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This thesis is about how people develop attachments to places, and what this means for natural resource management. The concept of ‘sense of place’ is generating strong interest in the domain of natural resource management. In particular, the concept offers considerable potential as a way of integrating social, ecological and economic dimensions of environment. This makes the concept highly relevant to an emerging agenda from a range of disciplines and management approaches concerned with the links between social systems and natural systems at local and regional scales (Berkes and Folke 1998; Cheng Kruger and Daniels 2003; Plumwood 2002).¶ Recent interest in place has led to a research agenda for exploring how this concept can play a greater role in resource management (Cantrill and Senecah 2001). Central to this research agenda are questions of how attachments to places are influenced and how sense of place changes over time. In response to the emerging role of sense of place in natural resource management and the research agenda for exploring this concept, this thesis is concerned with three questions: what are the key influences on sense of place?; what is the relationship between sense of place and activities in practice?; and how do people learn about places and respond to change? To explore these questions, the thesis presents findings from interviews with 40 participants in case studies of the Atherton Tablelands and Woodstock, north Queensland. The research employed a purposeful sampling design with the aim of capturing as many different senses of place as possible within the limits of this study. Participants represented a broad range of land uses, ethnic backgrounds, ages and durations of time in the place of the interview. The data from these interviews were analysed using qualitative methods drawing on grounded theory (Charmanz 2000) and influenced by adaptive theory (Layder 1998). The research included a focus on honouring human experience (Braud and Anderson 1998), and also recognising the importance of prior research on how people develop a sense of place (Piaget 1971; Relph 1976).¶ The analysis showed how sense of place was influenced strongly by childhood experiences, both for people who grew up in the case study locations and for people who grew up elsewhere. Other strong influences on place involved living in a similar environment overseas, seeking profit and having a sense of self focussed on agricultural production. Of particular interest is that for many participants who moved to the case study locations, their sense of the Atherton Tablelands or Woodstock was well developed prior to arriving there. This implies that influencing people’s sense of place once they have arrived in a new place will be difficult. Attempts to influence people’s sense of place before they arrive, or soon after arrival, are more likely to be successful. ¶ The ways that sense of place related to practice are presented as a series of overlapping themes. These include the practice of admiring one’s place from the comfort of home, making the land produce, and engaging with a place through activities such as hunting, camping and fishing. Participants also described the practice of caring for place, such as looking after traditional country and restoring the family farm. ¶ The ways participants learned about their places focussed on their childhood experiences, learning from elders, the role of comparisons between places, and the importance of continuity of experience. Participants described very few ways of learning about their place during adulthood. One of these was seeing places under different conditions, such as during a rat plague or after a bushfire. Another was through involvement in community events such as festivals.¶ In discussing the implications of these findings for natural resource management and policy, the thesis highlights how for several participants the key influences on sense of place were tied to non-economic values. Furthermore, this thesis shows that for many people identity and place were strongly linked and this adds to research that explains why farmers may not behave in economically ‘rational’ ways (Botterill 2001a). The thesis also discusses the links between sense of place and post-productivist values in considering transitions in regional Australia identified by Holmes (2002). The findings of this thesis emphasise the potential role for environmental education during childhood to encourage learning about places. The thesis also discusses the implications of how people learn about their places during adulthood, arguing that further support for festivals and community events can play a significant role in exploring the links between social and ecological systems.¶ In conclusion, the thesis argues that the concept of place continues to offer considerable potential for understanding change in regional Australia, and in particular a grass roots shift towards post-productivist values. This role can be developed by further supporting environmental education in childhood and community events such as festivals which help us to learn about the links between ourselves and our environments.

This paper discusses how a profit-pursuing economic man turning to a social man with the sense of ¡¥place¡¦. Using the case study of Taiwanese businessmen investing land in Vietnam, this thesis argues that such an imagined ¡¥mobile capital¡¦ might be turning to the capital embedded in the local place. Based on grounded theory, the author interviewed 20 persons in Vietnam to understand their life trajectories, and their current situations in Vietnam. The result shows that Taiwanese businesspeople in different industries, which locate their production in different locations, have different senses of place attachment. Language ability and the intimate life with local people will affect their attachment to the local place.

The aim of this research is to identify how industrial heritage in redeveloping industrial areas may be used to contribute to a neighbourhood sense of place. This is examined through case studies, semi-structured interviews and first hand observations. Focus is placed on planning processes and results yielded. This project began with the belief that highlighting a community's heritage, when done effectively, and at a comprehensive scale, will foster a distinct neighbourhood character and sense of place. Based on the literature and research collected, an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with incorporating the industrial heritage of South Point Douglas in Winnipeg, Manitoba is provided. Future steps are also recommended. This community was chosen , in part, because of its large supple of underused industrial buildings, its central location, and its historical significance to the development of the City of Winnipeg.

