For the start of this project I wanted to get an idea of what cities councils actually do, because I really don't know at this stage. I think my lack of understanding could be fed into the brief at a later stage, as I feel this branding and identity brief is pushing more towards promoting the positive aspects of the council, as they're often over looked.
I looked at the council for my home city, York. Their home page displayed the vast range of things which they do to benefit the city - and some other useful links.
The negatives typically seem to over shadow the positives. Looking back to last year, when the council closed a bridge, Lendal Bridge, and placed a charge for crossing it in a car, which turned out they had no right to do. Which lead to them refunding all those charged - this massively overshadowed any positive development or events in the city.
Positives
- Managing the city, it runs, it work
- Recycling - the city's green policy
- City Development - The future of the city's appearance and functionality
- Schools
- Heritage - which is extremely important in cities like York
- Travel - public transport, which can also be a negative, however that's typically not completely down to the council
- Health and Wellbeing - Hospital, sporting events such as the York 10K
Negatives
- Power
- Taxes
- Travel
The corporate controlling nature of the council is really makes people want to avoid dealing and interacting with them. I think the rebranding should be an attempt to rectify this.
The brand should be about looking towards the future, the projects, the development and the ideas which will transform the city in a positive manner. Impactful, for the better good - rather than trying to impair society.
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