Place Theory Research Articles

The Inuit Searching for “Place” in The Ice Whale

Place theory is an emerging theory in the field of ecological criticism, emphasizing the psychological attachment, emotional connection, and self-identification of people to specific natural areas. The Inuit in Jean Craighead George’s The Ice Whale are deeply connected to the Arctic Ocean, and the Inuit region becomes a “place” about where the “self” is. Technological violence that some humans have inflicted on nature and the excessive pursuit of the economy has destroyed the marine ecology and plunged the Inuit into a state of “non-place.” The author reconstructs the ”place” by imagination, aiming to arouse children’s love for the ecological environment through the beautiful conception and call for the construction of a community of shared future for mankind.

Analysis of the spatial characteristics and driving forces of underground consumer service space in Chinese megacities based on multi-source data

Underground consumer service spaces (UCSS) offer new solutions for urban residents’ daily needs, but existing studies on their distribution and driving forces are often fragmented and overshadowed by research on other underground spaces, lacking targeted analysis. This study examines UCSS in the central urban areas of seven representative Chinese megacities. Using spatial analysis methods like kernel density estimation, multi-distance spatial clustering, and geographical detectors, the spatial characteristics and driving forces of UCSS are analyzed alongside aboveground consumer service spaces (ACSS). Results show that both ACSS and UCSS exhibit multi-centered, concentric spatial patterns, though UCSS demonstrates higher spatial aggregation. Unlike other underground public spaces (UPS), UCSS relies more on service industry agglomeration and market factors, while other UPS are more influenced by surrounding development intensity. UCSS follows the core principles of central place theory but deviates from the market-driven patterns typical of ACSS. Socioeconomic conditions and transportation infrastructure form the foundational basis for UCSS distribution, while service industry agglomeration, market dependence, and land development intensity exert more direct influence. The commercial atmosphere and existing underground space development play critical roles in UCSS distribution. Two key spatial scales for understanding UCSS distribution are the strong influence zones of shopping malls and metro stations, and high-density urban areas.

New England and Literary Tradition: Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost

This study explores how New England's cultural, historical, and environmental contexts have deeply influenced its literary tradition. By analyzing works from notable New England authors like Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost, the research investigates how the region's unique characteristics impact American literature's themes and storytelling styles. The paper establishes a theoretical foundation based on regionalism and sense of place theory to guide the in-depth analysis of literary texts. The main focus is on themes such as nature, morality, and community life that define New England's literary identity. This examination reveals the significant influence of the region on its writers. It contributes to a broader understanding of how geographical settings shape literary creativity.

Assessing rural revitalization potential through rural transformation degree and sustainability: A quantitative study of 460 case villages in Lingbao, China

Extensive international experience shows that only villages with sustainable transformation achieve rural revitalization, while those with intense but unsustainable or stagnant transformation struggle to revitalize. However, this cognition lacks robust quantitative substantiation. Therefore, we established a rural revitalization potential assessment framework based on the rural transformation degree and sustainability, employing the Penalty for a Bottleneck (PFB) method and Entropy Function to measure the rural transformation degree and sustainability of 460 villages in Lingbao City, Henan Province, China, from 2000 to 2021, thus evaluating rural revitalization potential. The Mann-Kendall (MK) test was conducted to detect rural transformation thresholds, further quantifying the spatial relationship between rural transformation degree and sustainability through bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis (BSA). Our findings resonate with the central place theory that villages near those at advanced stages of development struggle to transform sustainably. Additionally, with the optimization of rural population density, and land use structure, these villages demonstrated a discernible upward trajectory in transformation sustainability. Villages with the highest rural revitalization potential were predominantly distributed in the northern of the Yellow River terrace, while those in the southwestern mountainous areas lacked revitalization potential due to low transformation degree. Generally, villages at higher altitudes and steeper slopes exhibited lower rural transformation degree, sustainability, and revitalization potential. With 30 km as the critical point, rural revitalization potential decreased initially and then increased with distance from the county government seat. This study provides essential references for the rational allocation of rural transformation and revitalization resources and for optimizing rural development planning.

