A key theme emerging from this focus on place is the role of lived and felt experiences in urban planning and development:
“Places are where life courses are shaped, social networks are formed, and the sites of lived and felt experiences. Place is also a geographic location where economic resource is allocated, boundaries are mapped, and data is collected. Understanding place as somewhere with lived and felt as well as geographic and economic dimensions is crucial to the pursuit of better outcomes for people and place” (AHRC Place-Based Research Programme Report, 2023)
Felt experiences encompass the subjective ways in which people emotionally connect to and perceive their environment, including their memories, sense of belonging, perceptions of safety, and the sensory qualities of a place. This research theme recognises that nurturing the social fabric of places is crucial for the success of place-based policies and practices. However, this approach requires a deeper understanding of how people interact with their environment through daily routines, built and natural surroundings, and various roles as residents, visitors, workers, and businesses.
To achieve this, further research is needed to develop key concepts such as pride of place, belonging, attachment, satisfaction, and people’s emotional connections to places. It is also important to explore how these felt experiences influence decision-making preferences, including investment choices across different communities. Understanding how communities navigate and feel about place change is essential for assessing the short, medium, and long-term impacts of place-based initiatives.
By acknowledging and integrating the subjective and emotional dimensions of people’s connections to places, planners can develop more holistic and inclusive approaches to urban development. Ultimately, this research theme will offer valuable insights for creating more effective, community-oriented urban planning strategies that go beyond surface-level interventions to address the deep-rooted emotional connections people have with their environments.
