Greifswald: das Image als Faktor der Stadtentwicklung; eine qualitative Untersuchung zur Stadtmarketing-Konzeption

Abstract

The present paper analyses the image of the Hither Pomeranian city of Greifswald as a preliminary study of a city marketing concept. The author determines the image formed by so-called resident "experts" by means of a qualitative poll and additionally compares that picture to the opinion of non-resident visitors to the city. The image analysis pinpoints the city's weak and strong points and indicates the components which must be discussed in order to improve the city's attractiveness and to further its locational advantages. This discusion should be an integral part of the city marketing strategy. The points which are most cited in the image analysis of the city of Greifswald can be considered as the important items of discussion and approach in the city marketing strategy. Figuring above all among them are those qualitative characteristics which refer to the overall urban development and which also partially include the region. The first rank is held by the qualitative image characteristics of "City in attractive environment" and "Location of nuclear power station". The characteristic of „City in attractive environment“ expresses a generally positive basic attitude towards the city, even though it also restricts the advantage to a certain extent by indicating the disadvantage of the peripheral location. The attribute "Location of a nuclear power station" expresses a mostly negative basic attitude towards the city. Three other image components directly refer to the city itself: "City with a historic structure of building", "Small university city" and "Birth town of Caspar David Friedrichs". Those elements are positively rated without exception, even though the opinions of their actual value are more differentiated. So, for instance, the positively valued historical building structure is contrasted to the actual state of decay. When considering the recent approaches of city marketing in Greifswald, it becomes evident that the discussion has been focussed on the development of the city centre. The recognized deficits in the need of renovation of the old city, in the revival of public space and the recovery of the retail trade, in gastronomy as well as in cultural amenities take priority among the tasks to be solved.