Changing places

Question 1

What is a location?

Answer 1

A ​location is the ​physical point of where a ​place is.

Question 2

What is a place?

Answer 2

Location with a meaning

Question 3

Describe locales

Answer 3

Locales are ​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 specific in a locale. People are likely to be sociable in a theatre, but will speak more quietly in a library to conform with ​social stereotypes​. This may occur subconsciously.

Question 4

What is the sense of place?

Answer 4

​Sense of place is the ​subjective emotional attachment to a place which gives it meaning.

Question 5

What is placelessness?

Answer 5

Placelessness suggests that a place is ​not unique​. For example, most UK high streets have a Costa Coffee, Greggs, Ladbrokes and a Tesco (or similar ​chain shops​). They are ​clone towns due to the dominance of ​chain shops​.

Question 6

What is a clone town?

Answer 6

They are ​clone towns due to the dominance of ​chain shops​, and this could be located anywhere in the world due to its lack of identity

Question 7

How does Yi-Fu Tuan see attachment to place?

Answer 7

The geographer Yi-Fu Tuan suggests that ​attachment (a feeling binding one subject with another) to a place, grows stronger over time. As you have more experiences in a place, you are more likely to be attached with that place.

Question 8

How do intensity and number of experience affect attachment to a place?

Answer 8

The ​greater the intensity and ​number of experiences you have in a place, the ​greater the depth of attachment you may have to a place. If you spend long enough in a place with many ​positive and intense experiences​, it will become home.

Question 9

What is topophilia ?

Answer 9

Topophilia concerns the ​love of a place and having a ​strong attachment to it.

Question 10

What is topophobia?

Answer 10

Topophobia is the ​dislike of a place​. It may be possible to experience ​topophobia and still have a strong attachment with a place, but the attachment will be negative.

Question 11

What are the types of places?

Answer 11

Near
Far
Experienced
Media

Question 12

What is a near place?

Answer 12

Near Places: Those which are ​close to us. Near places are ​subjective.

A woman living in the Australian outback may consider a place that is 100km away to be near, due to the ability to directly drive between settlements across the outback. In the UK a place that is 100km away may take several hours to travel to and may be considered as a far place

Question 13

What is a far place?

Answer 13

Those that are distant​. Both ​near and far places may have a more emotional meaning​.

Some people may get ‘homesick’ if they are staying away for the first time in their lives even if they are only ten minutes drive away. They may feel ‘far’ away emotionally, even if they are physically close

Question 14

What is an experienced place?

Answer 14

Experienced Places: Places that we have actually visited. Some people 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

Question 15

What is a media place?

Answer 15

Places we have ​not visited​, but may have learned about through ​media representations​.

For example, the musician ‘Vancouver Sleep Clinic’ chose his artist name because he had experienced Vancouver as a media place and thought ‘​it looks like a beautiful place​’. Most geographers would argue 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. Media sources can change our sense of place ​subconsciously​.

Question 16

What is genius loci?

Answer 16

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

Question 17

What is place character and what is it affected by?

Answer 17

Place character relates to the ​specific qualities, attributes or features of a location that make it unique.

Place character is affected by ​endogenous and exogenous​ factors.

Question 18

Endogenous Factors​

Answer 18

Those which ​originate from within​ the place and are ​local:

● Land Use​ - Is the area​ urban or rural​?
● Topography​ - The​ ​relief​ ​and lie of the land
● Physical Geography - Are there ​natural physical features ​such as waterfalls or estuaries?
● Infrastructure​ - Built services that ​enhance ​or are ​essential ​to living conditions:
○ Roads, railways, canals, airports
○ Broadband and phone networks, water supply, sewers and electrical grids
○ Parks, public pools, schools, hospitals, libraries
○ Education system, health care provision, local government, law enforcement, emergency services
● Demographic Characteristics​ - ​Age, gender, number, ethnicity ​of the population
● Built Environment​ - The architecture of the area. Contemporary, ageing, historical
● Location​ - Elevation, distance to the coast etc.
● Economic Characteristics​ - In debt, growth market, ageing industries, economic sectors

Question 19

Exogenous Factors​

Answer 19

Those which ​originate from outside a place and provide ​linkages and relationships​ with and to other places. Exogenous factors are commonly referred to as ​flows​ of:

● People ​- ​Impact of tourists, workers, migrants, refugees, visitors and changing quantities of people on an area ​over time
○ Germany has around ​1.4 million asylum seekers​, who integrate into their society, though also creating political and social disputes. Inevitably this will impact the character of Germany
● Money and Investment ​- ​Trade ​deals, tax, major ​events ​(e.g. sports competition), new businesses or movement of business from an area
○ Investment into the London borough of Stratford 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.
● Resources​ ​- Availability of ​raw materials​, products, food, water and energy
○ 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.
● 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.
○ Detroit has been impacted by the ideas of urban planners which have helped develop the city, leading to positive reviews by Lonely Planet. This has driven the tourist industry of Detroit, impacting on its character

Question 20

List the exogenous factors

Answer 20

• People
• Money and investment
• Resources
• Ideas

Question 21

List the endogenous factors

Answer 21

• Land use
• Topgraphy
• Physical geography
• Infrastructure
• Demographic characteristics
• Built environment
• Location
• Economic characteristics

Question 22

What will the relationship over time be between endogenous and exogenous factors?

Answer 22

Over time, ​endogenous factors will be shaped by the changing flows of exogenous factors​.

Question 23

What is the impact of the 2016 Olympics on Rio?

Answer 23

Short term- the ​influx of people as an exogenous factor during the 2016 Olympics will have caused the city to have become busier, leading to a ​short-term impact on ​sense of place​.

Long term- the investment and movements to bulldoze some areas of the Favela’s will have changed the ​economic and social characteristics of the city. The ​built environment is affected by the new stadiums that were built.

Question 24

What are the two perspectives of place?

Answer 24

Insiders and Outsiders

Question 25

What are insiders?

Answer 25

Insiders​ are those people who feel at home within
and may have the following characteristics:

● Born​ in
● They hold ​citizenship​ for
● Fluent in local language and conform with ​idioms (language relating to a specific location
or culture). For example ‘kill two birds with one stone’ might be a complicated phrase for migrants to understand. Some local idioms may be specific to places.
● Conforms with ​social norms and behavioral traits​ common in

Question 26

Why may people feel like outsiders?

Answer 26

It can be the case that people who do not belong to the main ​ethnic group of a community feel like outsiders​. For example, an ​immigrant family could have moved into a neighbourhood where they are an ​ethnic minority which - combined with other factors - may cause the family to feel like outsiders​. For example:

● Initially, they may not be accustomed to the ​culture, social norms ​and dialect of the majority of the community.
● The shops and restaurants along the high street may not be ​familiar​ to them.
● They may find it hard to find particular foods which they had in their ​country of origin​.
● The ​architecture of the buildings and the ​vehicles on the street may look different from
what they are used to. (These feelings could be similar to how you feel when you go on holiday and your surroundings are different to usual).

Question 27

How can perspective of place change over time?

Answer 27

These feelings of ​unfamiliarity may change in the ​long-term​. As the family get used to living in that place and integrate into ​society​, they can feel like ​insiders​. The children of an ​immigrant family will have a different ​experience of place to their parents, leading to a ​unique sense of place​ for the area where they live.

Question 28

How do some ethnic groups create a sense of place/belonging?

Answer 28

ethnic groups ​cluster in certain areas, potentially because people feel more ​at home surrounded by other people sharing the same ​ethnicity​. The ​clustering means that the area will ​adapt towards that culture over time, which may attract more people from that ​ethnicity to move there.

Question 29

How may some people who were previously insiders, become outsiders?

Answer 29

Perspective of place may also change so that people begin to feel like ​outsiders​, even if they initially identified as ​insiders to a place. For example, large ​influxes of immigrants into an area can change the characteristics of a place. The ​high street may change as shops and restaurants adapt over time to cater for new ​cultures​, which can make the original residents begin to feel like outsiders as their ​surroundings become unfamiliar​.

Alternatively, some people may ​embrace multiculturalism and the changes that occur as a result of ​immigration ​and like the ​diversity of their high street. Diversity makes some places appealing e.g. ​Chinatown attracts large numbers of tourists each year.

Question 30

How can gentrification change the perspective of place over time?

Answer 30

Gentrification is the process of ​renovation and improvement of housing to suit a ​middle class audience, usually leading to higher house prices. Gentrification can cause insiders to feel like outsiders over time; entire districts can change and adapt to suit a different audience, meaning insiders may feel like they do not fit in with the ​culture ​or the ​class​. In Berlin, for example, (pictured above) many areas are becoming renovated to fit the new ​trendy ​and ‘hipster’ feel of the city, leaving old residents not only isolated, but unable to keep up with higher rents.

Question 31

How do regeneration of places impact the perspective of place?

Answer 31

This feeling of being an ​outsider can also occur after ​large scale regeneration projects​, which lead to changes in ​place character​. The ​demolition and reconstruction of buildings, investments ​into new ​facilities​, and a subsequent ​better quality of life can ​alter the demographic of an area​. This can potentially cause the original population to feel like ​outsiders​.

