No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Investigating the impact of Sense of Place on site visit frequency with non-motorized travel modes
Abstract
This paper examines the relationships between: (i) Sense of Place (SOP); (ii) non-motorized travel; and (iii) the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). A guiding principle in built environment design for sustainability and livability is a latent construct termed Sense of Place (SOP), which leads visitors to perceive and associate a strong identity or character with a particular location. We hypothesize that visitors' SOP affects their access of sites via walking/biking or other non-motorized travel modes. Furthermore, we also hypothesize their ICT use shapes their SOP. In an information era, mobile ICT provide ubiquitous information and communication across multiple geographies, expanding interaction with locations to include both the physical and virtual. Visitors can engage with a location pre and post-trip through online reviews or virtual visualizations, such as Google Street View. To investigate these interrelationships, we conduct a visitor intercept survey and analyze the responses to investigate the direction and magnitude SOP impacts on non-motorized site visit frequency. The estimation results indicate that SOP statistically impacts non-motorized visits; ICT use for learning about the site was found to positively impact visitors' estimated SOP.
... These scholars have demonstrated the validity and usefulness of this multidimensional approach, theoretically by referring to attitude theory and empirically by applying path modeling techniques. Other dimensions such as place satisfaction, social (Deutsch and Goulias, 2012;Deutsch et al., 2013), spiritual value (Goussous and Al-Hammadi, 2018), and place aesthetics (Chen and Sekar, 2018), are also suggested in the sense of place literature. In this study, based on Jorgensen and Stedman (2001), the sense of place is considered a broad attitudinal construct, consisting of place identity (the cognitive dimension), place attachment (the affective dimension), and place dependence (the conative dimension). ...
... The importance of enhancing the sense of place lies in its potential to yield positive outcomes within historical fabrics. The studies showed that the individual-place emotional relationship has positive effects, such as continuation of living in the place, a continued and stable presence of people (Shamai, 1991), motivating on-site protective behavior (Halpenny, 2010;Sakurai et al., 2016;Tonge et al., 2015), deep sense of care and concern for the place (Relph, 2007), promoting participation in social activities and affairs in neighborhood (Brown et al., 2003;Canter, 1977;Shamai, 1991), participation of residents to address local problems (Manzo and Perkins, 2006), collaboration in improving the condition (Pan and Cobbinah, 2023), willingness to return to the place (Chen and Sekar, 2018;Shamai 1991), better performance in environmental management (Arifwidodo and Chandrasiri, 2013), and community-focused built environment design (Chen and Sekar, 2018). In addition, a sense of place can foster community participation and engagement in the development process (Anton and Lawrence, 2016;Fornara and Caddeo, 2016;Manzo and Perkins, 2006;Scannell and Gifford, 2013). ...
... The importance of enhancing the sense of place lies in its potential to yield positive outcomes within historical fabrics. The studies showed that the individual-place emotional relationship has positive effects, such as continuation of living in the place, a continued and stable presence of people (Shamai, 1991), motivating on-site protective behavior (Halpenny, 2010;Sakurai et al., 2016;Tonge et al., 2015), deep sense of care and concern for the place (Relph, 2007), promoting participation in social activities and affairs in neighborhood (Brown et al., 2003;Canter, 1977;Shamai, 1991), participation of residents to address local problems (Manzo and Perkins, 2006), collaboration in improving the condition (Pan and Cobbinah, 2023), willingness to return to the place (Chen and Sekar, 2018;Shamai 1991), better performance in environmental management (Arifwidodo and Chandrasiri, 2013), and community-focused built environment design (Chen and Sekar, 2018). In addition, a sense of place can foster community participation and engagement in the development process (Anton and Lawrence, 2016;Fornara and Caddeo, 2016;Manzo and Perkins, 2006;Scannell and Gifford, 2013). ...
The contemporary era has witnessed damage to the various dimensions of the sense of place in numerous historic and urban heritage sites, which has led to issues such as the disruption of urban life, neglected aspects of the urban poor, and abandonment. This study aims to identify the most important factors contributing to the sense of place in historic fabrics in the present day. A comparative analysis is carried out on the two neighborhoods of Imamzadeh Yahya in Tehran (a progressively dilapidated neighborhood), and Shah Abol-Ghasem in Yazd (with continuity of urban life). The assessment of the residents’ sense of place in the two neighborhoods (n1 = 271) and (n2 = 267) was carried out using the questionnaire tool, and the contributing factors were determined. The results of the two cases were compared using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings showed that the sense of place in Imamzadeh Yahya, with a significant difference (P = 0.00), is at a much lower level than in Shah Abol-Ghasem. Also, most of the factors affecting the sense of place in Imamzadeh Yahya were significantly different (P < 0.05) and at a much lower level compared to Shah Abol-Ghasem, as assessed by the inhabitants.
... Quantifying Sense of Place with the specific goal to include it as a determinant of daily travel behavior can be done through the use of attitudinal questions in human surveys and examination of their correlation with travel behavior (Deutsch andGoulias, 2010, Chen andSekar, 2018). This quantified sense of place can also be used in land use policy implementation to identify resistance to change due to Sense of Place but also to design and improve urban design quality (Hu and Chen, 2018). ...
... This makes it hard to measure and at the same time is a rich informant of behavior. In a subsequent study Chen and Sekar (2018) used the same six Sense of Place factors to study the frequency of visiting places and non-motorized mode choice for three sites in Rochester, NY, proving repeatability of this technique of behavioral measurement. They also studied the use of information and communication technology (ICT) about the three sites. ...
In this chapter the inclusion of psycho-attitudinal metrics about places and perceptions of the environment in travel behavior is reviewed and illustrated with two examples at different geographic scales. First, specific destinations are used as case studies to demonstrate the use of attitudes as Sense of Place components and their correlation with travel behavior. These are summaries of perceptions in the form of factors that are place-specific attachment, dependence, identity, satisfaction, atmosphere and community. Second, a city-wide application shows how to collect data and construct maps of Sense of Place and destination and services attractiveness. A map weighted by subjective importance of perceived place characteristics (attractiveness, opportunity, danger, familiarity) is illustrated. This chapter also describes the correlation between subjective wellbeing and place.
