49

This paper deals with French tramway station names and methods which determine them, and fits into “critical toponymy” thinking of several geographers since the 2000s. After highlighting the powerful effect of the political symbolism of the tramway in France is, the Authors classify names into model types according to their context of formalisation and the spatial dimension they refer to, and focus on toponymic policies of Brest and Montpellier networks. This helps explain the way names are strategically appropriated in order to be performative, in spite of the fact that at first sight, tram place names deeply depend on the pre-existing urban morphology. Some highly specific processes used to produce translations and representations of geographical referents of these place names are defined in the article. These considerations lead the Authors to consider that tramway station names are not only basic landmarks but also artefacts of a meaningful political message which drives the competitive metropolisation of regional urban areas in France. Analysis of emblematic cases of toponymy and their stakeholders draws potentially interesting conclusions for studies of new codes of public governance, such as the quest for the perfect participative model and the growing role of private actors.