changing places

• the representation of place is the way a place is portrayed
• a place is a location with meaning
• the character of place refers to the uniqueness of a place
• endogenous factors:

  physical geography

  built environment

  economic function

  demographic characteristics
• place making is an umbrella term for the way place making can be manipulated by redevelopment, rebranding and reimaging
• redeveloping is changing the built environment
• reimaging is about changing the perception of a place
• rebranding is giving a place a new identity achieved through marketing and advertising
• before redevelopment the olympic park had lots of disused factories, lack of green space, the image of being a deprived area and there was no advertising
• after redevelopment the olympic park had new residential developments of Stratford Halo and Telford Homes, more green spaces, the image was positive with communal areas such as the aquatic centre, buildings were renamed Stratford plaza with new E15 postcode
• success of olympic park place making:

  green spaces open to public

  improved transport link through Stratford channel tunnel rail

  sense of community in east village
• failures of olympic park place making:

  Newham residents missing out

  people displaced

  street traders replaced
• rural vs urban:

  rural are associated with wholesome living and an idyllic lifestyle

  urban is seen as a hectic stressful vibrant lifestyle
• public space vs private space:

  a house compared to a public square

  not all public spaces are free from private restraints e.g CCTV

  public spaces where people can gather and gain important messages
• insider vs outsider:

  level of attachment

  when we live in a place we become familiar with it, we know habits/patterns/rhythm, this familiarity makes us feel at home
• near vs far:

  the frictional effect of distance is a concept that states that places near to each other have a greater interaction, whereas those that are further apart have less interation

  globalisation and the rise of social media means these frictional distances are being eroded we know more and more about places further and further away- this is said to be a space/time convergence
• experienced places vs media places:

  places we have first hand experience of we understand better than places we've heard of

  places we know through film, literature, and art we'll feel different about

  e.g hogwarts and narnia

  fictional places can become real in theme parks and their representation can alter perceptions and feelings about place
• placeslessness means globalisation has homogenised the world
• detroit is a city in Michigan state USA its character has been impacted by the rise and fall of the motor car industry and the decisions of the major TNC's involved such as Ford, GM and Toyota
• loss of social and municipal services in Detroit:

  40% of street lights dont work

  only 1/3 of ambulances are running

  size of police force cut by 40%
• average house price in Detroit 2012 was 7,500
• 2012 detroit ranks last among all 71 US states in percentage of population living below the poverty line
• Detroit lost 60% of its population since 1850
• detroit experienced a change in racial composition with white going from 83.6% to 10.6%
• detroits murder rate was 53 per 100,000 in 2012
• What is the focus of the unit "Changing Places"?

  It focuses on people and their conceptual relationships.
• What type of aspect does "Changing Places" cover?

  Sociological aspect of geography
• What types of places should you study in "Changing Places"?

  One local place and one distant place
• What is the definition of "place" in this context?

  A location with different meanings to people
• Who is a key influence on modern understanding of place?

  Edward Relph
• What did Edward Relph's publication aim to do?

  Reimagine static aspects of place
• What are locales in the context of place?

  Locations associated with everyday activities
• How do locales affect social interactions?

  They structure interactions and influence behavior
• What is "sense of place"?

  Emotional attachment to a place
• How might someone express a sense of place?

  By stating attachment to their childhood home
• What does the MUTI graphic illustrate about Warsaw?

  Locales and varying sense of place
• What does placelessness imply about a place?

  A place is not unique and lacks distinctiveness
• What are "clone towns" in the context of placelessness?

  Places with similar chain shops dominating
• How do individual memories contribute to place uniqueness?

  They create personal attachments to locales
• What does Yi-Fu Tuan suggest about attachment to places?

  It grows stronger over time with experiences