Consuming placelessness: a geographic critique of current Antarctic tourism development

This paper explores the ongoing development of products, activities, and experiences in the rapidly expanding Antarctic tourism industry and their potential implications for the production of Antarctic places. Informed by theories of place and placelessness, the paper identifies three particular place framings informed by tourism diversification: the compression of time and space, the detachment of Antarctica from Earth, and the progressive consumption of wilderness through luxury and comfort. The paper argues that these dynamics may contribute to a detachment from the ways in which Antarctic places are situationally and materially assembled, leading to the abstraction, simplification, and obfuscation of socio-material relations making for a place. The possible consequence is the transformation of the Antarctic into a placeless space of consumption. By emphasizing the detachment facilitated by certain prominent activities and infrastructure, the paper contributes to debates about tourism destination development, urging consideration of how tourism can be shaped to foster an appreciation of places in their own right.

Design transformations in monuments and memorials as monumental buildings: new perspectives on the place-making model

The monument, or the memorial, as a place of memory and emotional support, has been the focus of scholarly attention. Although existing studies have explored its space’s materialization, identity, history, and memory content, the materials about its design transformation have yet to be deeply excavated. Based on the relevant theories of place and place-making, the researchers constructed a knowledge system of the place-making model, the spatial vector pattern, and the worship behaviors of monuments. On this basis, a qualitative research methodology is adopted. Through case studies and participant observation, the design transformation of the monument/memorial is interpreted in the following five dimensions: function theme, morphology style, spatial relationship, visitor experience, and symbolic meaning. The results of this study show that the monument/memorial tends to promote in-depth public reflection and critical engagement with history, reflecting changes in how society perceives historical events. This research provides new perspectives for understanding the multidimensionality of the monument/memorial but also emphasizes the need to continue exploring its interaction with the socio-cultural context.

Architectural Narratives: Exploring Anandi by Ghulam Abbas within the nexus of Place Theory, Social Logic of Space and Phenomenology

Architectural Narratives: Exploring Anandi by Ghulam Abbas within the nexus of Place Theory, Social Logic of Space and Phenomenology

Mimesis, Diegesis, and Narrative Frames: Gregory, Beckett, McGuinness

Location always matters – especially in Irish drama. Drawing on the spatial theories of Michael Issacharoff, Hélène Laliberté and Ruth Ronen, the article investigates the unique interplay between dramatic space and the thematic concept of the universal in three Irish plays: Augusta Gregory’s The Workhouse Ward (1908), Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot (1953/55) and Frank McGuinness’s Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme (1985). I trace a special line of influence between these plays through the lens of spatial theory, and further the discussion of the geographies of Irish drama as examined in Chris Morash and Shaun Richard’s Mapping Irish Theatre: Theories of Space and Place (2013).

Representing Rural: A Critical Content Analysis of Contemporary Middle Grade Novels Set in Rural Places

Children’s literature contains shared meanings that not only reflect societal norms, but also reinstate and reconstitute societal norms. This study used critical content analysis methods grounded in place theory to analyze the textual constructions of rurality in 52 contemporary, middle grade, realistic fiction novels set in US rural places. Findings revealed five salient themes, three of which are discussed in this article: systems work to keep rural people in poverty; rural people have deep connections to place; and rural people have diverse, intersectional identities. While some middle grade books in the sample move toward challenging stereotypes of rural places as monolithic (e.g., White-majority, socially conservative) by including nuanced portrayals of some characters of color, LGBTQ+ characters, and characters with disabilities, others rely on simplistic and otherwise problematic representations, using familiar tropes about rural people that suggest racial and cultural homogeneity privileging Whiteness and making invisible BIPOC in rural communities. Given the powerful impact of stories on identity formation and sensemaking, this study analyzes textual representations of rural people and places in books for middle grade readers.

