I am an urban geographer. I research and write about environmental racism, political economy, cultural economies, urban governance the politics of urban development, geographic scale, and urban sustainability. Supervisors: David Harvey and Erica Schoenberger Address: The University of Calgary 2500 University Dr. NW Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
Naming Rights, Place Branding, and the Cultural Landscapes of Neoliberal Urbanism
ABSTRACT The selling of naming rights to corporate sponsors has led urban policymakers to increas... more ABSTRACT The selling of naming rights to corporate sponsors has led urban policymakers to increasingly view the identities of public places as rent-generating assets to fund urban infrastructure. Yet few scholars have critically analyzed this emerging global trend of toponymic commodification and the seeking of “naming rent.” Through a combination of archival research, on-site field observations, and semi-structured interviews, this study examines how the practice of toponymic commodification is transforming the cultural landscapes of contemporary cities by considering two naming rights programs: Dubai’s Metro Naming Rights Initiative and the Sponsor Winnipeg Program. In each case, we explore the implications of commodifying public place names as well as the conflicting perceptions of such sponsorship programs. In doing so, the present study illustrates how the selling of naming rights is reshaping the built environment into a space of symbolic/economic capital transformations as brands become destinations and public places are reconceived as marketing opportunities.
This paper investigates two trends in contemporary forms of urban entrepreneurialism: (a) an incr... more This paper investigates two trends in contemporary forms of urban entrepreneurialism: (a) an increasing focus on cultivating entrepreneurship, and (b) the promotion of entrepreneurial ecosystems that leverage culture and sustainability to attract and support entrepreneurs. We argue that these trends signify a shift from the entrepreneurial city to new strategies that shape cities for entrepreneurs. Underpinning this development is a broad normalization and valorization of entrepreneurship as the dominant pathway for urban economic growth. Additionally, we show how sustainability and greening are enrolled in these economic development strategies, promising to bolster the environmental image of the city. We highlight these two changes by focusing on the intellectual foundations of the technopolis concept in Austin, Texas, and the development of a cleantech entrepreneurial ecosystem that has increasingly been leveraged in Austin’s entrepreneurial growth efforts. We offer insights into ...
Toronto's Portlands neighborhood is the target of an enormous redevelopment effort that will ... more Toronto's Portlands neighborhood is the target of an enormous redevelopment effort that will infuse smart-city technologies into the urban morphology. The quasi-governmental Waterfront Toronto agency has partnered with the Alphabet subsidiary company Sidewalk Labs to plan and build out the neighborhood, essentially from the ground up, and embedded it with sophisticated technologies. The redevelopment plan details a digital layer made up of sensors that will collect and process locational information, tracking movement and usage patterns. Yet the project has been mired in controversy, mainly because of questions about data ownership and management. While there will be the amassing of an unfathomable amount of data, it is not clear who will control it and how it will be processed and used. Critics of the project have pointed out that the potential value of the data is enormous and if a private company has exclusive domain over it, that company could decide to sell it at will. Secu...
ABSTRACT The selling of naming rights to corporate sponsors has led urban policymakers to increas... more ABSTRACT The selling of naming rights to corporate sponsors has led urban policymakers to increasingly view the identities of public places as rent-generating assets to fund urban infrastructure. Yet few scholars have critically analyzed this emerging global trend of toponymic commodification and the seeking of “naming rent.” Through a combination of archival research, on-site field observations, and semi-structured interviews, this study examines how the practice of toponymic commodification is transforming the cultural landscapes of contemporary cities by considering two naming rights programs: Dubai’s Metro Naming Rights Initiative and the Sponsor Winnipeg Program. In each case, we explore the implications of commodifying public place names as well as the conflicting perceptions of such sponsorship programs. In doing so, the present study illustrates how the selling of naming rights is reshaping the built environment into a space of symbolic/economic capital transformations as brands become destinations and public places are reconceived as marketing opportunities.
