Identifying place identity dimensions in urban development: an eight-dimensional framework

Place brand management has traditionally focused on constructing a desirable place brand identity often overlooking the diversity of meanings that stakeholders attach to a place. These meanings may become visible in multiple situations, where stakeholders actively express, defend, and negotiate what a place means to them. This study addresses the question: how are place identity perceptions expressed and structured? The article presents an exploratory qualitative study of the public debate surrounding the proposed Guggenheim Museum in Helsinki. Rather than focusing on the project itself, the context triggered the public articulation of multiple, often latent, place identity perceptions of Helsinki across media platforms. Through thematic analysis of naturally occurring discourse, the study identifies eight dimensions of place identity that structure these expressions. The study’s main contribution is the development of an analytical framework of place identity dimensions that can support the understanding of situations in which place identity becomes salient in public discourse. By focusing on spontaneous stakeholder participation, the study also contributes to participatory place branding research by showing how place identity is continuously shaped outside formal processes. The findings offer a structured approach to interpreting diverse place identity expressions and anticipating stakeholder tensions in place brand management.