Thesis (M. A.) (Hons.) -- University of Western Sydney, 2002. / A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillmemt of the degree of Master of Arts, UWS Nepean, School of Contemporary Arts : Dance, July 2002. Bibliography : leaves 81-84.

This thesis investigates the relationship between access to public gathering spaces and self-reported health with indicators of community life as the intervening variables. This study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between the access to public space and self-rated health status in multicultural communities. A survey of 785 randomly-selected households was conducted across four low-income Toronto neighbourhoods. The investigation is framed by the 'production of healthy public space' model, which conceptualizes the pathways between the lived experience of space and health as impacting an individual’s likelihood of establishing place attachment. The results support the hypothesis that there is a relationship between the lived dimension of space and health. Mental health appears to be the outcome most affected by indicators of place attachment. Several of the aforementioned relationships were found more commonly in the densest of the four neighbourhoods and variations were found between foreign- and Canadian-born subpopulations.

Adopting an inside out perspective to city branding, this doctoral thesis examines the significance of residents and their relationship towards cities in terms of association, identity and ownership of the physical environment, in the context of city branding. This is important because the growing interest towards city branding not only challenged the traditional understanding of branding concepts but also forced academics and practitioners to seek ways to mould and shape existing concepts to the context of city branding. This qualitative study was undertaken within a constructivist grounded theory methodology and uses Leeds, UK and Istanbul, Turkey as deliberately contrasting case studies. In accordance with grounded theory, the literature was only used to inform rather than direct the research design. The sampling design involved initial and theoretical sampling and in total of 22 residents interviewed from both cities. The emergent place brand identity mosaic comprises of four main categories of social process (SP), place attachment (PA), sense of place (SoP) and built environment (BE), and the most significant feature of the place identity mosaic is that it is processual, dynamic, and time and context specific. In terms of contribution to knowledge, the present study bridges the gap in between the subject fields of branding (brand management) and urban studies by proposing an inside out approach to branding cities. The findings indicate that the place brand identity mosaic elements provide a platform to explain how residents make sense of where they live and to begin to understand the concept of the city brand identity. Moreover, in regards to practice, it brings a new perspective to the existing city managements by highlighting a focal point of “keeping the existing customers happy” through investigating and understanding the role and significance of residents, their attachment to where they live and how this insight can be cooperated into creating and developing a sustainable city brand.

This thesis investigates the relationship between access to public gathering spaces and self-reported health with indicators of community life as the intervening variables. This study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between the access to public space and self-rated health status in multicultural communities. A survey of 785 randomly-selected households was conducted across four low-income Toronto neighbourhoods. The investigation is framed by the 'production of healthy public space' model, which conceptualizes the pathways between the lived experience of space and health as impacting an individual’s likelihood of establishing place attachment. The results support the hypothesis that there is a relationship between the lived dimension of space and health. Mental health appears to be the outcome most affected by indicators of place attachment. Several of the aforementioned relationships were found more commonly in the densest of the four neighbourhoods and variations were found between foreign- and Canadian-born subpopulations.

The aim of this thesis is to study the multidimensional relation between the spatial and the social by focusing on Van as a place. In order to understand social processes, it is important to view the complex relation between the spatial and the social. Taking the space-place relation into consideration, this work approaches to the processes of construction and representation of identity of place in the framework of the interrelation between place, culture and identity. Different groups in society are in a constant contestation over the construction of the meaning and the identity of place. This work, studies how place is constituted both materially and imaginarily within this contestation process. Senses of place and the meanings given to places are formed by social, cultural, economical and political situations of the people. Consequently this thesis, discusses the contestation over the representation and the use of place in the context of social, cultural, economical, political processes and power relations. It considers the dynamics which are effective on the constitution of image of Van. It studies the influences of these dynamics on the construction, the use, the transformation and the reproduction of place through the cultural practices of different groups in the city. This thesis, researches the relation between place and culture, the everyday life practices of different groups and the process of production of meaning through these practices.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Texas Christian University, 2008. / Title from dissertation title page (viewed May 12, 2008). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Sc.) (Honours) -- University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, 2000. / A masters thesis submitted in fulfilmant of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Honours) at the University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, August, 2000. Bibliography : leaves 147-160.

The aim of this thesis is to study the multidimensional relation between the spatial and the social by focusing on Van as a place. In order to understand social processes, it is important to view the complex relation between the spatial and the social. Taking the space-place relation into consideration, this work approaches to the processes of construction and representation of identity of place in the framework of the interrelation between place, culture and identity. Different groups in society are in a constant contestation over the construction of the meaning and the identity of place. This work, studies how place is constituted both materially and imaginarily within this contestation process. Senses of place and the meanings given to places are formed by social, cultural, economical and political situations of the people. Consequently this thesis, discusses the contestation over the representation and the use of place in the context of social, cultural, economical, political processes and power relations. It considers the dynamics which are effective on the constitution of image of Van. It studies the influences of these dynamics on the construction, the use, the transformation and the reproduction of place through the cultural practices of different groups in the city. This thesis, researches the relation between place and culture, the everyday life practices of different groups and the process of production of meaning through these practices.

This thesis puts forth a model for analyzing and understanding the social construction of the concept of place. The Place Deconstruction Model (PDM) consists of a decentered and a centered perspective. The decentered perspective identifies three instances of sense making, at the levels of perception (crude place), meaning making (constructed place), and the building of artifice (commodified place). The centered perspective accounts for the subjectivity of the observer, as determined by memory, expectations, and the experience of the here and now. The method of analysis involves the juxtaposition of spatial (space, place identity, place image), temporal (time, history, heritage), and social (being, self identity, self image) lenses that require adjustment of parameters such as perspective and unit of analysis. The findings derived from the application of this model have both academic and practical applications.

Adopting an inside out perspective to city branding, this doctoral thesis examines the significance of residents and their relationship towards cities in terms of association, identity and ownership of the physical environment, in the context of city branding. This is important because the growing interest towards city branding not only challenged the traditional understanding of branding concepts but also forced academics and practitioners to seek ways to mould and shape existing concepts to the context of city branding. This qualitative study was undertaken within a constructivist grounded theory methodology and uses Leeds, UK and Istanbul, Turkey as deliberately contrasting case studies. In accordance with grounded theory, the literature was only used to inform rather than direct the research design. The sampling design involved initial and theoretical sampling and in total of 22 residents interviewed from both cities. The emergent place brand identity mosaic comprises of four main categories of social process (SP), place attachment (PA), sense of place (SoP) and built environment (BE), and the most significant feature of the place identity mosaic is that it is processual, dynamic, and time and context specific. In terms of contribution to knowledge, the present study bridges the gap in between the subject fields of branding (brand management) and urban studies by proposing an inside out approach to branding cities. The findings indicate that the place brand identity mosaic elements provide a platform to explain how residents make sense of where they live and to begin to understand the concept of the city brand identity. Moreover, in regards to practice, it brings a new perspective to the existing city managements by highlighting a focal point of “keeping the existing customers happy” through investigating and understanding the role and significance of residents, their attachment to where they live and how this insight can be cooperated into creating and developing a sustainable city brand.