Global Competition needs Smart Solutions, Urban Design Elements on City Branding

Globalization is one of the most important issues that changes cities. Global competition makes cities to need a range of solutions in order to be different from opponents and attract more economical investments. Branding is a customary topic for economics but globalization, attracting more investments and tourists to cities caused the topic an emerging subject for urban design and planning. Contemporary researches on integrated sustainable city can be turned into reality with city branding approaches. One of the fundamental decisions of urban studies approaches is to manage urban and spatial planning according to the urban design elements on city branding and identity of place. City branding is a smart solution for urban development, creation of jobs and providing a greater place to live and work. \nAdvertisement and communication technologies could have a key effect on city branding. Mobile apps and websites can be used to deliver city branding goals and a lot of cities used ICT as a key policy to present their brand. But urban design elements on city branding should be represented in these activities in order to express the unique brand of the city and the elements are not the same in different cities. These elements should be identified and appraised in the cities rather than relying on stereotypical responses to a commercial order. \nThis study considers key urban design disciplines and previous attitudes on city branding to offer a framework for urban design elements on city branding. This concept introduces the elements in main approaches and dimensions. In order to introduce urban design elements on city branding, this study uses a laboratory experiment that happened during Fourth International Conference on Urban and Extra Urban Studies 2013, Amsterdam, The Netherlands and concluded fourteen urban design elements for Amsterdam brand.