... For example, based on the on-site survey, College Town received the most consistent response among all the factors, which could be due to the consistent but generic urban and architecture design-even though College Town was viewed as beautiful, although with less artistic value-and the consistent response was that the design did not directly contribute to a better SOP in comparison to the other two sites. Further statistical tests and analyses regarding the correlation between identify and aesthetics survey can be found in another paper by authors [35]. ...
... City map includes three sites[35]. ...
Creating a sense of place and community is a guiding principle in designing livable and high-quality built environments. This paper presents a framework for understanding the relationship between design and people’s perceptions about a place, within an urban design context. While a large volume of literature on sense of place (SOP) already exists, the proposed framework and its application in the design field present a unique opportunity to add new knowledge to this interdisciplinary topic. This research will investigate the empirical relationship between architecture/urban design and people’s perceptions about a place and their contributions to SOP. Urban designers and architects play important and determining roles in defining the physical qualities and the characteristics of a place. However, it has always been challenging to quantify the relationship between a physical environment and a person’s emotional experience. Three urban sites were analyzed to illustrate this framework, and four physical characteristics and four perceptual qualities were cross-investigated and analyzed. This proposed framework will help architects and urban designers to gain a better understanding of SOP and placemaking techniques, eventually helping to improve urban design quality.
... We calculate the public and green space area within the grids to measure accessibility to public and green space. Considering recent findings on the influence of street-view perception on non-motorized travel (Chen and Sekar, 2018;Hankey et al., 2021), we also include the variable of street-view-based perceived safety. The street-view data is derived from Baidu Map, China's largest map navigation database. ...
... Human geographers including Relph [16] and Tuan [17] first conceptualised sense of place in the 1970s as deriving from human experiences that transform physical features into a place with meaning and identity. A place may become visually, socially, culturally and functionally unique to people when they have prolonged contact and experience with it [18,19]. ...
Communal space is regarded as essential for human well-being in high-rise developments in Asia and increasing attention has been given to the underlying mechanism of its effects in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. From the perspective of person–place processes, this paper explores ‘sense of place’ and its possible mediating effects on the relationship between communal space and the mental health of residents in high-rise public housing. An analysis of data from a questionnaire survey conducted in Hong Kong and Guangzhou revealed differentiated mechanisms according to local context and age group. Sense of place and its subcomponents mediated the connection between communal space and mental health in Hong Kong but not in Guangzhou. More specifically, place identity, place attachment and place dependence had stronger effects among older residents in HK than younger ones. The findings from this study can inform evidence-based planning and decision-making for public housing policy for health-oriented environments in high-density cities.
... Many of the debates in sense of place scholarship focus on increasing residents' interest in the biological features of the coastal areas, which in turn would foster a willingness to conserve these areas for future generations [30]. Also, Chen and Sekar believe that sense of place continues to play an important role in urban redevelopment and community-focused built environment design [31]. From the perspective of geographers and planners, identifying the main factors driving sense of place and measuring them can improve environmental design to ensure the site contributes positively to sense of place and promotes sustainability and liveability. ...
Historical fabrics are known as a national heritage and treasure which are full of spiritual and human concepts. However, we are witnessing that many of these historic districts are being forgotten, abandoned and destructed as the emotional relationship between human and its residing place is fading out. Sense of place is a concept which focuses on the emotional and internal relation between people and their environment. Sense of place consists of three dimensions, namely: place identity, place dependence and place attachment. This research is trying to identify the most significant components regarding the sense of place. It is assumed that by improving these components, a higher level of sense of place is achieved in historic fabrics. These components could also help urban designers and architects that contribute to the historic fabric of the city. Qualitative content analysis methodology was used to elicit the sense of place components from 175 studies. Screening of the systematic reviews and extraction of information on included studies was performed using a validated framework. Finally, the Delphi method is used to find the most related components of the sense of place in historic districts. The results for the physical factors show that the most important attributes are "valuable landmarks and fabric", "form and physical characteristics", "communal spaces and public gathering places", and "visual harmony and unity of the facades". The results for the set of activity factors show that experts were generally reliable in their responses. The mean value for "events in place" is 4.94, which indicates that experts perceived this attribute as the most influential determinant. Other important attributes are "social activities and interactions", "proper roads and pathways", "legibility and identification", "land use and functional diversity", and "accessibility and permeability". In the meaning category, "vitality and happiness" is the most important attribute to evaluate the sense of place in the historical fabrics. "History and originality of the place" is then ranked second, and "aesthetic, beauty and arrangement" third. In the individual-social category, "memories and experiences of place" scored the highest followed by "cultural, religious and ritual ceremonies", "mental imagery of the place", and "awareness of historical values of places" (mean value of 4.24).
... The concept of sense of place has frequently been used in various contexts and disciplines to describe complex humanenvironment relationships (Scannell & Gifford, 2010;Soini, Vaarala, & Pouta, 2012;Tuan, 1977). Because of its complexity, this concept takes into account several characteristics; material and non-material (Stedman, 2003), and human and physical (Chen & Sekar, 2018). In order to categorize these relationships, many authors have created different dimensions related to sense of place, with the most commonly used factors being conative, cognitive, and emotional (Jorgensen & Stedman, 2001). ...
While attention has been paid to travel satisfaction studies during the last decade, less research has investigated the relationship between the influence of a sense of place – and more particularly the psycho-environmental concepts of workplace attachment and workplace satisfaction – and commuting satisfaction. Using a retrospective survey, this paper focuses on the relocation of a workplace within the city of Montréal (Canada); the McGill University Healthcare Centre. It examines the motivations and barriers involved in the evolution of commuting characteristics, using the theoretical framework of mobility biographies. The empirical analysis includes a large dataset of independent variables, applying a multinomial logistic model in order to explain the transition of the employees’ commuting satisfaction. With regard to the measurement of change in commuting satisfaction, the findings confirm the role of attitudes, while taking into account the contextual differences before and after relocation. The change in travel time is found to be an important factor in the evolution of commuter satisfaction, whereby reduced commuting time improves satisfaction, as expected. In addition, the more an employee is attached to the new workplace, the more the commuting satisfaction will increase. The results provide further evidence that the meaning of the workplace goes beyond a location or a space, and opens up new avenues for research in travel behavior.
