Place is highly connected with outdoor education; it is defined by the location of the learning process and it designates both practically and theoretically ways to foster to students a strong bond with natural places. Place attachment refers to this bond or, in other words, the love relationship, one can develop with a place. This research tries to investigate if there is a causal relationship between outdoor education and development of place attachment. A quasi-experimental design research was conducted to 31 teenagers, 12-13 years old. A questionnaire, for measuring the level of place attachment to the natural surroundings of their school, was distributed at two different timelines. Four different dimensions of place attachment were measured; place identity, place dependence, social bonding and nature bonding. The experimental group participated in the program “Attachment to my Local Natural Landscape”, which was developed especially for this study and promoted direct connection with the land, through outdoor activities. The control group received no intervention. The results demonstrated that the program influenced only the female participants of the experimental group. No significant differences were indicated between the two groups after the implementation of the program. The small sample and the short length program implemented were important limitations of this study, which demand further future research to extract more clear results.

Children transform different spaces into their own special places by interacting with the physical and social environment (Hart, 1979; Rasmussen, 2004; Sobel, 1993/2002). Special place research has focused largely on children’s place–making in neighbourhoods, including the process of finding and constructing forts, playhouses and dens in outdoor environments (Benson, 2009; Hart, 1979; Kylin, 2003; Sobel, 1993/2002). The significant presence of schools in children’s everyday lives (Rasmussen, 2004), however, has encouraged some researchers to investigate what environmental conditions foster learning (Derr, 2006; Maxwell, 2006; O’Dell, 2011; Upitis, 2007), as well as how children use and experience social and physical aspects of these places (Einarsdottir, 2005; Peterson, 2009; Rathunde, 2003). Although researchers recognize that learning environments have the potential to enhance learning by the presence of specific design elements, little is known about what constitutes places that elementary students characterize as special, and to which they become attached. Some schools, including Montessori, claim to offer a uniquely prepared learning environment that enhances students’ development, though empirical studies that involve Montessori elementary programs predominantly use academic standardized test scores to compare them to other programs (Baines & Snortum, 1973; Lopata, Wallace, & Finn, 2005). The purpose of this study was to explore places at school that students characterized as special and to describe what aspects made them special. This study used photo elicitation interviews, walking tours, and focus groups to explore 11 Grade 2 students’ special places in two Ontario learning environments: a privately funded, not-for-profit Montessori school and a publicly funded school. Results demonstrated that Grade 2 students in both schools identified special places, both indoors and outdoors, for developing a sense of placeness; engaging in types of play; fostering and engaging in friendships; and having solititude and tranquility. Further analysis revealed two underlying themes: places were special because they afforded students opportunities to be interdependent or independent. Future research is necessary to determine the long-term significance of students’ special places in different learning environments. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-30 19:43:33.982

No description available.

Purpose The study theoretically examine if satisfaction of a sports team can create place attachment to a city from a residents’ perspective. It empirically tests if this theory can be applied in reality through a case study of a handball team IFK Kristianstad, and Kristianstad city. Design/methodology/approach A deductive approach that was based on theoretical insights from place attachment, satisfaction and service quality. A quantitative study was conducted on spectators in Kristianstad Arena. Findings The paper reveals that high service quality leads to high satisfaction among spectators, which creates place attachment to Kristianstad. The results proved that residents of Kristianstad are more place attached to the city than people living elsewhere. Originality/value The value of our paper is a new insight of place attachment from a resident’s perspective. The paper highlights that satisfaction of a sports team actually can create place attachment to a city. Research implications There are many variables that are important when exploring residents’ satisfaction and place attachment, several of them may be education, healthcare, entertainment and variety in a city. By studying the different variables it is possible to receive a larger perspective from residents’ point of views. Additionally, the study could be applied in a larger context where the target group is the whole population of a city. Practical implications The practical contribution might be valuable information for IFK Kristianstad about the spectators of the team; among other, the information demonstrates that the team is valuable for the city. Since the handball team is of importance for both the city and its residents, this information might be useful when marketing Kristianstad city in the future.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Antioch University New England, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Oct. 24, 2008). "A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Environmental Studies at Antioch University New England (2008)."--The title page. Advisor: Thomas Webler, Ph. D. Includes bibliographical references (p. 156-159).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Antioch University New England, 2008. / "A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Environmental Studies at Antioch University New England (2008)."--The title page. Advisor: Thomas Webler, Ph. D. Includes bibliographical references (p. 156-159). Also available on the internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Canterbury, 2009. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-118). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Proefschrift--Universiteit van Amsterdam, 2009. / Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 275-284).

Avfolkning är ett problem för många landsbygdskommuner och de försöker mer eller mindre aktivt göra något åt det. I den här uppsatsen har en textanalys gjorts av tre hälsingekommuners översiktsplaner med syfte att undersöka vad kommunerna gör för att främja återflyttning för att minska avfolkningen. De tre kommunerna som valts ut är Bollnäs, Ovanåker och Söderhamn, kommunerna har en historik av att samarbeta med varandra inom olika områden och tillhör samma arbetsmarknadsregion, men de har olika förutsättningar när det gäller pendling och bostäder. Kommunernas översiktsplaner delades upp i fyra teman, 1 boende, 2 service, 3 arbete och utbildning samt 4 infrastruktur och kommunikation. Dessa fyra teman användes sedan som utgångspunkt för analysen av översiktsplanerna och för att se om kommunerna ser återflyttning som ett alternativ för att lösa problemet med avfolkning. Kommunerna hade likartade lösningar på problemet. Alla kommunerna vill använda sin vackra miljö för att locka människor att flytta till dem och kommunerna vill förbättra pendlingsmöjligheterna för att göra det möjligt för fler människor att bo i kommunerna. Men ingen av kommunerna presenterar någon strategi för att främja återflyttning.

This study is part of the 'Sustainable Estates for the 21st Century' project, designed to understand how best to manage the relationships between people, place and the economy in the Scottish uplands. Large areas of these uplands are owned by private landowners who make significant decisions on land-use. However, past research has provided little insight into landowner decision-making: it is out-dated, inconsistent and offers limited explanation of underlying motives and priorities. In order to address this, a large-scale structured survey was combined with Q methodology and case study interviews on 11 estates. The results indicate that most private landowners have strong economic priorities, but they are not striving solely for instrumental goals of income or financial security. Those on purchased estates are also motivated by personal ambitions: expressive goals. On inherited estates, landowners are motivated by intrinsic motives: a strong sense of duty and attachment to place. Time and money clearly impact significantly on private landowners' motives and priorities for estate management: • The fundamental priority underpinning estate management is economic; only when the estate is financially secure are other issues considered to any significant extent. • Environmental priorities are most evident on purchased estates without economic constraints. • Lengthy family ownership creates strong ties. An increased sense of duty and commitment to social priorities comes with longevity of tenure. Despite the strength of the underlying economic motivation, most landowners are 'satisficers' trying to balance multiple objectives in order to address the various challenges to sustainability. This was particularly evident on large inherited estates where landowners take a paternalistic role. Consequently, retaining such landowners appears to be an important factor in building resilient communities. Although grants still incentivise many landowners to provide public goods, their contributions to all aspects of sustainability could be better rewarded. Government policy should improve the alignment of landowners' and public goals to achieve long-term sustainability in the uplands.