This essay focuses on public authorities utilising the notion of ‘neighbourhood identity' for guidance in city making. It was born of a twofold fascination: in both Switzerland and France, the concept of ‘neighbourhood' is omnipresent in urban policymaking and town planning projects, albeit with constantly shifting meanings, such that the extent of its influence might be surprising. In both Switzerland and France, the neighbourhood seems to be the scale by which a specific type of anchoring is understood, which deserves special treatment in terms of identity. I am interested in the tactical use of such categories (to the extent that they may be a means to an end) within the framework of a strategic moment of city making: the urban project.