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Urban catalysts are new redevelopment strategies comprised of a series of projects that drive and guide urban development. Redevelopment efforts in the past, such as urban renewal and large-scale redevelopment projects, have often jeopardized the vitality of downtowns. The difference between the urban catalyst and these redevelopment strategies is that catalytic redevelopment is a holistic approach, not a clean-slate approach, to revitalizing the urban fabric. Many cities have considered urban catalysts as a means for revitalization. Among the most noted catalytic projects are sports stadiums and arenas: however not all catalytic projects have to be designed at such a grand scale, nor do all cities possess a threshold of support to successfully sustain such developments. This thesis design project examines the significance of the urban catalyst as a means of urban revitalization. The urban catalyst theory says design can be linked to place through the study of contextual factors in urban design. These factors include: morphological, social, functional, perceptual, visual, and temporal. For the urban catalyst to respond to its setting it also must possess a strong sense of place and authenticity. Each component of my research supports my position that each city has unique attributes that can serve as basic models or seeds for urban redevelopment. These components are used as a basis for developing a design framework that is applied to two sites in Memphis, Tennessee. This position is tested through the contextual analysis and design of two projects that are of major significance to Downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The first demonstrates the role that Court Square plays as a critical social and spatial element in the revitalization of the center city. The second is the revitalization of the South Side Neighborhood, an area full of history and character. / Master of Landscape Architecture

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the experiences of Black women regarding air pollution in Toronto. Specifically, it explores the experiences of Black women in Toronto in regard to air pollution and the connections to air pollution and other barriers that Black women may face in Toronto. The thesis used qualitative research alongside air pollution literature in Canada to explain these experiences. The thesis will use the definition of environmental racism and the main theoretical framework of racial capitalism. In Chapter 1, there is a general discussion on the impacts of air pollution, with mention of a ruling of the first death caused by air pollution in the world, in order to showcase the growing concern associated with exposure to air pollution. Furthermore, this chapter explains how air pollution affects population health and focuses on the impact of specific chemicals and compounds associated with air pollution. In Chapter 2, discusses why Black women and their experiences with air pollution are unique compared to the general population in Canada. Furthermore, this chapter explains air pollution and its effects in Toronto, Ontario, including the sources of traffic and industrial air pollution levels, while emphasising the unequal burden of air pollution affecting lower-income groups in Toronto. Chapter 4 explains the theoretical approaches. Chapter 5 will discuss the interview analysis, verbatim quotes from participants and connecting the theories mentioned in the literature review portion to what the participants have mentioned. Chapter 6 will conclude the thesis. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

New Urbanism is an all-encompassing term that refers to an increasingly popular set of design tenets that draw upon traditional urban forms in the creation or redevelopment of residential communities. Although design professionals are increasingly adopting these design tenets in the creation of new communities, there is no research that either supports or rejects New Urbanism's underlying assumption that neotraditional design tenets are capable of fostering a “sense of place.” Therefore, this research explores how a ”sense of place” arises for residents of a neotraditional neighborhood located in Blacksburg, Virginia. This research then investigates the influence physical form has on the development of a sense of place for the individuals living within this community. In an attempt to answer these questions, this research project employs an existential-phenomenological approach to understand the specified people-place relationships. The transformation of space into place for the participants living within the study area was consistent with two distinct, existing theories regarding the development of a sense of place. Analysis indicates that social interaction in the form of un-structured chance encounters with neighbors heavily influences the transformation of mere space into place. Further analysis indicates that such encounters are not directly related to density. Rather, the proximity of the housing, the connection between the public and private realm, and the relationship of the housing to the un-built environment all emerge as key factors in encouraging such residential experiences. The results are discussed in the context of TND design tenets and a theory of neighborhood design is presented. / Ph. D.

Denna uppsats handlar om Arvika i västra Värmland som bland annat är känt för sitt rika kulturliv. Kultur är ett differentierat begrepp som har olika definitioner beroende på vad man syftar på och vem man frågar. Uppsatsens syfte är att utskilja om det finns en officiell bild av Arvikas kultur och om äldre och unga personer har en annan bild för att förstå om kulturen har betydelse för platsens identitet. Resultatet blev att bilderna till viss del ser olika ut men även att de liknar varandra. Bilden av Arvikas kultur är ofta estetisk men olika individer snarare än olika grupper hade skilda åsikter om vad de definierar som kultur samt hur de identifierar sig med den och platsen. / This senior essay is about the town of Arvika, in Western Värmland, Sweden. Arvika is famous, among other things, for its rich cultural life. Culture is a difficult concept that has many meanings depending on who you ask. The paper tries to highlight or draw out the official perceptions of Arvika´s culture and whether the elderly and the young inhabitants have a different image and perception of Arvika´s culture. The essay examines the importance of culture for the (place) identity of Arvika. The study found out that the official and ”popular” images of Arvika on the whole are similar, but diverse as well. The images of Arvka´s culture are often aesthetic. The differences are individual rather than age or group related.

Prior studies suggest that proximity to nuclear power plants do not affect concerns regarding perceived risks of nuclear power. This thesis applies and compare Swedish plant Ringhals with prior studies but with the added intent of addressing the relationship between plant and population. The host community Bua is positive towards Ringhals and the changes it has brought. To some degree more so than results of prior studies with a higher than national average percent of study respondents being in favor of nuclear power. When Ringhals was established, Bua was small and had little power to impact the decision. Today, the population is bigger and have a better chance to affect future pathways for their community. While positive towards nuclear power the population expresses concerns over possible future changes. A large scale change like the construction of a power plant is less likely to happen again.