Sense of place

Sense of place is a concept related to sociology, anthropology, urban engineering, and human geography. It refers to the effect specific places have on people. A sense of place is formed by the unique aspects of a location and the way knowing about and interacting with that place affects the people who live or visit there. The concept incorporates all aspects of a location, including its geography, geology, population, plant and animal life, and history. The way an area looks, smells, and sounds as well as the foods that are served there are also incorporated into the “feel” and sense of a place. Some people might refer to it as the character or personality of a location. Sense of place is an important concept because it affects how people connect with different locations. This has significance in everything from personal comfort in an area to people’s attitude toward different places and how prosperous a community might become.

Sense of place can also refer to the ability of people to relate to an area even though it changes, and to recall places that no longer exist. Remembering how a hometown street looked before a new housing development was built or how it looked and smelled and felt to swim in a neighborhood pool that no longer exists are examples of this definition of sense of place. This definition also encompasses such aspects as associating a particular relative’s home with a holiday.

Background

It has long been acknowledged that certain places bring feelings of familiarity and comfort while others create feelings of discord and discomfort. Places that seem comfortable and familiar are usually that way because of the associations people form with them. For example, a campground may remind someone of a creek where he played with friends as a child, or of a place where he once had a great vacation. Negative senses of places can be formed as well.

Although people were aware of the connections and feelings people could have about locations, serious study of the concept of sense of place did not begin until around the mid-twentieth century. It had its origins in clashes that arose over urban development, when some people wanted to modernize cities with taller buildings and bigger roads and others wanted to maintain a focus on the people who lived in the areas and the locations to which they felt connected. When New York City officials planned massive redevelopment for Greenwich Village, writer and area resident Jane Jacobs championed efforts to prevent plans to extend Manhattan’s 5th Avenue through the middle of Washington Square.

In 1961, Jacobs wrote The Death and Life of Great American Cities. This drew attention to the ways that urban development was not always in the best interest of the people who lived there even if it was meant to bring economic benefits. It emphasized the sense of place concept and addressed the way that destroying local landmarks such as public squares and familiar local businesses affected how people saw their communities and themselves. Jacobs and other urban activists such as William H. Whyte were among the first to promote the idea of preserving parts of cities, towns, and rural communities and landscapes because of the sense of place that they provided for the people who lived there.

Overview

In the decades since Jacobs, Whyte, and others created awareness of sense of place, researchers started studying the relationship between places and how people feel about them. They have determined that from early childhood, the way people think about and remember the places they have been plays a key role in their intellectual, social, and emotional development. Research has shown that even toddlers and preschoolers can tell the difference between “their” playground and another playground. They develop feelings of connection to the places they go to most often, and these feelings will help define their future relationships with other similar places.

This connectedness, or sense of place, is formed from the way the child or any person views the place from not only its physical properties but also from the way it makes the person feel emotionally and spiritually. For example, nearly anyone is able to appreciate time spent outside in a beautiful natural location. However, such a spot is likely to evoke deeper and stronger feelings and a positive sense of place in someone who spent time hiking and camping with a beloved relative in her youth. Similarly, someone who was lost in the woods may have deep, strong negative feelings about the same location. Sociologists refer to this relationship between people and the settings where they live, work, and play as human geography.

Experts have determined that developing this sense of human geography and a firm sense of place is essential to people forming a solid foundation of self-identity. The town a person lives in or the school he attended helps to define that person’s status in the world as well, since towns and schools have their own identities and are often known for some specific characteristic. For example, Nashville, Tennessee, brings to mind country music, while Las Vegas, Nevada, is known for its casinos. In each case, the city’s reputation helps to form a mental image of the location and helps define the perception others have of its sense of place.

The concept of sense of place can be very important for government leaders of cities, states, and other locations. Identifying how people see the community where they live, identifying what is unique about it, and promoting it in a way that will attract others who can relate to that same sense of place are important ways to increase both the population of and tourist interest in a location. Identifying a location’s particular “feel” and taking care not to destroy it during urban development projects are other important ways that government leaders can take advantage of the concept of sense of place.

Bibliography

Brillante, Pamela, and Sue Mankiw. “A Sense of Place: Human Geography in the Early Childhood Classroom.” National Association for the Education of Young Children, July 2015, www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/jul2015/sense-of-place-human-geography. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Grainger, Charlotte. "Personality of Place: Why It Really, Really Matters Where You Live." True You Journal, 18 Nov. 2024, www.truity.com/blog/personality-place-why-it-really-really-matters-where-you-live. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025. 

McMahon, Edward T. “Why Sense of Place Is Worth Caring About.” Planetizen, 17 Apr. 2012, www.planetizen.com/node/56165. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Sassen, Saskia. “How Jane Jacobs Changed the Way We Look at Cities.” Guardian, 4 May 2016, www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/may/04/jane-jacobs-100th-birthday-saskia-sassen. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Studer, Quint. “Character Counts: How to Create a Sense of Place in Your Community.” Strong Towns, 21 Aug. 2018, www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/8/21/character-counts. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Whyte, William H. The Last Landscape. U of Pennsylvania P, 2002.