... Regional-level hybrid models can be easily conceived when combining regionlevel latent constructs in a hybrid choice model. Chen and Sekar [81] combine sense of place with utility to model nonmotorized mode choice in Rochester, NY. Here, sense of place constructs is measured reflectively and utility is measured formatively. ...
Latent constructs are fundamental for theory-building and practice in various disciplines of the social sciences. Passive datasets and machine learning approaches provide an opportunity to predict latent constructs, thereby offering a strong potential to build scalable, granular, and theory-grounded models for various phenomena of interest in social sciences. However, there is little guidance for researchers to develop prediction models for latent constructs, especially given that latent constructs are different from observable variables in several keys ways. To address this gap, and drawing from both theoretical and applied literature across the social sciences, we first develop a taxonomy to classify latent construct models based on their ontology and measurement. Second, we synthesize the relevant literature on using passive data to predict latent constructs. Finally, by applying the developed taxonomy to various applications in the literature, we offer guidance for predicting latent constructs from passive data. By bringing together loosely tied research in the context of scaling up latent construct models, this paper makes two significant contributions: 1) identify key significant and specific gaps in this research area, 2) provide theoretically- and empirically-grounded guidance for social scientists interested in using passive data for developing scalable latent variable models.
... In accordance to the new environmental paradigm, but also research studies in environmental psychology the environmental attitudes may include tree sets of items; the self, the biosphere and the others/communal (Kroesen et al., 2017). On these lines, the concept of sense of place will be explored as an attitude by adding and testing the concepts of nature and social bonding with place identity and dependence (Chen & Sekar, 2018;Nicolosi & Corbett, 2018;Raymond et al., 2017). Furthermore, the factors that are tested to explore the formation of sense of place construct, such as the nature bonding, could affect positive or negative the proenvironmental consciousness (Sakurai et al., 2017). ...
Human actions emit carbon dioxide and degrade environmental quality. Sport activities correspond to environmental impact mainly due to sport consumers behavior. Even so, consumers of sport can undertake behaviors that favor the environmental well-being. Environmental degradation is larger in some places compare to others and individuals have a certain bonding with specific places. The concept of sense of place is a psychological indicator that explain this special relationship between human beings and places.
Thereby, people who engage in sport associate places with their personal values due to their self-perceptions and self-expectations, connectedness to nature and communal bonding. Small-scale sport events are a major sport activity that take place on settings where people are associated with. A place that recently presented the interest of scholars is the beach, where sport events are taking place. Beach volleyball tournaments is an example of small-scale sport event that its participants are highly affected psychologically by the features of the beach, such as the natural resources and the social interactions.
Along with, the concept of pro-environmental consciousness plays a major role on how people perceive these places. Especially, when research evaluates a person’s connection with a place and aim to understand their pro-environmental behavior. Due to the lack of research on beach volleyball participants pro-environmental behavior, the current dissertation investigates the association of sense of place with pro-environmental consciousness by exploring their pro-environmental self-identity. Ultimately, new knowledge on how this systematic relationship can influence pro-environmental behavioral intentions can be provided.
A quantitative research approach was utilized to document beach volleyball tournament players perceptions across the United States. Data collected to capture sense of place, pro-environmental self-identity and pro-environmental behavioral intentions of the active participants of beach volleyball tournaments. Regression analyses used to explore the data and test four research objectives. Results supported a coherent link between sense of place and pro-environmental behavior through a value-oriented system, pro-environmental perceptions and two genres of pro-environmental behavioral intentions.
Findings supported the novel hypothetical model where sense of place predicts pro-environmental self-identity and pro-environmental behavioral intentions. Implications of the findings are displayed regarding the theoretical contribution and practical implications in sport management and beach volleyball. Lastly, in conclusion section discussion goes beyond the theoretical and practical implications by presenting delimitation, limitations and future research.
Traditional transportation planning emphasized the direct economic benefits of transportation infrastructure. While there is a growing awareness of the environmental consequences, social impacts are frequently overlooked due to methodological complexities and political neglect. Although existing literature acknowledges the existence of transportation-related social exclusion, it primarily concentrates on quantifiable and immediate short-term social outcomes arising from improved accessibility and affordability, which facilitate place-to-place interactions and activities. There has been limited exploration of the more intricate and indirect societal impacts associated with transportation. This paper argues that new transportation infrastructure not only affects mobility and travel experiences but also has deeper social impacts on the sense of place. These effects may extend to broader benefits, including academic performance, by influencing place identity, attachment, and dependency, which in turn affect daily activities unrelated to travel. Our study focuses on a university student community (N = 323), a pivotal future workforce, and investigates how the introduction of a new metro line passing through the campus reduces commuting time, subsequently enhancing academic productivity. Employing structural equation modeling method, our analysis reveals that sense of place acts as a mediator between travel experience and student engagement under the influence of transportation mode choice. These findings may have broad applicability in identifying indirect social impacts of transportation infrastructure, thus providing insights for investment decisions.
Understanding how people choose routes in urban environments is essential for effective urban planning. While conventional transportation studies focus on utilitarian decision-making, this research investigates the complex interplay between human-environment interactions and emotional attachments to places, which influence transportation choices. Specifically, we examine the impact of sense of place in pedestrian route choice within a densely populated urban university community. Unlike typical urban settings characterized by clear roads and landmarks, university environments often feature intricate layouts with diffuse pathways, shared spaces, and a lack of clear spatial hierarchies. This complexity challenges conventional spatial knowledge acquisition methods. Individuals navigating such environments tend to rely on socio-sensory wayfinding strategies, developing emotional connections to specific places and routes over time. Consequently, route choices in these contexts may not always be deliberate but rather subconscious and nuanced. Our study focuses on elucidating the impact of the sense of place—a composite of conscious and subconscious perceptions, emotions, and attachments to a location—on daily route decisions. Through structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, we demonstrate that the sense of place significantly influences route choices within community building complexes, surpassing utilitarian considerations as a primary explanatory factor. These findings underscore the importance of emotional and psychological factors in shaping urban route decisions, offering valuable insights for urban planning and management strategies.