The Concept of the 'Neighbourhood' in Crime and Place Theory and Its Influence on Police Strategy

The neighbourhood is a basic unit in police work in the city. Throughout the twentieth and twenty- first centuries, theories of crime and place conceptualized the neighbourhood differently; some emphasized sociological aspects, while others focused on physical aspects. Each theory offers different practices for crime reduction and police action strategies in neighbourhoods. This paper shows how the police implement different strategies in a neighbourhood in South Tel Aviv. It argues that the diversity of approaches increases the range and areas of police intervention in the neighbourhood and empowers their control and effect on place. It indicates the dominance of physical and microgeographical approaches over sociological approaches. Methodologically, this paper uses a three-pronged approach: 1. In-depth interviews with police officers and other dominant actors in space; 2. Ethnographic work with the urban police; and 3. Spatial analysis of policework in the neighbourhood. The conclusion discusses the consequences and shortcomings of the current paradigm in policing and suggests three directions as departure points for new thinking on crime and neighbourhoods: rethinking scale; reassessing the subject of concern; and readdressing the entanglement between crime and space.

Villages in the City – Urban Planning for Neighbourhood Love

AbstractThe city comprises of a wide variety of heterogeneous territorial units (e.g. districts or neighbourhoods). In many – especially larger – cities, social capital assets (like community bonds) are mirrored at the level of neighbourhoods which form the home for many sociocultural communities or distinct socio‐economic classes. We postulate in this study that the big city is essentially an ‘archipelago’ made up of ‘urban villages’. We analyse the residents' perceived attractiveness regarding their daily local neighbourhood by introducing the concept of ‘village love’ (or ‘neighbourhood love’), inspired by the recent literature on ‘city love’ (comprising ‘body’, ‘soul’ and ‘community’ constituents of urban life). Based on an extensive and detailed multi‐annual database for all neighbourhoods in Rotterdam, the present paper seeks to identify the background factors shaping ‘village love’ in the city, with particular attention to the citizens' subjective appreciation for and access to a great variety of (physical and immaterial) urban amenities shaping the place‐based satisfaction of residents. The theoretical framing of our research resembles the basics of traditional central place theory here transmitted to the urban space in which local proximity to amenities plays a key role. A wide array of relevant amenities impacting on the place‐specific well‐being feelings (‘village love’) of residents in various neighbourhoods in the city of Rotterdam is distinguished using inter alia‐rich multi‐annual survey data. This approach is empirically tested and verified by means of LISA statistics and advanced spatial econometric dependence models (‘urbanometrics’). The findings confirm the usefulness of a central place interpretation of ‘urban village love’ in the city.

#Nowhereland

Rural places and small towns are highly valued by lifestyle migrants who wish to live close to nature (Verdich 2010) and have a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Ängsbacka is a course center and a community for alternative lifestyles, located on the outskirts of a small town in mid-Sweden. The center emphasizes community and belonging, while also being a place characterized by cosmopolitan taste patterns and constant mobility, which can be described as a cocoon community (following Korpela and Dervin 2013).
 The members of the cocoon community use social media platforms such as Instagram to make place for themselves, to communicate belonging. Through images, hashtags and captions, they make connections between various places, people, activities and emotions that together contribute to the user’s spatial self (Schwartz and Halegoua 2015) and to the place making efforts of the community. Those using the hashtag ängsbacka often do so to communicate a deep connection between the place and themselves. At the same time, while the local place and nature is at the center of their activities, it is simultaneously a mere backdrop for their projects of personal development.
 Using Ängsbacka as a case, the article adds to research about digital place making beyond cities, by examining how the local place is given meaning within a community defined by privileged mobility. To analyze the intermingling of the local and the global in the context of sustainability, I combine theories of place making with Carfagna et al’s (2014) concept of ecological habitus. I argue that discourses on sustainability and harmony with nature can create a connection and sense of belonging that combines the (hyper)local with global (alternative) lifestyles.