Final Report Prepared and Submitted by Eliot M. Tretter to the Institute for Urban Policy Researc... more Final Report Prepared and Submitted by Eliot M. Tretter to the Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis
The International Journal of Architectonic, Spatial, and Environmental Design, 2022
The following is an edited transcript of the plenary talk, “Petrocity,” presented by Eliot Trette... more The following is an edited transcript of the plenary talk, “Petrocity,” presented by Eliot Tretter at the TCE 2021 conference in Calgary, May 12, 2021. Find the talk online: https://youtu.be/ImXrj7kNcxI.
The production and transfer of knowledge are essential for producing oil. In this paper, I examin... more The production and transfer of knowledge are essential for producing oil. In this paper, I examine the nexus between a subnational quasi-state publicly funded hydrocarbon research program and a novel knowledge-production regime and explore how this relationship resulted in the production of oil from Alberta's oilsands. In particular, the paper highlights the significance of the Alberta Oilsands Technology and Research Authority (AOSTRA), a quasi-public institution credited with financing research, which among other finding, made the in-situ oilsands' mining method steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) commercially viable. SAGD proved essential in enlarging the Province's oil reserves, but this paper focuses on AOSTRA's novel intellectual property regime. Under that regime the intellectual property AOSTRA (the Provincial government) held the licensing rights to the research it funded and commanded its future revenues. In contrast to accounts of the development of the current mode of entrepreneurial knowledge production that emphasizes the new knowledge-enclosures of the biosphere, I suggest this was a novel system of knowledge-enclosure of the "necrosphere." I stress how this knowledge-production-transfer regime only emerged in Alberta because of the specific material characteristics of bitumen and the Provincial government's tripartite role as resource rentier, funder of the research, and owner of the resource.
The first part of this chapter outlines the historical context for Austin’s recent urban-sustaina... more The first part of this chapter outlines the historical context for Austin’s recent urban-sustainability agenda, its efforts at Smart Growth and New Urbanism, and their impacts on the city’s development. This is followed by a detailed historical account of the evolution of the Rainey neighbourhood, particularly how it was targeted by different local planning and redevelopments efforts since the late 1960s and how the area’s fate became increasingly tied to broader discussions about housing density and residential growth in the CBD. The third section connects the first and second sections by focusing on how the recent changes in the Rainey neighbourhood are related to the city’s current urban-sustainability agenda, particularly focusing on the connection between the neighbourhood’s redevelopment and environmental sustainability. Finally, we discuss the implications of having a local sustainability agenda that is decoupled from a concern for equity. The construction of luxury high-rise housing is represented as serving the needs of all city residents, including low-income households; the reality does not quite match the rhetoric.
UMI, ProQuest ® Dissertations & Theses. The world's most comprehensive collection of dissert... more UMI, ProQuest ® Dissertations & Theses. The world's most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses. Learn more... ProQuest, The culture of urban renewal: Glasgow, Britain, and the European Community (Scotland). ...
In this paper I draw on a body of scholarship that focuses on how a central feature of capitalist... more In this paper I draw on a body of scholarship that focuses on how a central feature of capitalist urbanization is the willingness of firms to participate in a form of rent-seeking that exploits geographical differences. I then extend this analysis to the cultural economy. I use as my case study Austin, Texas, which since 1991 has branded itself the “Live Music Capital of the World.” The existing literature on Austin’s urban entrepreneurial strategy, reflecting the dominant trends in urban and economic geography, focuses on how this branding campaign cultivated and exploited the geographical particularities of the city’s cultural infrastructure. However, I contend that the changes brought about within the music industry influenced the success of this effort. In particular, I argue that the effectiveness of this branding effort is related to the changing value of live music within the music industry and especially the elevated position of music promoters (those firms that rely on live music as an essential part of their business). As this paper shows, the value of the city’s branding efforts is related to the industrial success of two of the music industry’s mid-sized promotional firms, SXSW Inc. and C3 Presents. These two Austin-based firms trade on its live-music brand but also, perhaps unwittingly, receive an extra-economic benefit that amplifies this reputation. In particular, I will focus on how a special music event, SXSW, and a music festival, Austin City Limits, help reinforce the image that has been enhanced by the city’s branding efforts.