Introduction
This study explored whether place preference, an individual's relationship with place, differentiated people on pro-environmental attitudes, nature-relatedness and pro-environmental behavior.
Objective
The aim was to provide a way to segment people and potentially inform behavior change messaging strategies targeting pro-environmental action.
Method
Online participants reported an urban/nature place preference, completed a sense of place measure in reference to this categorisation, followed by counter-balanced nature-relatedness, pro-environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behaviour measures.
Results
Participants reported moderate-to-high levels of sense of place generally and place attachment specifically. Positive associations between sense of place, nature relatedness, pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours existed; but differed by place preference. Correlations were positive in the nature preference group but negative or non-significant in the urban preference group. Individuals with a nature preference reported higher nature-relatedness, pro-environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behavior.
Conclusion
The results suggest place preference can discriminate individuals on a range of pro-environmental concepts and may have potential for behavior change strategies targeting these outcomes.
Finding the optimal location is a relevant strategic decision for retailers. The classic theories of retail location offer complementary perspectives, and later models include new variables, although they present methodological problems, these methodologies are static in time. Google Street View (GSV) allows extending the analysis of predictive models to different fields by a time-lapse collection data offering new opportunities to research and providing dynamic information. The development of a customized methodology, incorporating the time-lapse technique for practical applications, is the main contribution of this research, since there is almost no research on this topic.
The place is not a “neutral space”; its character is shaped by the way we feel, perceive, think, experience, and imagine it. The sense of belonging has been a necessary infrastructure for planning in human spaces; Physical environment and its effects on daily life of people is an issue which has been the focus of many expert's interests over recent years. Housing is a need that has different meanings in different natural and manmade environments, and each community has tailored its needs, talents, abilities, and limitations to its particular form. Housing areas to provide social development involved the environment around in addition to residential units, In other words, housing is not just a structure but an institution created to meet a complex set of goals, while neglecting the functionalism of modernist views of development, alienating the human, the city and architecture from a sense of alienation and mass production. Space-less and meaningless spaces have left the man in a state of inertia. The city of Kermanshah has not been ignorant of these conditions either. Overall, according to studies, 2015, only 3.48% of Kermanshah residential units were suitable conditions based on the overlap of all qualitative and quantitative layers in GIS. Therefore, this research seeks to identify the effective factors in residential design, to enhance the sense of place and answer the question What values and beliefs are important in forming ideas of belonging today?
That it should be noted that descriptive-analytic methodology, techniques of literature and sources review in the context of library studies, and field studies of representation were utilized to provide theoretical frameworks for strengthening the sense of belonging to the place. Initially, the study of the original houses of Kermanshah was studied. Iranian traditional houses have a kind of internal space structure based on religious and traditional ideas of Iranian families. These houses have manifested native-traditional models of the history of Iran which have originated from individual and collective cultures of the people, who have been formed, have grown, have been manifested and have reached perfection. Then, based on factors affecting sense of belonging, proportional to the subject, and based on a five-point Likert range, one was designed for teachers and designers in the field with 15 individuals and the other for Kermanshah citizens with 384 and distributed in summer 98. Eventually, statistical methods of structural equation modeling, confirmatory factor analysis, and multiple linear regression model were used to determine the nature of the relationship between sense of belonging and place ranking factors by Amos software.
The results show that Kermanshah citizens think that the most important factor in forming a sense of belonging in the residential space is " comfort and enjoyment with space " and then " cultural signs " and " vitality and visual quality ", but in designers' “ Space and how to access it " has the most impact on the sense of place. This analysis illustrates the gap between designers and users, which can be further consolidated through studies of this kind.
Urban heritage and active mobility have enjoyed increasing public awareness in Singapore in recent years because the needs of heritage conservation and promoting walking in urban environments have become pronounced. This study sought to explore the intersection of these two topics and to gauge the range of public opinion on how heritage value can be contextualised beyond individual building conservation. Data collection involved sourcing heritage- and walking-related articles from a major local newspaper. Using a mixed methods approach, a contingency table analysis was first performed to examine the association among the relevant government agencies. Subsequently, a sample of highly relevant articles was collated (n = 126) to conduct a thematic analysis. The broad themes identified concerned a vision of a “car-lite” city and the synergy between heritage and arts, signifying the broadening scope of urban heritage. The specific themes included heritage trails for learning while walking and perception of and sensitivity to heritage. How these themes interconnect with one another towards active mobility and maintaining the everyday relevance of urban heritage is further discussed. It is argued that in urban planning and design, urban heritage can be capitalised for utilitarian and/or recreational walking as a behavioural manifestation.
For almost two decades now, cities around the country have been demolishing traditional public housing and relocating residents to subsidized private market rental housing. In this paper, we examine sense of place, consisting of both community and place attachment, among a sample of Atlanta public housing residents prior to relocation (N=290). We find that 41% of the residents express place attachment, and a large percentage express some level of community attachment, though residents of senior public housing are far more attached than residents of family public housing. Positive neighborhood characteristics, such as collective efficacy and social support, are associated with community attachment, and social support is also associated with place attachment. Negative neighborhood characteristics, such as social disorder and fear of crime, are not consistently associated with sense of place. We argue that embodied in current public housing relocation initiatives is a real sense of loss among the residents. Policy makers may also want to consider the possibilities of drawing upon residents' sense of place as a resource for renovating and revitalizing public housing communities rather than continuing to demolish them and relocating residents to other neighborhoods.
This research work examines the relationships among: (i) Sense of Place (SOP); (ii) non-motorized
sustainable travel choices and accessibility; and (iii) adoption and use of information and
communication technologies (ICT). A guiding principle in designing the built environment for
sustainability and livability is the latent construct of Sense of Place (SOP) which leads visitors to
perceive and associate a strong identity or character with a particular location. For SOP, the
literature agrees on the following characteristics associated with the place: (i) physical
characteristics; (ii) user perceived affects and meanings; (iii) human activities taking place; and
(iv) social interactions. Integral to these defining dimensions is the perception of accessibility of
the space, which is likely impacted by widespread adoption of mobile ICT, such as smartphones
and tablets. In an information era, the ability of ICT to provide ubiquitous information and
communication across multiple timeframes and geographies has expanded interaction with the
location to include both physical and virtual interactions. Additionally, visitors can engage with
the location pre and post-trip through information acquisition. Further contributing to developing
a sense of place are the modes of access; non-motorized travel modes that allow more direct
exposure to the location may have a more positive influence on sense of place, relative to private
modes, such as personal autos.
