From Subcultures to City Branding: Grassroots Narratives in Bandung’s Sustainable Urban Tourism
From Subcultures to City Branding: Grassroots Narratives in Bandung’s Sustainable Urban Tourism

Summary/Abstract: Background/purpose. Bandung’s urban subcultures play an increasingly important role in shaping participatory city branding within the broader agenda of sustainable urban development. However, the ways in which grassroots creative communities contribute to city identity and cocreate branding narratives remain underexplored. This study aims to examine how Bandung’s subcultural groups—spanning music, fashion, art, and other creative scenes—produce cultural values, narratives, and collaborative practices that reinforce the city’s brand authenticity. Materials/methods. A qualitative single-case study design was employed, drawing on semi-structured interviews with 13 participants and participant observations across various creative subcultures in Bandung. Narrative branding, participatory governance, and postsubcultural theory guided the analytical framework. Data were coded using thematic analysis to identify recurring cultural values and patterns of grassroots participation within the city’s branding ecosystem. Results. The analysis reveals three integrated domains of grassroots contribution: (1) Cultural infrastructure, demonstrated through community-led creative spaces and cultural learning environments; (2) Social capital and collaboration, characterized by mutual aid, inclusivity, volunteerism, and cross-sector partnerships; (3) Identity narratives and place attachment, expressed through heritage storytelling, visual culture, and community-based creative events. Together, these domains show that Bandung’s subcultures act as co-producers of an authentic and emotionally resonant city brand, strengthening cultural resilience and sustainability. Conclusion. Bandung’s grassroots creative networks significantly enrich participatory city branding by generating culturally grounded narratives and collaborative practices. The study contributes a Global South perspective to place-branding scholarship and highlights the strategic importance of informal creative actors in shaping sustainable city identities. Policy implications point to the need for inclusive governance structures that integrate grassroots narratives into formal urban development strategies.

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