changing places

define a location

the physical point of where a place is.

what are locales

locations in a place that are associated with everyday activities e.g. school, sports ground or theatre. A locale structures social interactions and people are likely to show behavioural traits in a specific locale. Conform to social stereotypes e.g. quiet in a library

define sense of place

the subjective emotional attachment to a place which gives it meaning.

define the concept of planeness

• suggests that a place is not unique 

• for example, most UK high streets have a Costa Coffee (chain shops).

• clone towns due to dominance of chain shops.

• however, it could be argued that different places have different people who interact in different locales, which would make any clone town unique to them

define topophilia

the love of a place and having a strong attachment to it

define topophobia

the dislike of a place

define near places

• those which are geographically close to us

• near places are subjective (how easy it is to travel there)

define far places 

• those that are distant 

• some people may get ‘homesick’ if they are staying away fro the first time in their lives, even if they are only 10 minutes away

• they may feel ‘far’ away emotionally, even if they are physically close

define experienced places

• places that people have actually visited

• some would argue that you have to visit a place to create an emotional attachment to it

• others would suggest that a desire to visit a place or dislike towards it because of what you have seen through the media, is enough to create an emotional attachment

define a media place

• places we have not visited, but have learned about through media representations. For example, Paris.

• most people would argue that you have a more intense experience by visiting a place, which leads to a stronger attachment to it, due to the stimulation of all your senses.

• madie sources can change your sense of place subconsciously

• for example, Detroit is often represented as a rundown, neglected city, yet Lonely Planet ranked Detroit as its no. 2 city to visit in 2018!

define genus loci 

the spirit of a place. It suggests that every place has a unique spirit or atmosphere, based on everything the location if made up of now and in the past

what factors affect place characters

endogenous and exogenous

list some endogenous factors 

• land use- is the area urban or local

• topography- the relief and lie of the land

• physical geography- are there natural physical features such as waterfalls or estuaries

• infrastructure- roads, railways, parks, schools

• demographic characteristics- age, gender, ethnicity

• built environment- architecture

• location- elevation, distance to the coast etc.

• economic characteristics- in debt, ageing industries

define endogenous factors 

those which originate from within the place and are local

define exogenous factors

those which originate from outside a place and provide linkages and relationships with and to other places. They are commonly referred to as ‘flows’

give some examples of exogenous factors

• people- impacts of tourists, workers, migrants, refugees, visitors and changing quantities of people in an area over time

• money and investment- trade deals, tax, major events (e.g. sports competitions), new businesses

• resources- availability of raw materials, products, food, water and energy.

• ideas- entrepreneurs may move to an area bringing new businesses with them. Ideas could be information about an area from another country. Designers drive creative processes within an area.

how have flows of people affected Germany 

germany has around 1.4 million asylum seekers, who integrate into their society, though also creating political and social disputes which will greatly impact the character of Germany 

how has money and investment affected Stratford

Investment into Stratford, London before, during and after it hosted the Olympics has had a long-lasting impact on its place character. Smaller sporting events may have a short-term impact

how have resources affected the UK

due to good transportation networks, the UK is food secure. if the crops fail one year more food can be imported from other countries to make up for the deficit. In less developed countries this is unlikely to be possible

how has Detroit been impacted by flows of ideas

The ideas of urban planners have helped develop the city, leading to positive reviews by Lonely planet. This has driven the tourist industry of Detroit, impacting its character

what is the relationship between exogenous and endogenous factors 

over time, endogenous factors will be shaped by the changing flows of exogenous factors