Using Branding to Revitalize Downtowns
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USING BRANDING TO REVITALIZE DOWNTOWNS A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master in Urban and Regional Planning By Cynthia Burgos 2019 SIGNATURE PAGE THESIS: USING BRANDING TO REVITALIZE DOWNTOWNS AUTHOR: Cynthia Burgos DATE SUBMITTED: Summer 2019 Department of Urban and Regional Planning Dr. Dina Abdulkarim Thesis Committee Chair Urban and Regional Planning Dr. Julianna Delgado Urban and Regional Planning Professor Richard Zimmer Urban and Regional Planning ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to thank my thesis advisor Dr. Dina Abdulkarim of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Cal Poly Pomona. I am extremely thankful and indebted to Dr. Abdulkarim for her valuable guidance and encouragement. I would also like to take this opportunity to express gratitude to all of the Department faculty members for their help and support. Finally, I must express my very profound gratitude to my Mother, my sister Leticia and my study buddy Max for providing me with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout my years of study and through the process of researching and writing this thesis. This accomplishment would not have been possible without them. Thank you. iii ABSTRACT The goal of this thesis is to analyze how cities use branding as a tool for revitalizing their downtown areas. Past studies have focused on the individual aspects of branding, such as creating a sense of place or a business mix, but little attention has been paid to the collective process of implementing a brand. Hence, the objective of this thesis was to study how two cities used branding to revitalize their downtowns. The cities of Brea and Santa Ana were selected as case studies because each city took a different approach to branding. Brea created a brand first and then built a downtown to match its brand, while Santa Ana rebranded its downtown by focusing on changing the existing businesses and attracting a new demographic into the area. Data for this research was collected using public records, direct observation and interviews. The objective of examining public records was to gain a preliminary understanding of the cities, while the interviews shed light on the decision- making and challenges behind implementing the brand. Based on the research, a list of findings were created, including community involvement, identifying an area’s assets and weaknesses, developing a plan, implementing policies, and reviewing, analyzing and modifying the brand. However, since this thesis was limited in time and scope, further research is needed to gain a full understanding of the branding process. Future research should focus on a longitudinal study that could examine the long-term benefits and weaknesses of branding. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS SIGNATURE PAGE ........................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iv FIGURES .......................................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................ 4 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 4: BREA: FAMILY ORIENTED DESTINATION ...................................... 23 CHAPTER 5: SANTA ANA: AN ENTERTAINMENT ORIENTED DESTINATION. 44 CHAPTER 6: FINDINGS ................................................................................................ 86 CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION ......................................................................................... 96 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 97 APPENDIX A: David Crabtree, City of Brea Community Development Director ....... 106 APPENDIX B: Michael Guzman, Brea Chamber of Commerce………………………108 APPENDIX C: Leslie De LA Rosa, Brea Downtown Owners Association……..…......111 APPENDIX D: Leigh A. Eisen, Santa Ana Downtown Development Liaison…….…..112 APPENDIX E: Francisco Martinez, Santa Ana Resident ............................................... 114 APPENDIX F: Kay Ayazi, Santa Ana Business Owner................................................. 117 APPENDIX G: Maricela Vela, Santa Ana Business Owner .......................................... 122 v APPENDIX H: Ryan Smolar, BID Manager for Downtown Inc. .................................. 126 APPENDIX I: Madeline Spencer, Santa Ana Business Council Representative…........128 APPENDIX J: Sean Coolidge, Eat DTSA ...................................................................... 132 vi FIGURES Figure 1. Illustration of the three phases of development in Downtown Brea, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)……………………………………………………………………28 Figure 2. Photo of Gateway Center, by Colliers International (2019). Retrieved from https://www.realmassive.com/media/4839255556751360....................................29 Figure 3. Photo of Ash Street Cottages, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)………………….…30 Figure 4. Photo of Birch Street Promenade, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)………………...31 Figure 5. Photo of Downtown Brea, May 1975. By W. Weiss (1975). Orange County Archives. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/ocarchives/1244304614.......................................33 Figure 6. Photo of outdoor seating on Birch Street Promenade, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)………………………………………………………………………….…34 Figure 7. Photo of Brea sign, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)……………………………..…37 Figure 8. Photo of “Charlie’s Clock”, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)………………………38 vii Figure 9. Photo of Spurgeon Building 1953. By Online Archive of California (1953). Retrieved from https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/c85m64gg/?brand=oac4............51 Figure 10. Photo of Spurgeon Building, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)………………….…51 Figure 11. Illustration of Downtown Santa Ana, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)……………52 Figure 12. Photo of Savor Santa Ana at the Fourth Street Market, by Cynthia Burgos (2018)………………………………………………………………………….…63 Figure 13. Photo of Noche de Altares, by Cynthia Burgos (2018)……………...………65 Figure 14. Photo of the East End, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)……………………..…….67 Figure 15. Photo of the Artist Village Apartments, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)…………68 Figure 16. Illustration of the Artist Village, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)……………...…69 Figure 17. Photo of the Santora Building, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)……………..……71 Figure 18. Illustration of the East End, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)………………...……72 Figure 19. Photo of the Yost Theater, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)………………………73 viii Figure 20. Photo of Fiesta Marketplace in 2002, by Santa Ana Public Library/Santa Ana History Room Photograph Collection (2002). Retrieved from http://imgzoom.cdlib.org/Fullscreen.ics?ark=ark:/13030/kt396nb7wv/z1&&brand =oac4......................................................................................................................74 Figure 21. Photo of the East End, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)……………………...……75 Figure 22. Illustration of the West End, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)……………….……75 Figure 23. Photo of the West End Theater, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)…………………77 Figure 24. Illustration of La Cuatro, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)……………………...…78 Figure 25. Photo of La Cuatro, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)……………………………...79 Figure 26. Photo of Downtown Santa Ana Signage, by Cynthia Burgos (2019)……..…82 ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION This thesis examines how two cities have used branding to revitalize their downtowns. Historically, downtowns have played a critical role in the economy of cities, with many constituting a sizable share of a city’s tax base. However, with increasing competition from malls, superstores, retail parks, and online retailers, many downtowns have been unable to compete effectively. The decline of downtowns began in the 1950s when stores that were once located downtown relocated to strip malls and shopping malls in suburban neighborhoods. The opening of the first suburban shopping mall in 1956, increased automobile ownership, and the arrival of the interstate highway all contributed to the mass departure of retail from downtowns. For decades, as shopping malls became more popular, many cities ignored their downtowns in favor of new and modern malls. However, in the last twenty years, many cities have once again begun to see the benefit of having an active downtown. Since the 1970s, the majority of US cities have undertaken redevelopment of their downtowns, resulting in a revitalization of these areas (Sneed, 2011). No longer merely shopping destinations, downtowns are once again becoming the core of their respective towns. Creating a downtown brand has become one of cities’ main strategies for revitalizing their downtowns. Branding is defined as the promotion of a particular product or company through advertising and distinctive design. Although typically associated with companies and products, branding has become a strategy that cities use to attract customers to their downtowns. Downtown branding uses traditional branding techniques such as 1 slogans, signs, and logos, but they further create a brand by