Naming Rights, Place Branding, and the Cultural Landscapes of Neoliberal Urbanism
ABSTRACT The selling of naming rights to corporate sponsors has led urban policymakers to increas... more ABSTRACT The selling of naming rights to corporate sponsors has led urban policymakers to increasingly view the identities of public places as rent-generating assets to fund urban infrastructure. Yet few scholars have critically analyzed this emerging global trend of toponymic commodification and the seeking of “naming rent.” Through a combination of archival research, on-site field observations, and semi-structured interviews, this study examines how the practice of toponymic commodification is transforming the cultural landscapes of contemporary cities by considering two naming rights programs: Dubai’s Metro Naming Rights Initiative and the Sponsor Winnipeg Program. In each case, we explore the implications of commodifying public place names as well as the conflicting perceptions of such sponsorship programs. In doing so, the present study illustrates how the selling of naming rights is reshaping the built environment into a space of symbolic/economic capital transformations as brands become destinations and public places are reconceived as marketing opportunities.
This paper investigates two trends in contemporary forms of urban entrepreneurialism: (a) an incr... more This paper investigates two trends in contemporary forms of urban entrepreneurialism: (a) an increasing focus on cultivating entrepreneurship, and (b) the promotion of entrepreneurial ecosystems that leverage culture and sustainability to attract and support entrepreneurs. We argue that these trends signify a shift from the entrepreneurial city to new strategies that shape cities for entrepreneurs. Underpinning this development is a broad normalization and valorization of entrepreneurship as the dominant pathway for urban economic growth. Additionally, we show how sustainability and greening are enrolled in these economic development strategies, promising to bolster the environmental image of the city. We highlight these two changes by focusing on the intellectual foundations of the technopolis concept in Austin, Texas, and the development of a cleantech entrepreneurial ecosystem that has increasingly been leveraged in Austin’s entrepreneurial growth efforts. We offer insights into ...
Toronto's Portlands neighborhood is the target of an enormous redevelopment effort that will ... more Toronto's Portlands neighborhood is the target of an enormous redevelopment effort that will infuse smart-city technologies into the urban morphology. The quasi-governmental Waterfront Toronto agency has partnered with the Alphabet subsidiary company Sidewalk Labs to plan and build out the neighborhood, essentially from the ground up, and embedded it with sophisticated technologies. The redevelopment plan details a digital layer made up of sensors that will collect and process locational information, tracking movement and usage patterns. Yet the project has been mired in controversy, mainly because of questions about data ownership and management. While there will be the amassing of an unfathomable amount of data, it is not clear who will control it and how it will be processed and used. Critics of the project have pointed out that the potential value of the data is enormous and if a private company has exclusive domain over it, that company could decide to sell it at will. Secu...
ABSTRACT The selling of naming rights to corporate sponsors has led urban policymakers to increas... more ABSTRACT The selling of naming rights to corporate sponsors has led urban policymakers to increasingly view the identities of public places as rent-generating assets to fund urban infrastructure. Yet few scholars have critically analyzed this emerging global trend of toponymic commodification and the seeking of “naming rent.” Through a combination of archival research, on-site field observations, and semi-structured interviews, this study examines how the practice of toponymic commodification is transforming the cultural landscapes of contemporary cities by considering two naming rights programs: Dubai’s Metro Naming Rights Initiative and the Sponsor Winnipeg Program. In each case, we explore the implications of commodifying public place names as well as the conflicting perceptions of such sponsorship programs. In doing so, the present study illustrates how the selling of naming rights is reshaping the built environment into a space of symbolic/economic capital transformations as brands become destinations and public places are reconceived as marketing opportunities.
Final Report Prepared and Submitted by Eliot M. Tretter to the Institute for Urban Policy Researc... more Final Report Prepared and Submitted by Eliot M. Tretter to the Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis
The International Journal of Architectonic, Spatial, and Environmental Design, 2022
The following is an edited transcript of the plenary talk, “Petrocity,” presented by Eliot Trette... more The following is an edited transcript of the plenary talk, “Petrocity,” presented by Eliot Tretter at the TCE 2021 conference in Calgary, May 12, 2021. Find the talk online: https://youtu.be/ImXrj7kNcxI.
