Next American City: Neighborhoods as brands

Can cities be "copied and pasted" and still retain their cachet?

In the Next American City, Brendan Crain wonders if the trend of real-world places being refashioned as "brands" could lead to the reproduction of city neighborhoods around the world becoming commonplace.

The most interesting (terrifying?) example is the plan by developers in Dubai to reproduce a replica of the city center of Lyons, France.

How will the built environment influence citizens of the emirate? Will it shape them in ways similar to how it has shaped the Lyonnaise?

And does this taking something away from the Lyonnaise themselves - namely, their sense of place.

Does everywhere belong to everyone?