Deconstructing the Connectivity of the  Equator City  Branding as an Instrument of Public Policy Communication with Tourism Infrastructure Development in Pontianak

Heriyanto; Zulkifli; Fajar Aminullah

doi:10.61100/tacit.v4i2.380

Authors

Heriyanto Politeknik Negeri Pontianak
Zulkifli Politeknik Negeri Pontianak
Fajar Aminullah Politeknik Negeri Pontianak

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61100/tacit.v4i2.380

Keywords:

City Branding, Institutional Interpretation, Public Policy Communication, Tourism Infrastructure, Inter-Agency Coordination

Abstract

City branding can function as public policy communication when a shared urban identity is translated into planning and physical development. This study examines how Pontianak’s “Equator City” identity is interpreted and translated into tourism infrastructure across local government institutions. Using a qualitative case study, data were drawn from semi-structured interviews with three institutionally positioned informants from BAPERIDA, PUPR, and Disporapar, supported by local planning documents. The findings reveal an institutional interpretation gap: although the three agencies broadly share the symbolic meaning of Equator City, they attach different operational meanings to it according to their institutional mandates. Infrastructure may therefore substantively support the city’s identity without being intentionally designed to communicate it. The study also distinguishes procedural coordination from substantive coordination, showing that routine inter-agency collaboration does not necessarily produce a shared interpretation of city identity. These findings highlight intra-governmental interpretation as an important link between city branding, public policy communication, and infrastructure development.

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