This article examines the differences that digital media (Internet and mobile communications) and mobility create for sense of place. Based on in-depth interviews with 30 German professionals in Singapore, it analyses digital media choices and use during the relocation and settlement process in the destination of migration and the effect of these practices on migrants’ perception of place. It demonstrates how the primary reason to use digital media conversed from individual interests and needs in relation to the relocation and/or initial exploration of the city to the social and emotional ramifications of their use the longer the interviewees stayed in Singapore. It makes a theoretical contribution to the understanding of how digital and offline places combine in the construction of sense of place, how the digital sphere affects engagements with place, attachment to it and sensuous experiences of it.
This introduction[ii] will propose six basic principles as the foundation for a new sub-discipline – Digital Anthropology. While the principles will be used to integrate the chapters that follow, its larger purpose is to spread the widest possible canvas upon which to begin the creative work of new research and thinking. The intention is not simply to study and reflect on new developments but to use these to further our understanding of what we are and have always been. The digital should and can be a highly effective means for reflecting upon what it means to be human, the ultimate task of Anthropology as a discipline. While we cannot claim to be comprehensive, we will try to cover a good deal of ground because we feel that to launch a book of this kind means taking responsibility for asking and answering some significant questions. For example we need to be clear as to what we mean by words such as digital, culture and anthropology and what we believe represents practices that are new and unprecedented and what remains the same or merely slightly changed. We need to find a way to ensure that the vast generalisations required in such tasks do not obscure differences, distinctions and relativism which we view as remaining amongst the most important contributions of an anthropological perspective to understanding human life and culture. In this introduction we have taken the findings of these individual contributions and used them as the foundation for building six principles that we believe constitute the key questions and concerns of digital anthropology as a sub discipline.
The aim of the study is to investigate whether individuals re-port the places they are attached to in location-based services, and whether there is a relationship between the attachment scores of these places and their corresponding check-in fre-quency information. A survey is conducted to measure the degree of place attachment of individuals based on self-reported locations. Then their Foursquare log data is collected which includes their check-in and venue information. Our re-sults show that the majority of the participants check in to lo-cations that they are attached to. Attachment score is shown to be related to the check-in frequency. The tips left for venues include terms and phrases, suggesting place attachment.
An aging population; rising fuel costs; congestion, health, and environmental concerns; and changing consumer preferences are all increasing demand for walking, cycling, and public transit. These trends indicate that an integrated multimodal transportation system is required if we are to meet future travel demands.
In this paper we explore the relationships among long distance travel, Subjective WellBeing (SWB), and Sense of Place (SOP) for a sample of 789 students at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB). SWB is measured using Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) items developed by Diener. SOP is measured using an updated version of questions used in two studies in Santa Barbara, CA, that include latent factors representing place attachment, dependence, identity, satisfaction, atmosphere, and community. Long distance travel is measured using a retrospective question on the frequency of making trips that are longer than 50 miles per month away from the UCSB campus. The data used here include undergraduate and graduate students that participated in a survey in February, 2013. Using a Structural Equation Model (SEM) we find a significant and positive relationship between SOP and SWB indicating that students with a strong place emotions are also happier. In addition, traveling moderately often (1 to 4 times per month) is associated with higher SWB, while, traveling more often than 5 times per month leads to lower levels place attachment, dependence, identity, and community.
Examines earlier research on residential mobility and health, and offers a theoretical framework that addresses certain issues neglected in that research. In general, previous analyses have characterized relocation as an acute and short-term life event that imposes considerable strains on the individual at the time of moving. This perspective minimizes the dynamic quality of mobility and ignores the longer-term health consequences of relocation which unfold gradually as the individual adjusts to the diverse life changes associated with moving.-Authors
With the introduction and increasing reliance on the activity based approach in travel demand analysis and forecasting, discrete choice methods are more often in spatial contexts (e.g., residential location, job location, destination/activity choice). A necessity in specifying spatial choice models is the inclusion of the alternatives decision makers consider, and a realistic inclusion in the specification of the attributes of these alternatives, the characteristics of the decision making context, and the relevant characteristics of the decision maker. These details describe differences that exist among choices and individuals making choices. In the case of travel behavior, attributes of the alternatives have traditionally included attributes such as cost, distance, time, level of service and opportunities. Researchers however have recognized the benefit of attitudes in the estimation of choice models, showing improvement in explanatory power with the inclusion of attitudinal attributes of the individual. There is still however a vast expanse of unexplored attitudinal attributes in choice modeling. Particularly lacking in choice modeling is a strong theoretical underpinning of attitude formation and attitude relation to choice. Theorists in geography in the mid to late 1970s recognized and developed one such theory regarding the emotional and attitudinal association that people have with places. This became known as the theory of sense of place, which is the “affective ties with the material environment†(Tuan, 1974). This theory presents great potential in furthering the descriptive power of choice models, particularly destination choice. However, challenges abound, as this theory is rich in development, but poor in computational operationalization. In addition, everyday activity locations have not been adequately explored in sense of place quantification. In this paper, an overview of developments in discrete choice methods is presented, followed by a discussion of sense of place. Current and future work is discussed and benefits to choice modeling are presented.
With the increased application of the activity based approach comes the inherent need to incorporate more detail regarding behavior. This need for detail has in turn created a need for both a deeper understanding and theoretical basis for behavior, and the incorporation of data collection and analysis methods to handle more behavioral detail. Because of this, the use of qualitative and mixed method approaches in travel behavior has received increased attention over the last few decades. In this paper, quantitative and qualitative methodologies are discussed and applied to data collected in Santa Barbara, California, measuring peoples’ attitudes about places (sense of place). Both quantitative and qualitative methods are applied using first a factor analysis and complementing this with a qualitative analysis of text from an open-ended question. The findings of these analyses are compared and incorporated to contribute to a greater understanding of both sense of place and behavior. Theoretical developments and implications for future research are discussed in light of analysis findings.
