City Authentic: How the Attention Economy Builds Urban America

by David A. Banks

The first book to explore how our cities gentrify by becoming social media influencers—and why it works.
 
Cities, like the people that live in them, are subject to the attention economy. In The City Authentic, author David A. Banks shows how cities are transforming themselves to appeal to modern desires for authentic urban living through the attention-grabbing tactics of social media influencers and reality-TV stars.
 
Blending insightful analysis with pop culture, this engaging study of New York State’s Capital Region is an accessible glimpse into the social phenomena that influence contemporary cities. The rising economic fortunes of cities in the Rust Belt, Banks argues, are due in part to the markers of its previous decay—which translate into signs of urban authenticity on the internet. The City Authentic unpacks the odd connection between digital media and derelict buildings, the consequences of how we think about industry and place, and the political processes that have enabled a new paradigm in urban planning. Mixing urban sociology with media and cultural studies, Banks offers a lively account of how urban life and development are changing in the twenty-first century.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Urbanism, Urban Planning, History, Cities, Urban

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 2023

Reviews

[Maya Greally · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was like reading a research paper. wish that he included more stories like the ones featured at the end as examples of the theories and stuff he was talking about. also didn’t help i’m just a genius with fantastic intuition so i inherently already understood a lot of the ideas he was putting forth. tbh nothing revolutionary or all too unique.

[David Ivany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a slower read, very dense but I learned so much about what it is to be or become a modern city/town. It's primarily about how one utilizes the moving target of authenticity to create conditions for gentrifying to cosmopolitan job sectors. An example would be if The Foundry had previously been a (very small?) foundry and offered a cocktail with the name of the owner as a nod to the history of the space, in hopes to build a vibe of a genuine experience with thereness. The stats in the book got to be a bit much but I appreciated how well drawn the links between modern city planning connects with influencer culture and recognizing that this process is fundamentally about growth from outside the community to the detriment of those already in it.

[Christian Matyi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book of important concepts dragged down a little bit by its own theory-building. I would indeed recommend this, however, with a slight caveat.

The conceit of the book is powerful, intelligent, and fascinating. It presents well-constructed thought and substantive supporting documentation to make a case for the theory that we are in the age of "The City Authentic." That was the hook that got me to start the book. I was enamored with the idea, and wanted to see both how the author constructs this wise theory, and how it manifests in our world. I was frustrated by the fact that the book is primarily the former, barely the latter.

Don't get me wrong: the book is well written. The author does keep his tone lively, so it is not that the volume is a project to read. It just does so much work theory building that it gets, well, boring at it's own expense.

This concept is timely and curious. And yet the style – anecdote after anecdote married to on-the-books facts – feels simultaneously over-burdened and somehow unengaging.

In the end, it feels more like a defense of a thesis rather than an illustration of terrific theory.

So the recommendation is based on the concepts being very exciting, even if the read is not always. Because it's short, I would encourage folks to wade through it.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Historic preservation is not the problem here… there is plenty “authentic” to be found in our nation’s cities and towns. The issue here is economic development practices (and consequent gentrification) in the “attention economy,” which requires places to be packaged and marketed to appeal to perceived upper middle class tastes. All places “market” their history and culture to a certain degree- this is the historical basis of heritage tourism. I was hoping that this analysis would dive deeper into how communities could do both- promote heritage for development purposes, while stave off the relentless march of the Starbucks and Jamba Juices that follow the infusion of capital into local markets. I was super excited to pick this up, and I was able to follow Banks’ meandering thesis to its super odd conclusion, which he awkwardly presents as a fictive account of “authentic” urbanism in which decision making about place becomes more about how to live economically and compassionately in the world (in communal- presumably ahistorical space), rather than engaging superficially with the built environment and manufactured authenticity of an organically evolved space. More science fiction than solution.

[Jacob Chak · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first and third sections would likely be most interesting to city planners, urban enthusiasts and community organizers, specifically.

The musings on authenticity were great and took the form of many late night discussions with friends I've had. This is the discourse of our age: What does it mean to be authentic? Who is profiting off our craving for validation? Can we create societies (I think to the Jacobins here) that capture people's sentiments that things need to change?

Fun read!

[Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting conceptually, but a little overly extensive. I was a big fan at the authors ability to subtly build the marxist analysis of the modern city and overarching society. I liked the short bits of fiction used to illustrate what daily life looks/would look like under different circumstances. Main critique would be that the author spent too much time backing up each and every minor point, which makes the book a bit dry in parts.

[Max Steinberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very dense but analytic and even hopeful look at why every mid sized city is spiritually an ugly axe throwing bar and what we can do about it to make a better future. Very dense and academic, couple sections were a bit of snoozers to me personally but the last third or so was especially interesting (loved the Lorenz interview/input) and brought me smoothly to the end. Real interesting topic and history here, but a slow read that might get boring for those less interested in city planning.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Influencer city AKA Hell on earth

[Colleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Barely finished - deeply unreadable and strays heavily from the title and blurb.

[Jake Herman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really solid, with great and challenging ideas. looking forward to more from David. Very relevant as this authenticity peddling is becoming evident in the growth of Kansas City.

[Allegra · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down

[Bryan Rosenkranz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for better understanding of city development and corruption