Meaning can be positive or negative and is influenced by:

• Stories, or history, knowingly connected to the space. Stories told by others must be seen or heard and then filtered through the values and feelings of the person ascribing meaning.
• Values of the person ascribing meaning. Specifically, values pertinent to the space or stories such as valuing nature.
• Experiences shared within the space. Experiences are often the strongest contributor to meaning.
• Feelings of the person ascribing meaning. Specifically, feelings tied to the space, stories, and experiences.

Meaning resides in memories of the space, experiences, and feelings; allowing the person to take meaning with them when they leave and bring meaning back when they return. Culture influences the space and the space’s stories or history, and influences the person’s values and experiences. Cultural experiences include the cultural exchange between people sharing the space. Finally, meaning is also influenced by action, but action is Placemaking and will be discussed below.

Knowing what influences the ascription of meaning helps us predict if and potentially shape how and when meaning is ascribed to space or predict when meaning could be lost. This is important because meaning and motivation influence future behavior, and future behavior is integral to community and economy. Knight Soul of the Community showed that meaning is important to human motivation as theorized by Maslow, and identified the top three Place characteristics leading to resident attachment or belonging; social offerings, aesthetics, and openness. Social offerings could be seen as opportunities for experiences in Place. As for aesthetics, residents value aesthetics in Place, and aesthetics can positively influence both experiences and feelings tied to Place. Residents also value openness, and openness can increase opportunities for experiences in Place and the potential for positive feelings toward those experiences.

For a person to have ascribed direct meaning to a space, they need to have been present in that space; both physically and mentally. It is not uncommon for people to be physically present but mentally absent, and some level of mindfulness is necessary for the ascription of meaning. The more mindful, the richer the meaning. The combination of being both physically and mentally present is most likely to occur on foot. It may occur on bike but is less likely to occur in an enclosed vehicle. Driving requires its own attention, and the interior of the vehicle competes as a separate Place. Observing a space from a distance does not qualify as being present in that space, although a vista can provide definition to a space.

For a person to have ascribed direct meaning to a space, they also need and to have formed a personal connection. This connection is sometimes referred to as attachment or belonging and is anchored in experiences and memories. Each Place is different for each connected person as they ascribe a unique and personal meaning. Finally, a space without at least one connected person is not a Place, no matter how well designed.

Indirect meaning can be ascribed to a space following exposure to filtered stories connected to the space. Once seen and heard, those filtered stories are filtered again through the individual’s values and feelings. The individual then has the potential to ascribe meaning to the space based on their now indirect experience of the space through those filtered stories. Without being present in the space and forming a personal connection, the indirect meaning ascribed will be at best incomplete and at worst inaccurate. Place Branding is purposeful and targeted Place storytelling. It is worth noting that it is ok to have multiple, even contradictory seeming Place stories, as will become clear below.

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Sense of Place is our perception of meaning ascribed to space, now Place

Sense of Place is person dependent, and for any give Place is most accurately defined as a collection of all the connected people’s Sense of that Place. In this way, Place is more a mosaic of those senses than a melding. When observing the collection of Place sense, we can look for a larger pattern or picture of the Place. This distinction is important because it prioritizes people and the unique meanings they ascribe rather than just the physical space; though the physical space is still important. It also prioritizes the range of Place sense rather than just the majority. These distinctions have ramifications to both research and practice/process.

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Placemaking is developing meaningful connections between people and place.

In other words, transforming soulless, meaningless, generic spaces into soulful, meaningful, distinct Places. People shape spaces, purposefully and otherwise, through their actions. Actions that personalize a space strengthen a person’s connections. Conversely, those actions may lessen another person’s connections. Place action is also an experience within the space for the person acting that further shapes meaning they ascribe to the space. While not necessarily Placemaking, it is important to note that the space and the action can also shape the people in the space.

Placemaking is action to purposefully increase the likelihood people will connect positively with the space and with each other. It is an ongoing, formal and informal process. Action can involve making or remaking the physical space. Drawing on the elements that influence meaning, Placemaking includes action that preserves and tells stories, reflects values, supports experiences, personalizes or enables temporary and sustainable change, increases mindfulness, or makes the space more legible and memorable. Place(un)making action does the opposite.

While prioritizing people, the physical space itself is still a necessary ingredient of Place. Many readers active in Community Economic Development may be familiar with Grabow’s Principles and Practice of Community Placemaking as well as Flora and Flora’s Community Capitals Framework. A condensed set of Principles of Placemaking, applying the Community Capitals framework, can aid in addressing physical space for Placemaking. Built Capital of Place comprises effective and functional physical configuration of Place. Natural Capital of Place comprises natural amenities and greenspace as a part of Place. Cultural Capital of Place comprises enhanced local “flavor” of Place reflective of local values. Social Capital of Place comprise connections between people within and tied to Place. To further refine the Principles:

• Built Capital of Place: Effective and functional physical configuration of Place
  • Clear edge, strong center
  • Complementary circulation system (ped, bike, transit, auto)
• Natural Capital of Place: Natural amenities, greenspace part of Place
  • Natural context exterior to Place
  • Natural landscapes and materials interior to Place
• Cultural Capital of Place: Enhanced local “flavor” of Place reflective of local values
  • Preserved, developed, and communicated (known) cultural and historic resources
  • Art (dignity, drama, whimsey)
• Social Capital of Place: Connections between people within and tied to Place
  • Inclusive access, reduced physical (ADA) and social barriers
  • Options allowing for choice (mixed use, programming)

A space is more likely to transform into a strong and enduring Place the more Principles that are met, and principles can be met thru higher quality design. Design can clarify edge, strengthen center, and improve circulation. Design can restore and protect natural context exterior to Place and incorporate natural landscapes and materials interior to Place. Design can preserve, develop, and communicate cultural and historic resources and showcase art and creative expression. Design and planning can reduce barriers and feature mixed use and diverse events.

Higher quality design can also result in richer meaning. Design can communicate stories already connected to the space and introduce new stories. Design can strive for authenticity and specify valued and appropriate materials and methods. Design can support more people being present for longer periods of time for a variety of experiences. Design can include a temporal dimension and enable sustainable action and change (personalization). Design can stimulate all senses, capture and focus attention, cue and aid slowing down, and follow/respect design principles.

The concept of Place should always be considered as multidimensional including a physical dimension, a temporal dimension, and a social dimension. The social dimension can range from small groups of as few as two people to groups as large as a whole community. In the social sense, community will be defined here as connected people. The social dimension can also branch beyond a single community to include the networks or connections between communities. The temporal dimension can follow the daily, weekly, seasonal, and life cycle of the people and of the space. Place can and will change with the ebb and flow of people throughout the day, week, seasons, years. Further, the more time a person spends in a space, the more meaning they are likely to ascribed to the space. Time can also change the person and thus the Place, for example if their feelings change or memories fade. A Place that has one set of meanings in our youth can take on a different set of meanings as we age and have different experiences, memories, and actions tied to the Place. Sense of Place could change overnight without the space physically changing.

The physical dimension can range from interior to exterior and from site level (micro), to neighborhood level (mezzo), to community level (macro). In the physical sense, community will be defined here as a geopolitical unit such as town, village, or city. It is this physical dimension that will form the organizational structure to the Placemaking Program and the research, products, and services offered.