Question 32

How did regeneration impact Stratford?

Answer 32

The area, now called ​East Village​, was previously a ​deindustrialised ​area, contaminated with waste ​and full of derelict ​industrial buildings​. In some of the areas, such as Clays Lane and Waterden Crescent, the population was majorly comprised of ​Irish travellers​. The area is now a mixture of low cost and private housing, and one of the traveller camp sites was regenerated into a broadcasting booth.

Question 33

What is the ‘other’?

Answer 33

‘​The other​’ refers to people who are ​unfamiliar or different ​to ​the self​. ​Conflict and ​social tensions can exist when people who ​do not have the same identity (the qualities, beliefs and attachments) as other people they meet. When ​people are considered ​’other’ ​it makes it easier to be ​prejudiced ​against them as they seem ‘alien’ to us and can be dehumanised. For example, metaphorical language used by some in the media to describe immigrants can exacerbate negative feelings towards immigration.

Question 34

Why may conflict arise due to changing places?

Answer 34

​Conflict could also be due to ​racism or xenophobia ​(​fear or distrust to something that is uncommon or ​out of place​). ​Xenophobia is most commonly seen in modern day society as ​suspicion towards migrants and ​foreigners​. This links into ​prejudice and is a complicated issue to solve. Identity and mindsets such as ​racism and xenophobia can lead to ​segregation​ and also shape places.

Question 35

Describe the interactions with immigrants regarding, the ‘other’

Answer 35

This ​sense of ‘other’ isn’t limited to how residents see immigrants. Immigrants can also see ​native residents as ‘other’​; both these interactions can mean a lack of social integration, exacerbating issues of conflict within an area. Conflict and tensions can arise when ​different groups of people have different ideas towards how an area should develop​.

Question 36

What is place meaning?

Answer 36

Place meaning​ refers to the ​sense of place and character​ that different people give to a place. It is how a place is ​represented by tourist organisations, governments, corporate bodies and community groups​. These groups drive changes to places and are known as ​forces of change.

Question 37

What are the drivers of change?

Answer 37

● Community Groups
● Governments
● Councils
● Individuals
● TNC’s
● National Organisations
● International Organisations 
● Global Organisations

Question 38

How is place meaning shaped?

Answer 38

Place meaning​ is shaped by the ​past and present
connections​ of a place on a ​variety of scales​ from
global to local. For example, the ​place meaning​ of
Berlin is impacted by the World Wars and the Cold
War and the connections with places such as the UK
and Russia that it had. This shapes ​tourism​ in
Berlin.

Question 39

How has place meaning changed in Germany?

Answer 39

The ​government
policies​ of Angela Merkel to allow migrants has
further shaped this connection. Racist ​community
groups​ in Germany formed by past connections are
making migrants feel unwanted. This has impacted the place-meaning of Germany. It has caused global groups​ such as Migrants Rights International to promote the cause for migrants in Germany. ​Individual activists​ such as Sophia Lösche fought for migrants and for a more welcoming Germany, but she was unfortunately killed for her views. Despite this, ​Visit Berlin​ are using the slogan of ‘the city of freedom’. This is ​rebranding​ to overcome past place-meanings and fight against the ​current changes​ that may be occuring.

Question 40

How have Berlin attempted to change place meaning?

Answer 40

​Visit Berlin​ are using the slogan of ‘the city of freedom’. This is ​rebranding​ to overcome past place-meanings and fight against the ​current changes​ that may be occuring.

Question 41

What is rebranding and why is it done?

Answer 41

Rebranding​ is the process by which forces of change aim to adapt the place meaning of a location. This could be to encourage tourism by promoting the ​endogenous or exogenous characteristics​ of a place, to overcome ​negative connotations​.

Question 42

What does rebranding often involve?

Answer 42

Communities​ can change place representation and this commonly takes place in the form of ​social media campaigns​. Rebranding​ involves:
● Advertising Campaigns
● Positive Media Coverage
● Infrastructure and Built Environment Improvements
● Tourist Board Management

Question 43

How does rebranding take place?

Answer 43

To achieve this:
● Community groups​ may levy media groups to positively or negatively portray a place
● Councils​ may invest in tourism boards to portray a positive image of a location
● Governments​ may set out strategies such as improving infrastructure
● Individuals​ may start social media campaigns which suggest a different image of a place

Question 44

What are the different forms of place representation?

Answer 44

Place representation may take place in different forms:
● Websites
 ● Songs
 ● Photographs
● Posters
 ● Videos 
● News Articles

Additionally places may be represented by ​census data, graphs or measures such as Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)​.