TITLE:
Hybrid Urban Identity—The Case of Rotterdam
AUTHORS:
Peter Nientied
KEYWORDS:
Urban Identity, Place Attachment, Rotterdam, Urban Development
JOURNAL NAME:
Current Urban Studies,
Vol.6 No.1,
March
27,
2018
ABSTRACT: This essay aims to investigate the development of Rotterdam’s urban identity.
It is a case study, with a theoretical reflection on the concept of urban identity.
Rotterdam is a post-industrial port city in a process of physical, social and
economic transformations. A narrative is developed on urban identity along
the frame of a research on Rotterdam’s identity 15 years ago that identified
aspects of what was “typical Rotterdam”. It is clarified that Rotterdam’s identity
is changing. The physical reconstruction period is finished, the port facilities
have moved to the shore and a much more diverse population and culture,
are factors influencing Rotterdam’s identity. And values, such as the feminization
of society, start to play a role. The conclusion is that Rotterdam’s
identity becomes more hybrid.