"Sense of place" offers resource managers a way to identify and respond to the emotional and spiritual bonds people form with certain spaces. We examine reasons for the increasing interest in the concept and offer four broad recommendations for applying sense of place to ecosystem management. By initiating a discussion about sense of place, managers can build a working relationship with the public that reflects the complex web of lifestyles, meanings, and social relations endemic to a place.
Although sense of place definitions nominally include the physical environment, much research has emphasized the social construction of sense of place and neglect the potentially important contributions of the physical environment to place meanings and attachment. This article presents research that tests several models that integrate (1) characteristics of the environment, (2) human uses of the environment, (3) constructed meanings, and (4) place attachment and satisfaction. The research utilized a mail survey of 1,000 property owners in a lake-rich region (the Northern Highlands Lake District of Northern Wisconsin). Structural equation modeling revealed that the best fit model integrating environmental variables with sense of place was a meaning-mediated model that considered certain landscape attributes (i.e., level of shoreline development) as predictive of certain meanings related to attachment and satisfaction. This research demonstrates that landscape attributes matter a great deal to constructed meanings; these constructions are not exclusively social.
The purpose of this investigation was to explore the meanings recreationists tenting at an agricultural fair associated with the settings in which their fair experience occurred. Using a symbolic interactionist framework, our analysis of data collected through onsite observation and using photo-elicitation guided interviews illustrated that informants' place meanings were the product of interactive processes involving the individual, their social world and the physical setting. These interactions elicited meanings tied to place that were largely independent of the physical attributes that defined the setting. Most significant were specific place experiences shared with family and close friends. The importance attached to these relationships and experiences were embedded in the spatial contexts that encapsulated informants' fair experience. Findings from this investigation shed light on the social construction of place meaning within a built environment.
Every neighborhood has its particular sense of place, resulting from its physical structure and its sociological make-up.
When new housing developments are built in or adjacent to old neighborhoods, a different sense of place will exist in the
new development and in the adjacent old environment, with mutual effects between the two. This study has used ethnographic
analysis of interviews with women living in six different new developments and in adjacent buildings in the old neighborhoods,
to identify the behavioral and affective variables that make up the local sense of place. A methodology has subsequently been
developed to determine the sense of place in any residential environment, based on ethnographic analysis of the descriptions
of the residential environment by its residents, while focusing on the evaluation of a number of predetermined behavioral
and affective variables that together define the sense of place. Comparison of the sense of place between different residential
environments could enable the identification of the effects of various social factors and the physical environment on the
sense of place, the conclusions of which could be of use in the planning of new housing developments, particularly if located
in old neighborhoods.
Existing attempts to measure Sense of Place (SOP) are open to a number of different interpretations, some of which are well established in attitude research. Attitude theory can provide a basis for conceiving of SOP as cognitive, affective and conative relationships with human environments. In this study, Sense of Place was defined as a multidimensional construct comprising: (1) beliefs about the relationship between self and place; (2) feelings toward the place; and (3) the behavioral exclusivity of the place in relation to alternatives. A 12-item SOP scale, consistent with a multidimensional theoretical prescription, was developed and subsequently tested in the field with a sample of lakeshore property owners in northern Wisconsin (n=282). A number of measurement models based on attitude structure were posed as potential explanations of the scale's construct validity. Results suggested that the SOP scale measured a general Sense of Place dimension that gained expression in property owners' thoughts, feelings and behavioral commitments for their lakeshore properties. This general evaluative dimension was more explanatory of observed responses than were the three univariate dimensions having interpretations consistent with place identity, place attachment, and place dependence. The dominance of the SOP factor over the narrower dimensions was prevalent in three different measurement models that posited both general and specific factors. Future research in this vein could be oriented towards reflecting the domains of attitude more closely, rather than being organized around the domains of sense of place as described in the literature.
Researchers in travel behavior have explored attitudes as important determinants since the 1980s. However, with recent increased frequency, researchers are broadening the use of attitudinal data in models to explain behavior. Much of the application however has focused on attitudes about entities such as lifestyles and attributes of different transport modes. Little focus has been placed on attitudes related to places and attributes of human- place interaction. Much theorizing has taken place in the past forty years focusing on this human-place interaction, which has been formalized into the theory of sense of place. This paper discusses the quantification of this theory, and the implementation of this attitudinal information into travel behavior modeling. To do this a survey was conducted in Santa Barbara, California to measure sense of place and and estimate model of travel behavior. Patrons of two outdoor shopping malls in Santa Barbara were questioned about place attitudes, socio-demographic information and details regarding their activity and travel of the day. Alternate regression model specifications are employed here to examine differences between the two study locations, the use of mode for arrival, and the timing of the activity pointing out the value of the sense of place construct as a determinant of travel behavior.
This paper introduces new forms, sampling and estimation approaches fordiscrete choice models. The new models include behavioral specifications oflatent class choice models, multinomial probit, hybrid logit, andnon-parametric methods. Recent contributions also include new specializedchoice based sample designs that permit greater efficiency in datacollection. Finally, the paper describes recent developments in the use ofsimulation methods for model estimation. These developments are designed toallow the applications of discrete choice models to a wider variety ofdiscrete choice problems. Peer Reviewed http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/47225/1/11002_2004_Article_138116.pdf
A review of the literature suggests that few studies use formative indicator measurement models, even though they should. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to (a) discuss the distinction between formative and reflective measurement models, (b) develop a set of conceptual criteria that can be used to determine whether a construct should be modeled as having formative or reflective indicators, (c) review the marketing literature to obtain an estimate of the extent of measurement model misspecification in the field, (d) estimate the extent to which measurement model misspecification biases estimates of the relationships between constructs using a Monte Carlo simulation, and (e) provide recommendations for modeling formative indicator constructs. Copyright 2003 by the University of Chicago.
‘Sense of place’ is a fundamental, yet presumptive concept within the planning and design disciplines. Professional theories have largely remained focused on the physical aspects of place, as this is their primary mode of production. However, the academic literature suggests that sense of place is a multidimensional concept that extends beyond the physical attributes of a given location. A thorough literature review reveals that sense of place is influenced by four primary dimensions. It is argued that this theoretical perspective can better inform the transformation of space into place by linking each dimension with specific design processes.
