Rebranding place “to build community”: neighborhood branding in Buffalo, NY

Recent research on urban rebranding has emphasized the importance of looking within the city. However, many of these studies are in world cities. This paper examines the peripheral, shrinking city. Specifically, it investigates the effect of toponymic change on sense of community and the urban landscape. A body of work has examined urban strategies, including rebranding, to address decline and population loss in Rust Belt cities. By focusing on the rebranding of Elmwood Village, this paper builds on emerging literature on neighborhood branding efforts, by specifically assessing toponymic change in the Rust Belt. This study is informed using a multi-methods approach including the anlaysis of interviews and newspaper articles. Findings suggest social and economic outcomes of rebranding are conflicting in their ability to rebuild community despite increased economic investment in the built environment.