Toponymy as commodity: exploring the economic dimensions of urban place names

Young, C and Light, D (2015) Toponymy as commodity: exploring the economic dimensions of urban place names. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 39 (3). pp. 435-450. ISSN 0309-1317

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.12153

Abstract

In recent years the study of urban toponymy (place names) has been revitalized by the emergence of a ‘critical toponymies' approach. This focuses on the cultural politics of place naming and the decisions involved in attributing names to the urban landscape. However, in contemporary cities place names have an economic role in addition to their political role. In particular, there have been recent calls for more attention to the commodification of place-naming rights and practices. This article seeks to respond to these calls by addressing the issue of urban place names as commodities. It begins by examining the naming of sports stadia by corporate sponsors. It then considers a range of ways in which private-sector interests are increasingly influencing the naming of the urban landscape, from buildings and neighbourhoods to individual streets. Even the material signage that identifies street names can be appropriated within branding and promotional strategies. Moreover, urban place names are increasingly incorporated into a range of commercially produced spatial datasets collated by private companies. The article ends by proposing a number of directions for future research into the economic role of urban place names and the commodification of toponymy more broadly.

Item Type:	Article
Peer-reviewed:	Yes
Date Deposited:	12 Jan 2015 16:32
Publisher:	Wiley
Additional Information:	This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Light, D. and Young, C. (2015), Toponymy as Commodity: Exploring the Economic Dimensions of Urban Place Names. Int J Urban Regional, 39: 435-450., which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.12153. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.
Divisions:	Faculties > Science and Engineering
Subject terms:	12 Built Environment and Design, 14 Economics, 16 Studies in Human Society, Urban & Regional Planning
URI:	https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/338022
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.12153
ISSN	0309-1317
e-ISSN	1468-2427

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