Every city has a DNA, and understanding it is the key to purposeful strategy in a global age.
A city’s DNA defines its form, function and future. It is written into its history, passed down from one generation to the next. The embedded decisions and sunk investments in one cycle become inherited assets in the next. Cities also encounter key moments in their history, that turn out to be ‘forks in the road’ where a decision to go for a choice or an approach hasunknowable longer term effects.
As cities face up to urgent and immediate challenges, the assets and relationships that make up this unique ‘code’ can be easily overlooked. But finding, adopting and communicatingtheir DNA can often be the critical ingredient if cities are to build the social capital and global visibility their need.
Based in London and active in more than 20 cities worldwide, The DNA of Cities helps city leaders to identify their city’s DNA and develop their strategies and narrative accordingly.
We help cities to:
This report explains the value of a city brand in signposting what makes a a city different and communicating it essential DNA. Brands are 'stories' that drive demand to support, visit, live in, work in or invest in a city – internally and externally. The report highlights the value of intentional communication with defined audiences around the city's values, opportunities and strategy – and how this narrative is relevant and compelling.
The Committee for Sydney has recently published a new first-among-equalsbenchmarking study carried out by The Business of Cities, which compares Sydney’s performance with 32 other peer cities.