The Evolution of Urban Consumption Scenarios. The Case of San Andrés Street in The City of A Coruña

Abstract

This research study explores the backdrops of the contemporary city by reviewing the relationship between the urban identities and the most representative iconography elements of such places. The social identity assumed by individuals is produced by forces beyond the complex web of interactions which take place within a given cultural context. Since the emergence of the nineteenth-century urban planning, modern cities have been reshaped according to the territorial needs that arose from the economic activities led by the industrial and commercial bourgeoisie. The developments in international markets along with the relocation of most part of the industry and the cultural patterns embedded into the production of goods in advanced capitalist societies have driven the global phenomenon of corporate brands. Competing with each other to attract investors, citizens and tourists, the cities, which have turned into a commodity, have redesigned their own identities by resorting to the brand-fetish.