The next big thing will be branded districts, monuments and locations. Corporations with huge bankbooks are buying public spaces in order to exploit potential cash cows and to own a unique piece of property. For this to be a viable investment there must be a high turnover of people who will pay to visit places they once visited for free.
One such example of public privatisation may be happening in London's Chinatown right now. A firm called Rosewheel intends to reconstruct a part of the urban attraction. A new Chinese-themed shopping mall will be known as the "Chinatown Gateway". Part of the reconstruction will involve disassembling the famous red pagoda and rebuilding it as the centrepiece of the mall. The pagoda is strategically placed to maximise feng shui and moving it may affect its power - if you believe in that sort of thing. It is rumoured that Rosewheel also want to make a private road out of that stretch of Charing Cross Road which touches Chinatown, and enclose the adjacent Newport Court. This scares me.
As well as tourist districts like Chinatown, tourist locations such as the Scottish Highlands could be up for grabs. Take what is happening in America's national parks; in the past couple of years, visitors have increased dramatically whilst the National Park Services' budget has been cut. The Bush administration has privatised 1,700 positions in the park service; the administration believing that private businesses can more cheaply do the same tasks performed by the park rangers, scientists, and maintenance staff. Sainsbury's Lake District anyone?
Following on from the O2 Millennium Dome and the Emirates Arsenal Stadium, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge could be one of the first landmarks to be branded. It is facing an $87 million deficit and San Francisco is turning to alternative sources of funding. One of the potential sources includes sponsorship. Mary Currie, spokeswoman for the Golden Gate Bridge District says that “This is not a naming rights deal; it's more of a behind-the-scenes, low-key corporate partnership, much like the Proud Partners Program in the national parks”. The Golden Gate Bridge could become the McDonald's Golden ArchesBridge. One can only imagine the possibilities and premium the Empire State Building or Tower Bridge would generate.
Blair branded England “Cool Britannia”, in New York there are “air rights” determining how high you can build, and we already have branded water. We may not be so far from “you are now arriving at Shell London”.