APPLICATION OF DIGITAL DESIGN OF TOURISM CENTRE OF SENDURO IN BROMO - TENGGER - SEMERU NATIONAL PARK, INDONESIA

Instagram able places is a new trend before the Covid-19 pandemic. The theory of Instagram able places has not yet developed in the Architectural field. Several business-related studies have proposed the use of social media, especially Instagram, to attract tourists to attractions. However, Instagram's design approach is only used by creating new building structures that alienate local ecology and dim cultural values. The Senduro Tourism Centre is used as an example of using Instagram for sustainable design at the tourism gate of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. The design of the Senduro Tourism Centre is carried out in such a way as to be able to move the economy of the tourism sector of Lumajang Regency in the pandemic era while maintaining the preservation of its natural and cultural assets to be sustainable. The Hindu-Sacred Profane (Tri-Mandala) zoning, and a sustainable design approach, are also used to ensure the sustainable tourism activities of Senduro. As a result, using digital design tools, we are able to process and present elements of the natural and cultural landscape in an attractive perspective through the design of the Senduro Tourism Centre scheme. In the future, Instagram's design approach can be used more sustainably in tourist attractions in Indonesia.

Applying Third Place Theory in a University Art Museum’s Community Collaborations: Successes and Challenges through Practices

Applying Third Place Theory in a University Art Museum’s Community Collaborations: Successes and Challenges through Practices

Research on Regional Tea Tourism Product Development Strategy Combined with RMP Analysis

Abstract Tea culture tourism perfectly combines agricultural economic development and cultural tourism, a new trend in today’s tourism industry development. Based on the life cycle theory of tourist places and RMP theory, this paper comprehensively analyzes the three core dimensions of regional tea culture tourism product development: resources, market and products, using Province F as a case study. In the resource dimension, the combination assignment method containing preference information was used to determine the weights, and the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model was applied to comprehensively evaluate the tea culture tourism resources. The market dimension analysis covers tea tourism’s development status and the characteristics of tourists’ travel behavior. For the product dimension, a quadrant diagram analysis was conducted using the IPA model by combining tourists’ perceived importance and satisfaction with the product. The study results show that Province F excels in tea tourism product development, with a comprehensive resource evaluation score of 90.756 points. Between 2010 and 2019, the tea tourism market received tourists at an average annual growth rate of 12.28%, reflecting the strong growth momentum of the market. Regarding product development, the average values of tourists’ perceived importance and satisfaction were 3.99 and 3.78, respectively, indicating that tourists’ overall satisfaction with tea tourism products is high. The study will help further enhance the attractiveness and competitiveness of tea tourism products and promote sustainable tourism development.

Theorizing architectural research and practice in the metaverse: the meta-context of virtual community engagement

PurposeThis article explores the implications of virtual social spaces for conceptualizing community engagement in the practice of architecture and design by critically analyzing multidisciplinary approaches to conceptualizing community namely space, place, and context to envision social spaces of virtual community engagement by architects and designers.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual article utilized narrative literature review as the primary method for conducting a transdisciplinary theoretical integration. First, the authors defined the metaverse as all manner of human-technological interaction. Second, the authors discussed theories of place from architecture, social geography, and human ecology and employed neoecological theory to describe the interactional processes inherent in research and practice with virtual communities. Finally, the authors documented specific types of virtual engagement strategies in architectural research and practice.FindingsVirtual environments provide varied opportunities for effective collaborations among architects, designers, and community members. The primary strategies identified by the literature review of virtual community engagement were collaborative, augmented reality, and situated digital experiences. In addition, researchers have found that the most effective community engagement bridges interactions in the physical space and digitally mediated interactions.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors advocate for increased research towards understanding how the expanded availability of more complex technological tools, such as future versions of artificial intelligence (AI) software, may further layer the landscape of community engagement in ways that may be unpredictable and currently less understood. Additional research is also needed to address participants' perspectives in virtual community engagement and explore how the building of communities in the meta-context is felt, lived, and understood by those who act in them.Practical implicationsThe availability of new technological tools and digital platforms challenges diverse professionals to expand their community-engaged practice into the metaverse. Although not every community has broadband Internet or software access, many physical locations whether community centers, libraries, schools, or one’s own home may serve as safe spaces for novel virtual engagement experiences by individuals and groups. Digital engagement can increase opportunities for involvement from persons who are home-bound, lack transportation or child-care to attend in-person community events, or may desire the anonymity afforded by virtual engagement.Social implicationsVirtual environments can provide varied opportunities for effective collaboration among architects, designers, and community members by overcoming physical or nonphysical barriers to in-person engagement. For example, recent case studies of civic and community organizations have successfully integrated physical and virtual community engagement during the global COVID-19 pandemic by overcoming physical or nonphysical barriers to in-person engagement. Community development theorists have referred to such contexts as a “post-place community” in which individuals find solidarity through digital global networks.Originality/valueThis article theorizes virtual community engagement in the metaverse from a transdisciplinary perspective and coins the innovative concept of meta-contexts to describe a global “post-place” community. Integrating theories of place from architecture, social geography, and human ecology guides an original review of effective strategies for meta-contextual digital community engagement by architects and designers.