The production and transfer of knowledge are essential for producing oil. In this paper, I examin... more The production and transfer of knowledge are essential for producing oil. In this paper, I examine the nexus between a subnational quasi-state publicly funded hydrocarbon research program and a novel knowledge-production regime and explore how this relationship resulted in the production of oil from Alberta's oilsands. In particular, the paper highlights the significance of the Alberta Oilsands Technology and Research Authority (AOSTRA), a quasi-public institution credited with financing research, which among other finding, made the in-situ oilsands' mining method steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) commercially viable. SAGD proved essential in enlarging the Province's oil reserves, but this paper focuses on AOSTRA's novel intellectual property regime. Under that regime the intellectual property AOSTRA (the Provincial government) held the licensing rights to the research it funded and commanded its future revenues. In contrast to accounts of the development of the current mode of entrepreneurial knowledge production that emphasizes the new knowledge-enclosures of the biosphere, I suggest this was a novel system of knowledge-enclosure of the "necrosphere." I stress how this knowledge-production-transfer regime only emerged in Alberta because of the specific material characteristics of bitumen and the Provincial government's tripartite role as resource rentier, funder of the research, and owner of the resource.
The first part of this chapter outlines the historical context for Austin’s recent urban-sustaina... more The first part of this chapter outlines the historical context for Austin’s recent urban-sustainability agenda, its efforts at Smart Growth and New Urbanism, and their impacts on the city’s development. This is followed by a detailed historical account of the evolution of the Rainey neighbourhood, particularly how it was targeted by different local planning and redevelopments efforts since the late 1960s and how the area’s fate became increasingly tied to broader discussions about housing density and residential growth in the CBD. The third section connects the first and second sections by focusing on how the recent changes in the Rainey neighbourhood are related to the city’s current urban-sustainability agenda, particularly focusing on the connection between the neighbourhood’s redevelopment and environmental sustainability. Finally, we discuss the implications of having a local sustainability agenda that is decoupled from a concern for equity. The construction of luxury high-rise housing is represented as serving the needs of all city residents, including low-income households; the reality does not quite match the rhetoric.
UMI, ProQuest ® Dissertations & Theses. The world's most comprehensive collection of dissert... more UMI, ProQuest ® Dissertations & Theses. The world's most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses. Learn more... ProQuest, The culture of urban renewal: Glasgow, Britain, and the European Community (Scotland). ...
In this paper I draw on a body of scholarship that focuses on how a central feature of capitalist... more In this paper I draw on a body of scholarship that focuses on how a central feature of capitalist urbanization is the willingness of firms to participate in a form of rent-seeking that exploits geographical differences. I then extend this analysis to the cultural economy. I use as my case study Austin, Texas, which since 1991 has branded itself the “Live Music Capital of the World.” The existing literature on Austin’s urban entrepreneurial strategy, reflecting the dominant trends in urban and economic geography, focuses on how this branding campaign cultivated and exploited the geographical particularities of the city’s cultural infrastructure. However, I contend that the changes brought about within the music industry influenced the success of this effort. In particular, I argue that the effectiveness of this branding effort is related to the changing value of live music within the music industry and especially the elevated position of music promoters (those firms that rely on live music as an essential part of their business). As this paper shows, the value of the city’s branding efforts is related to the industrial success of two of the music industry’s mid-sized promotional firms, SXSW Inc. and C3 Presents. These two Austin-based firms trade on its live-music brand but also, perhaps unwittingly, receive an extra-economic benefit that amplifies this reputation. In particular, I will focus on how a special music event, SXSW, and a music festival, Austin City Limits, help reinforce the image that has been enhanced by the city’s branding efforts.
This was the book proposal for my last book. I get asked for it a lot. Please share it widely and... more This was the book proposal for my last book. I get asked for it a lot. Please share it widely and borrow from it extensively. It is part of the digital commons and I retain no copy right on it.
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Papers by Eliot Tretter
housing is represented as serving the needs of all city residents, including low-income households; the reality does not
quite match the rhetoric.
housing is represented as serving the needs of all city residents, including low-income households; the reality does not
quite match the rhetoric.