Gert‐jan Hospers
Biographic Data
| ID | 3439003 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Gert‐jan Hospers |
| GIVEN NAMES | Gert‐jan |
| FAMILY NAME | Hospers |
| SIGNATURE | HOSPERS G J |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Twente |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7569-7354 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 67 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 17 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2002 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Cittaslow
In the literature, Cittaslow is cited as one of the few practical examples of Degrowth at the local level. However, various studies on the implementation of the Cittaslow philosophy suggest that it often has a promotional character. This paper therefore analyses the theoretical concepts of Cittaslow and Degrowth in order to identify overlaps and differences in their frameworks. In addition, a study of the Cittaslow member municipality of Artà in …
Transformative Effects of Overtourism and Covid-19-Caused Reduction of Tourism on Residents—An Investigation of the Anti-Overtourism Movement on the Island of Mallorca
The coronavirus outbreak in late 2019 and the subsequent restrictions on mobility and physical contacts caused an extreme collapse of international tourism. Shortly before the pandemic turned the world upside down, one of the most pressing issues in global tourism was a phenomenon that became known as overtourism. It describes massively the negative impacts of tourism on destinations and the frustrated residents protesting against it, with discon…
New horizons for old industrial areas
This article explores social capital in the shrinking old industrial area of Blaenau Gwent, Wales. The results indicate that economic change has impacted the social capital in unfavourable ways, leading to mistrust, a negative image of the area, low empowerment and low participation. Tradition appears to have played a strong role in disabling the transformation of the area, but new paths for social development are emerging slowly. Changes in soci…
A Short Reflection on City Branding and its Controversies
Thanks to its conceptual character the paper ‘City Branding: An Effective Assertion of Identity or a Transitory Marketing Trick?' by Kavaratzis and Ashworth (2005) is a classic piece in the area of place branding. The paper has been much cited in the literature, but did it really steer the further development of the field? Nearly fifteen years later, there is still a lot of debate in place branding circles. Taking the paper as a starting point I …
Rustbelt
Rustbelt areas have a glorious past but face an uncertain future. During their industrial heydays they used to be strong manufacturing centers, but since the second half of the twentieth century their position has been eroded in the global economy, leading to demographic and urban shrinkage. Today, Rustbelt areas are still recovering from the severe transformation processes they went through. Some revitalization strategies have paid off, but the …
Policy Responses to Urban Shrinkage
More and more European cities are confronted with population decline in a structural sense. This development of “urban shrinkage” has different causes, but similar effects: the city's hardware, software and mindware deteriorate. In this paper, we explore and assess policy strategies to respond to urban shrinkage in a European context. Four strategies are identified: (1) trivializing shrinkage, (2) countering shrinkage, (3) accepting shrinkage and…
Place Marketing in Shrinking Europe
One third of Europe's regions is confronted with a shrinking population: they are losing inhabitants due to ageing, low fertility and brain drain. To turn the tide, many local authorities invest in place marketing aimed at attracting new residents and firms. This paper deals with the question as to how useful place marketing to beat demographic shrinkage really is. Theoretical and empirical insights from geography (e.g. place fuzziness, sense of …
A View on Creative Cities Beyond the Hype
Fuelled by the influential work of urban guru Richard Florida, the European knowledge economy is seeing a rise of cities calling themselves ‘creative cities’. In this paper we have a look at the concept of creative cities and offer a view on them beyond the hype. We understand ‘creative cities’ as competitive urban areas that combine both concentration, diversity, instability as well as a positive image. Examples of creative cities in history and…
The New Economic Geography of Old Industrial Regions
The knowledge economy appears to be problematic for old industrial regions, as lock-in and restructuring remove assets for innovation from their territories, as well as for the kinds of policy which can stimulate their economies. In this paper we explore whether universities can provide points of stability within which such locked-in regions can strengthen their innovation systems and attract external investment in knowledge capital. Using the ca…