Purpose
– This paper aims to explore the phenomenon of online vacation rentals (OVRs) (a new source of e-business travel growth) and how the concept of sense of place is presented by tourists' online reviews.
Design/methodology/approach
– The initial assumption for this exploratory study is that OVRs bring both material and intangible advantages to the individual consumer and to the community of homeowners. Using a qualitative approach, within the conceptual framework of a sense of place, multidimensional meanings presented by tourists' online reviews of their travel experience and home rentals were explored.
Findings
– The findings point to a sense of place constructed through affordances of place, home and a functional sense of place. They seem to indicate that these testimonials come from a close-knit virtual community; although the site is open to all, it is primarily used by British-to-British. The data reveal neither any salient expression of social interaction between these tourists and the local community nor any references to the cultural context, thus pointing to the dimensions of security and familiarity and to the absence of any travelling-to-learn motivation.
Research limitations/implications
– It remains unclear whether sense of place, as defined here, is the outcome of the limitations induced by the channel and textual genre. Future research on this virtual community, via interviews and questionnaires, could clarify this question.
Originality/value
– The analysis of this new form of tourism and the innovative design of this research, based on textual analysis of free elicited data, are the main contributions of this paper.
Models explaining and predicting human travel behavior have gone through many changes in the past few decades. As researchers attempt to explain more and predict with more accuracy, the inclusion of social interactions in modeling and simulation is being recognized as a necessity. Among these efforts, researchers have focused on issues such as the composition of social networks, and the constraints and influences that others have on spatial decisions. An important aspect that has been understudied however is the variability or heterogeneity of individuals both as social network members and as participants in these social networks. Understanding the role individuals play in decision-making in different social networks can further define our models to include more accurate representations of human behavior. This research explores the differences between social network composition, and the decision roles members play within different social networks specifically when deciding where to participate in activities. A survey was conducted in Santa Barbara, California on social network involvement, network attributes and decision-making roles within each network. Two separate latent class cluster analysis models were developed to classify social network involvement and roles. Results show that there are clearly different types of social involvement and roles within networks. Further data collection and analysis will be used to better understand how these decision-making roles manifest themselves in activity decision-making.
Climate change is exacerbating an ever increasing demand on Perth's traditional water sources. One of these water sources is the Gnangara Groundwater System (GGS). Land uses above the Groundwater System directly affects water infiltration and subsequent aquifer recharge and, as such, need to be carefully considered to ensure future water supply security for Perth. Community acceptance has been demonstrated to be an integral component of effective land use planning. The psychological concept of Sense of Place (incorporating the notions of identity, attachment and dependence) can be used to predict intention to accept or reject land use planning decisions. Results from a Sense of Place study indicated that three distinct constructs emerge, which are the cognitive, emotional and behavioural bonds with places on the GGS. Sense of Place is not limited to only people who live in the GGS area but to all Perth people. Findings from this study defy the traditional assumption that Sense of Place is dependant to some extent on proximity to the location. The policy implication is that social boundaries can extend beyond geographical or management boundaries of a place.
Rural residents have different expectations concerning what the rural landscape should be like and what it should be used for. This is especially the case at the rural–urban interface, where the characteristics of rural and urban landscapes have become blurred. In this article, the concept of sense of place is used to explore the relationship between humans and landscape at the rural–urban fringe. Based on a quantitative survey data set, this article examines how the landscape perceptions of local residents can be understood from the basis of their sense of place in Nurmijärvi, a municipality located close to the Helsinki Metropolitan Area in southern Finland. A factor analysis revealed four clusters: Socially connected, Weak bonds, Roots and resources and Committed to place. The clusters differed by their socio-economic profiles as well as their sense of place. The Roots and resources cluster differed most of the other clusters, but in general the differences between the clusters in general landscape perceptions were relatively small. Although a strong sense of place is often assumed to lead to care of place, the willingness to contribute to the landscape did not differ significantly between the clusters. In addition the study revealed the existence of two different approaches to landscape in the rural–urban interface: landscape as a scenery and landscape as a dwelling place.
This article investigates the determinants of place attachment. The community of limited liability argues that local attachment is the result of local relationships neighbors develop through time. The liberated community argues that only a minority of individual social ties are local. Therefore, people will not experience attachment. The authors argue that local attachment might result from a positive perception of the neighborhood environment. Using a randomly selected sample from one large city in Israel, the differential contributions of these models to the understanding of local attachment are investigated. The results show that attachment to place is expressed by a majority of urban residents. The higher the number of close friends and neighbors that are known and live nearby, the higher the attachment to the neighborhood. Perceptions of the local environment have a direct and independent effect on neighborhood attachment. Implications for the understanding of place attachment are discussed.
Sense of place is rich in theory, but quantitative research approaches often fail to reflect this richness. This schism between theory and application not only impedes the development of theory, but also the ultimate utility of the concept for integration into resource management planning. Here, several fundamental points in sense of place theory that can readily be translated into testable hypotheses are identified, as are suggestions for how they may be reformulated into hypothesis language. Sense of place is composed of descriptive and evaluative components that are a function of landscape attributes, experience with the landscape. In turn, any of these elements may affect place-related behaviors. FOR. SCI. 49(6):822829.
Theorized that place-identity is a cluster of positively and negatively valenced cognitions of physical settings. The substantive and valuative natures of these cognitions help to define who and of what value the individual is both to him/herself and in terms of how he/she thinks others view him/her. Three factors are seen as underlying the influence of physical settings on the development of place-identity in the individual: the physical settings of the home, school, and neighborhood. It is in the home, school, and neighborhood settings that the child learns some of his/her most significant social roles (e.g., sex, peer-group membership, ethnic group membership). (47 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Geography and its study are changing in subtle and dramatic ways in the rapid transition to a digital world. Here we present a preliminary discussion of how this new geography, which we call ‘virtual geography’, might be classified. Virtual geography is not merely Cyberspace per se for it comprises many types of place and space in which the digital world finds expression. We define cspace—the space within computers, cyberspace—the use of computers to communicate, and cyberplace—the infrastructure of the digital world, as key components of what Castells1 refers to as ‘real virtuality’. Virtual geography is all this as well as the study of these worlds from traditional geographic perspectives. Like all classifications, the interesting questions lie at the boundaries between classes—between espace and cyberspace, cyberspace and cyberplace, and between all of these. We illustrate this variety and complexity with examples.
