Social evaluation is a primary concern for places and cities due to competitiveness and economic liberalization. Territorial stigma, characterized as the "blemish of place," affects areas by attaching a negative public image, which can obscure actual qualities and practices, leading to enduring economic and social consequences. While existing research has explored media and political production, consequences and resident responses to stigma, limited attention has been paid to its longitudinal construction, evolution and maintenance over time. Addressing this gap, we investigate the case study of Grenoble, France, through a comprehensive analysis of media discourse and qualitative examination of press articles. We unpack the social evaluation of the territory over 30 years and six periods of time to highlight how the stigma of violence and insecurity evolved and is nurtured by different events. Our findings contribute to the literature on territorial stigma by showing the social process dynamic of such stigma on the long term, and how event stigma and core stigma interplay to change its nature and characteristics, giving it a new meaning.