Borders, bridges and branding
This article explores the spatial-economic transformation of the Scandinavian Øresund Region over the last decades with a focus on the role of place marketing (branding) in this transition process. Although the Øresund Region, in which Copenhagen and Malmö cooperate, is often highlighted as a European model for cross-border cooperation, this paper argues for a more nuanced view. To be sure, the branding of the Øresund builds upon unique regional …
The Rise of the Creative Class
What is the main source of economic growth in the twenty-first century? If we listen to today’s analysts and politicians, the answer to this question comprises something like ‘competition’, ‘knowledge’ or ‘technology’. According to the American economist Richard Florida, however, none of these three factors are fundamental growth drivers: in the end, he says, economic growth is driven by human creativity – and because creativity flourishes best i…
Silicon Somewhere
Public authorities in the European Union actively promote the dissemination of so-called ‘best practices’ in regional policy. With the help of scoreboards, case studies and interregional benchmarks, policy makers hope to improve the competitiveness of Europe's regions. In practice, however, this development has resulted in a tendency for regions to simply imitate a limited number of alleged success stories such as Silicon Valley. Hence, we can ob…
How to create a creative city? The viewpoints of Richard Florida and Jane Jacobs
Purpose - The paper aims to explore to what extent policy makers can create a "creative city", that is, an urban environment capable of generating creativity, innovation and thus economic growth. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is set up as an interview with Richard Florida and his mentor Jane Jacobs, two of today's most famous specialists on urban development. Findings - The main conclusion from the double interview is that a creative ci…
Best Practices' and the Dilemma of Regional Cluster Policy in Europe
Creative cities in Europe
The European knowledge economy requires “creative cities”, competitive urban areas that are able to combine concentration, diversity, instability and a positive image. Examples of creative cities in history and recent “best practices” of such cities in Europe show that local governments cannot plan knowledge, creativity and innovation from scratch. How, then, can policymakers help in preparing Europe's cities for the requirements of the knowledge…
Industrial Heritage Tourism and Regional Restructuring in the European Union
This paper explores the current trend among traditional industrial regions in Europe to launch initiatives in the field of 'industrial heritage tourism'. Increasingly, restoring and exploiting former industrial sites for touristic purposes is regarded as a useful strategy for regional renewal. After having discussed its background and categories, we argue that, theoretically, industrial heritage tourism could be an interesting 'new combination' f…
Regional Cluster Policies
This paper deals with an intriguing paradox that can be observed in today's regional economic policy making: whereas unique local factors are increasingly seen as the determinants of regional economic success, simultaneously more and more governments try to copy policy experiences that proved to be successful in a particular region. A good example here is the use of 'best practices' in the field of regional cluster policy. Cluster programs are be…
The New Economic Geography of Old Industrial Regions
The knowledge economy appears to be problematic for old industrial regions, as lock-in and restructuring remove assets for innovation from their territories, as well as for the kinds of policy which can stimulate their economies. In this paper we explore whether universities can provide points of stability within which such locked-in regions can strengthen their innovation systems and attract external investment in knowledge capital. Using the ca…
Regional Cluster Policies
This paper deals with an intriguing paradox that can be observed in today's regional economic policy making: whereas unique local factors are increasingly seen as the determinants of regional economic success, simultaneously more and more governments try to copy policy experiences that proved to be successful in a particular region. A good example here is the use of 'best practices' in the field of regional cluster policy. Cluster programs are be…
Silicon Somewhere
Public authorities in the European Union actively promote the dissemination of so-called ‘best practices’ in regional policy. With the help of scoreboards, case studies and interregional benchmarks, policy makers hope to improve the competitiveness of Europe's regions. In practice, however, this development has resulted in a tendency for regions to simply imitate a limited number of alleged success stories such as Silicon Valley. Hence, we can ob…
