concrete from the riverbanks of Lana

Planted 55.000 trees and established a green Tax
"Paint the town for hope"

Artists from all over the world who would like to share their ideas and
propose changes

the use of colors in order to revive the hope that had been lost in the city

Use of colors : not just an artistic art, it was a form of political action

spalishing radiant colors on grey buildings

29. "Paint the town for hope"

30. "Paint the town for hope"

31. Difficulties during the project

Support from external sources was not taken for granted

The french EU official in charge of the founding had objections

“we will block the financing, because the colors you have ordered do not
meet european standards”

The surroundings did not meet the european standards either

Compromise in colors is grey.
Doubts from the citizens

Noise and doubt raised up regarding the "weird"colors

A poll with the question
 “Do you want this action and the buildings painted like this?"

37% answered NO

A second question followed
 “Do you want it to continue?”

50% of those who didn't like it, wanted it to continue.

32. Results of the project

People started dropping less litter in the streets

They started to pay taxes

They remembered their city that for more than one decade had been forgotten that it belongs to
them

Beauty was acting as a guardsman, where municipal police was missing

People considered the city is safier now, without the presence of police.
It's beautiful thus it's safe...

“There are colors now, street lights, pavements. So...it's beautiful, its safe” they said.

Beauty giving the feeling of being protected

Crime did fall

It brought a different spirit and a different feel of how things can be done.

33. Tirana today

35. What was achieved

Creating several jobs for the citizens who worked on the projects

Politics that have the citizens as a priority

Giving them the tools and the city as an opportunity for civic protagonism

People were mobilized and transformed into activists and supported their mayor.

Creation of a strong image and reputation of the city

The new identity of the city based on the concept of trusting a politician and working
with him but for themselves and their city
Further development

"introducing the city into a global politico-economic network"

“genuine metamorphosis”

“ideal for investors who wanted to relocate their businesses, due to remarkable
structural changes” (Mici, 2006: 83)

36. Awards & recognition

Edi Rama named World Mayor in 2004

In January 2004 City Mayors launched the internet-based project
World Mayor 2004. The aim was to raise the profile of mayors
worldwide, as well as to honour those who have served their
communities well and who have made contributions to the well-being
of cities nationally and internationally. The most outstanding mayor
was to be awarded the title World Mayor 2004.

chosen by Time Magazine in 2005 as one of the "European Heroes",
those who are changing the world for the better.

Award by Kofi Annan in light of the International Day for the
Eradication of Poverty