The relevance of open space as a “third place” among urban low-income neighborhoods: A study based on Colombo

Open spaces in urban low-income settlements are a representation of a diverse socio-spatial landscape that is often neglected during urban development approaches. The loss of adequate open spaces, particularly during vertical resettlements, has resulted in oppressing the chance of continuing the unique social ties among those communities. To better understand the existing open spaces in urban low-income neighbourhoods, this research employs Ray Oldenburg's Third Place Theory, suggesting that they are citizen-initiated, dynamic, and informal gathering places where people tend to attend beyond home (first place) and work (second place). Getting insights from Wekanda in Slave Island, Colombo, the research highlights the physical setting, activities, and user values that are bound with the existing open spaces. In spite of the fact that they have the bare minimum of a fancy outlook, the in-depth analysis demonstrates that alleyways, spaces in-between houses, streets, and vacant lots in Wekanda are significant third places that ensure equal rights to space by providing a homely atmosphere for residents. On the other hand, the research highlights that some designed open spaces, such as small community parks have failed to exhibit expected third place qualities and should further consider their role by addressing user expectations.

Sonic placemaking—facilitating listening behaviour through design

In this article, we build on space and place theory to define sonic space and sonic place as fundamental concepts for designers who wish to incorporate audible elements into their work. Based on an interdisciplinary approach that brings together interaction design and sound studies, we propose a Sonic Placemaking Model to guide designers in exploring the sonic environment and address how design choices affect space and place. Based on the development of soundscape designs for three cultural history museums, we unfold the years-long design process and discuss how we applied methods from design and sound studies to understand users as listeners. Lastly, we present three areas of concern when designing for sonic placemaking: (1) going from sounds of objects to sounds of activities, (2) designing for informative and atmospheric experiences, and (3) facilitating spatial and temporal experiences.

Integration of Urhobo Cultural Identity in the Design of a Cultural Centre for Urhobo Province

The broad objective of the study was to examine the possibilities of integrating Urhobo Cultural Identity in the Design of a Cultural Centre. A total population of 770 traditional leaders in Urhobo Province was used for the purpose of the research where a sample of 261 of them was selected and questionnaires were administered to them. The study employed a quantitative and qualitative research design where focus group discussion and case studies were used to gather and analyse the data. The focus group discussion interview questions were used to gather qualitative research data where the researcher identified the most prominent responses from different responses put forward by the researcher. Case studies were used to identify the differences and similarities between the design of open theatres, auditoria, multipurpose halls, museums and the Urhobo cultural centre in which this study is based. Tangible elements of Urhobo culture were identified for the purpose of this study. Also, the result of the findings from the case studies carried out reflected the cultural identity of their regions by featuring different cultural identity elements through their spatial organization, building materials and techniques, building forms and decorative styles. The study concludes that there were several strategies employed by architects to express cultural identity in their work. The study recommends that when designing any building in any region, architects should try to express the cultural identity of the region so as to create a sense of belonging of the region to the building, thereby making people appreciate the resident culture. Additionally, in-depth studies should be carried out on the resident/local cultures and their traditional architecture so as to understand them inside-out in order to create a standard for the contemporary design of cultural centres. Awareness should be created about designing buildings that showcase the cultural character and identity of a region at the same time throwing challenges that will serve as reference points for contemporary vernacular architecture. The Theory of Place was adopted and found relevant as the underpinning theory for the study.

Axiomatic Foundation of Central Place Theory: Revision from the Standpoint of the Russian School

Axiomatic Foundation of Central Place Theory: Revision from the Standpoint of the Russian School