Place Marketing in Shrinking Europe
One third of Europe's regions is confronted with a shrinking population: they are losing inhabitants due to ageing, low fertility and brain drain. To turn the tide, many local authorities invest in place marketing aimed at attracting new residents and firms. This paper deals with the question as to how useful place marketing to beat demographic shrinkage really is. Theoretical and empirical insights from geography (e.g. place fuzziness, sense of …
A Short Reflection on City Branding and its Controversies
Thanks to its conceptual character the paper ‘City Branding: An Effective Assertion of Identity or a Transitory Marketing Trick?' by Kavaratzis and Ashworth (2005) is a classic piece in the area of place branding. The paper has been much cited in the literature, but did it really steer the further development of the field? Nearly fifteen years later, there is still a lot of debate in place branding circles. Taking the paper as a starting point I …
Best Practices' and the Dilemma of Regional Cluster Policy in Europe
Transformative Effects of Overtourism and Covid-19-Caused Reduction of Tourism on Residents—An Investigation of the Anti-Overtourism Movement on the Island of Mallorca
The coronavirus outbreak in late 2019 and the subsequent restrictions on mobility and physical contacts caused an extreme collapse of international tourism. Shortly before the pandemic turned the world upside down, one of the most pressing issues in global tourism was a phenomenon that became known as overtourism. It describes massively the negative impacts of tourism on destinations and the frustrated residents protesting against it, with discon…
Industrial Heritage Tourism and Regional Restructuring in the European Union
This paper explores the current trend among traditional industrial regions in Europe to launch initiatives in the field of 'industrial heritage tourism'. Increasingly, restoring and exploiting former industrial sites for touristic purposes is regarded as a useful strategy for regional renewal. After having discussed its background and categories, we argue that, theoretically, industrial heritage tourism could be an interesting 'new combination' f…
Regional Cluster Policies
This paper deals with an intriguing paradox that can be observed in today's regional economic policy making: whereas unique local factors are increasingly seen as the determinants of regional economic success, simultaneously more and more governments try to copy policy experiences that proved to be successful in a particular region. A good example here is the use of 'best practices' in the field of regional cluster policy. Cluster programs are be…
Creative cities in Europe
The European knowledge economy requires “creative cities”, competitive urban areas that are able to combine concentration, diversity, instability and a positive image. Examples of creative cities in history and recent “best practices” of such cities in Europe show that local governments cannot plan knowledge, creativity and innovation from scratch. How, then, can policymakers help in preparing Europe's cities for the requirements of the knowledge…
How to create a creative city? The viewpoints of Richard Florida and Jane Jacobs
Purpose - The paper aims to explore to what extent policy makers can create a "creative city", that is, an urban environment capable of generating creativity, innovation and thus economic growth. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is set up as an interview with Richard Florida and his mentor Jane Jacobs, two of today's most famous specialists on urban development. Findings - The main conclusion from the double interview is that a creative ci…
Best Practices' and the Dilemma of Regional Cluster Policy in Europe
Borders, bridges and branding
This article explores the spatial-economic transformation of the Scandinavian Øresund Region over the last decades with a focus on the role of place marketing (branding) in this transition process. Although the Øresund Region, in which Copenhagen and Malmö cooperate, is often highlighted as a European model for cross-border cooperation, this paper argues for a more nuanced view. To be sure, the branding of the Øresund builds upon unique regional …
The Rise of the Creative Class
What is the main source of economic growth in the twenty-first century? If we listen to today’s analysts and politicians, the answer to this question comprises something like ‘competition’, ‘knowledge’ or ‘technology’. According to the American economist Richard Florida, however, none of these three factors are fundamental growth drivers: in the end, he says, economic growth is driven by human creativity – and because creativity flourishes best i…
Silicon Somewhere
Public authorities in the European Union actively promote the dissemination of so-called ‘best practices’ in regional policy. With the help of scoreboards, case studies and interregional benchmarks, policy makers hope to improve the competitiveness of Europe's regions. In practice, however, this development has resulted in a tendency for regions to simply imitate a limited number of alleged success stories such as Silicon Valley. Hence, we can ob…