This paper examines the relationships between place attachment and landscape values using two measures of place attachment—a psychometric, scale-based measure [Williams, D. R., & Vaske, J. J. (2003). The measurement of place attachment: Validity and generalisability of a psychometric approach. Forest Science, 49(6), 830–840] and a map-based measure derived from mapped special places [Brown, G. (2005). Mapping spatial attributes in survey research for natural resource management: Methods and applications. Society and Natural Resources, 18(1), 17–39]. We first examine the external validity of a two-dimensional, psychometric place attachment scale in Australia and its relationship with place-based landscape values. The place attachment scale and landscape value measures were included in a mail survey of residents and visitors to the Otways region (Victoria, Australia). Exploratory factor analysis of resident subgroups and visitors demonstrate the place attachment scale consists of two dimensions with high reliability. We use regression analysis to show that landscape importance values, especially spiritual and wilderness values, are significant predictors of the scale-based measure of place attachment. We then examine the relationship between a map-based measure of place attachment and landscape values. We use spatial cross-correlation and regression analyses to show that aesthetic, recreation, economic, spiritual, and therapeutic values spatially co-locate with special places and thus likely contribute to place attachment. We argue that survey mapping of landscape values and special places provides a reasonable proxy for scale-based measures of place attachment while providing richer, place-based information for land use planning. We conclude by introducing the concept of a map-based place attachment index and suggest that survey-based measures of landscape values and special places can be used to assess the risk associated with landscape modification. We provide a map showing one possible place attachment index for the Otways region and discuss its potential application.
Modern city dwellers are largely detached from the environmental effects of their daily lives. The sources of the water they drink, the food they eat, and the energy they consume are all but invisible, often coming from other continents, and their waste ends up in places beyond their city boundaries. Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems shows how cities and their residents can begin to reintegrate into their bioregional environment, and how cities themselves can be planned with natureâs organizing principles in mind. Taking cues from living systems for sustainability strategies, Newman and Jennings reassess urban design by exploring flows of energy, materials, and information, along with the interactions between human and non-human parts of the system. Drawing on examples from all corners of the world, the authors explore natural patterns and processes that cities can emulate in order to move toward sustainability. Some cities have adopted simple strategies such as harvesting rainwater, greening roofs, and producing renewable energy. Others have created biodiversity parks for endangered species, community gardens that support a connection to their foodshed, and pedestrian-friendly spaces that encourage walking and cycling. A powerful model for urban redevelopment, Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems describes aspects of urban ecosystems from the visioning process to achieving economic security to fostering a sense of place.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2001. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 199-209). by Joan Leslie Walker. Ph.D.
Individual behaviour relates to the ecological structure or identity of places. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the space–time ecologies of different types of visitor population environment in the Netherlands and destination choice. Multinomial logistic regression modelling for car users was applied to determine the relative importance of various personal and household attributes on choosing for a particular purpose a particular type of visitor population environment during a particular time period of the day. The attributes with the strongest link to the space–time ecologies of destination environments proved to be age, educational level, car ownership, and household income and type.
Matching university places to students is not as clear cut or as straightforward as it ought to be. By investigating the matching algorithm used by the German central clearinghouse for university admissions in medicine and related subjects, we show that a procedure designed to give an advantage to students with excellent school grades actually harms them. The reason is that the three-step process employed by the clearinghouse is a complicated mechanism in which many students fail to grasp the strategic aspects involved. The mechanism is based on quotas and consists of three procedures that are administered sequentially, one for each quota. Using the complete data set of the central clearinghouse, we show that the matching can be improved for around 20% of the excellent students while making a relatively small percentage of all other students worse off.
Digital narratives of place: learning about neighborhood sense of place and travel through online responses
- A Sekar
- R B Chen
- A Cruzat
- M Nagappan
Sekar, A., Chen, R.B., Cruzat, A., Nagappan, M., 2017. Digital narratives of place: learning
about neighborhood sense of place and travel through online responses. Transp. Res.
Rec. 2666.
Handbook of Marketing Scales
- W O Bearden
- R G Netemeyer
Bearden, W.O., Netemeyer, R.G., 1999. Handbook of Marketing Scales, 2nd edition. Sage
Publications.
PythonBiogeme: A Short Introduction
- M Bierlaire
Bierlaire, M., 2016. PythonBiogeme: A Short Introduction, Technical Report TRANSP-OR
160706. Transport and Mobility Laboratory, ENAC, EPFL.
Virtual Geographies: Bodies, Spaces and Relations
- M Crang
- P Crang
- J May
Crang, M., Crang, P., May, J., 1999. Virtual Geographies: Bodies, Spaces and Relations.
Routledge, London.
An Investigation in Decision Making and Destination Choice Incorporating Place Meaning and Social Network Influences
- K Deutsch
Deutsch, K., 2013. An Investigation in Decision Making and Destination Choice
Incorporating Place Meaning and Social Network Influences. University of California,
Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA (Doctoral Dissertation).
Investigating the impact of sense of place on travel behavior using an intercept survey methodology
- K Deutsch
- K Goulias
Deutsch, K., Goulias, K., 2009. Investigating the impact of sense of place on travel behavior using an intercept survey methodology. In: Proceedings of the 88th Annual
Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
The end of geography or the explosion of place? Conceptualizing space, place and information technology
- S Graham
Graham, S., 1998. The end of geography or the explosion of place? Conceptualizing space,
place and information technology. Prog. Hum. Geogr. 22, 165-185.
Sense of place amongst adolescents and adults in two rural Australian towns: the discriminating features of place attachment, sense of community and place dependence in relation to place identity
- G H Pretty
- H M Chipuer
- P Branston
Pretty, G.H., Chipuer, H.M., Branston, P., 2003. Sense of place amongst adolescents and
adults in two rural Australian towns: the discriminating features of place attachment,
sense of community and place dependence in relation to place identity. J. Environ.
Psychol. 23, 273-287.