The New Economic Geography of Old Industrial Regions
The knowledge economy appears to be problematic for old industrial regions, as lock-in and restructuring remove assets for innovation from their territories, as well as for the kinds of policy which can stimulate their economies. In this paper we explore whether universities can provide points of stability within which such locked-in regions can strengthen their innovation systems and attract external investment in knowledge capital. Using the ca…
A View on Creative Cities Beyond the Hype
Fuelled by the influential work of urban guru Richard Florida, the European knowledge economy is seeing a rise of cities calling themselves ‘creative cities’. In this paper we have a look at the concept of creative cities and offer a view on them beyond the hype. We understand ‘creative cities’ as competitive urban areas that combine both concentration, diversity, instability as well as a positive image. Examples of creative cities in history and…
Place Marketing in Shrinking Europe
One third of Europe's regions is confronted with a shrinking population: they are losing inhabitants due to ageing, low fertility and brain drain. To turn the tide, many local authorities invest in place marketing aimed at attracting new residents and firms. This paper deals with the question as to how useful place marketing to beat demographic shrinkage really is. Theoretical and empirical insights from geography (e.g. place fuzziness, sense of …
Policy Responses to Urban Shrinkage
More and more European cities are confronted with population decline in a structural sense. This development of “urban shrinkage” has different causes, but similar effects: the city's hardware, software and mindware deteriorate. In this paper, we explore and assess policy strategies to respond to urban shrinkage in a European context. Four strategies are identified: (1) trivializing shrinkage, (2) countering shrinkage, (3) accepting shrinkage and…
Rustbelt
Rustbelt areas have a glorious past but face an uncertain future. During their industrial heydays they used to be strong manufacturing centers, but since the second half of the twentieth century their position has been eroded in the global economy, leading to demographic and urban shrinkage. Today, Rustbelt areas are still recovering from the severe transformation processes they went through. Some revitalization strategies have paid off, but the …
New horizons for old industrial areas
This article explores social capital in the shrinking old industrial area of Blaenau Gwent, Wales. The results indicate that economic change has impacted the social capital in unfavourable ways, leading to mistrust, a negative image of the area, low empowerment and low participation. Tradition appears to have played a strong role in disabling the transformation of the area, but new paths for social development are emerging slowly. Changes in soci…
A Short Reflection on City Branding and its Controversies
Thanks to its conceptual character the paper ‘City Branding: An Effective Assertion of Identity or a Transitory Marketing Trick?' by Kavaratzis and Ashworth (2005) is a classic piece in the area of place branding. The paper has been much cited in the literature, but did it really steer the further development of the field? Nearly fifteen years later, there is still a lot of debate in place branding circles. Taking the paper as a starting point I …
Transformative Effects of Overtourism and Covid-19-Caused Reduction of Tourism on Residents—An Investigation of the Anti-Overtourism Movement on the Island of Mallorca
The coronavirus outbreak in late 2019 and the subsequent restrictions on mobility and physical contacts caused an extreme collapse of international tourism. Shortly before the pandemic turned the world upside down, one of the most pressing issues in global tourism was a phenomenon that became known as overtourism. It describes massively the negative impacts of tourism on destinations and the frustrated residents protesting against it, with discon…
Cittaslow
In the literature, Cittaslow is cited as one of the few practical examples of Degrowth at the local level. However, various studies on the implementation of the Cittaslow philosophy suggest that it often has a promotional character. This paper therefore analyses the theoretical concepts of Cittaslow and Degrowth in order to identify overlaps and differences in their frameworks. In addition, a study of the Cittaslow member municipality of Artà in …
Political science (15 works) · Economics (12 works) · Geography (11 works) · Business (9 works) · Economic geography (9 works) · Law (9 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Economy (7 works) · Cultural Industries and Urban Development (6 works) · Regional Development and Policy (6 works)