Putting Locative Technology in its Sense of Place
•
2 likes•779 views
As we interact and learn about places, we bestow meaning on such places, forming the mental concept of a sense of place. Mobile devices and location-based services (LBS), a.k.a. locative media, may alter our everyday relationships of place. This paper reports on an exploratory survey study conducted on the elements that comprise sense of place and the role of (LBS). It was found that sense of place arises from diverse information sources, is multimodal and individualistic. Findings also suggest LBS can improve sense of place by enhancing people’s familiarity, personal engagement, and social connection to place. Respondents also identified barriers to their use of LBS.
Recommended
More Related Content
Similar to Putting Locative Technology in its Sense of Place
Similar to Putting Locative Technology in its Sense of Place (20)
More from Glen Farrelly
More from Glen Farrelly (7)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Putting Locative Technology in its Sense of Place
- 1. Putting Locative Technology In Its Sense of Place Glen Farrelly PhD Student Faculty of Information University of Toronto June June 29, 2013
- 4. Overview 1. Research Problem 2. Background 3. Sense of Place Diagram 4. Research Questions 5. Importance of Research 6. Methodology 7. Results 8. Conclusion
- 5. Research Problem • Mobile locative technology increasing in use • Its impact upon our relationship to places not been fully understood • Some speculate it contributes to alienation and placelessness
- 6. Background Literature and Sense of Place Diagram
- 7. Background Sense of Place • An individual’s meanings of a place Hybrid Space: • Co-evolution of people, technology, and place
- 8. Locative Media Definition Five core components necessary: 1. Geo-positioning technology 2. Internet (or data network) connectivity 3. Mobile communications and computing 4. Geocoded content 5. Graphical interface and interaction design
- 9. Formation of Sense of Place
- 10. Research Questions 1. What is the nature of relationships people have to places? 2. How do people use information in forming a sense of place? 3. How do people use mobile devices in relation to place? 4. What is the potential of LM to improve sense of place?
- 11. Importance of Research • Locative media facilitates access to elusive geographically relevant information • This can increase familiarity and connection to places thereby improving sense of place • Sense of place is important for identity, sense of belonging, and custodianship
- 12. Methodology
- 13. Method Web-based survey: • 21 questions: 6 open-ended, 15 close-ended • Convenience sampling • Not generalizable; exploratory 16
- 14. Responses • Seventy eight people completed the survey • Cross section of ages, education levels, and residence • Mobiles devices used (in order): smartphone, GPS nav, and tablet 15
- 15. Results
- 16. Relationship Between People and Places Photo by Gaurav Vaidya
- 17. Meaningful Place Qualities Characteristic Percentage of Respondents Past personal experience 79.5% Physical qualities 76.9% Social dimension 75.6% History 65.4% Familial connection 57.7% Cultural significance 57.7% Usefulness 53.8% Spiritual connection 34.6%
- 18. Information & Sense of Place • People draw upon different modalities • Most used modalities: word of mouth, print, TV & film, Internet • Mobile applications used for short visits more than long visits * Our world is mediated alreadyPhoto by O. Bendorf
- 19. Locative Media & Place 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Find nearby businesses Find nearby events Find nearby sites View pictures or videos of location Read current info of location Read history of location Read local news Read reviews of nearby businesses %ofrespondents
- 20. Locative Media Improves Sense of Place 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Improves knowledge of place Aids social connection Improves appreciation of place Fosters sense of belonging to place %ofrespondents
- 21. Conclusion
- 22. Key Findings Re. Sense of Place • Multifaceted - experiential, social, affective • Arises from different modalities and info sources Re. Locative Media • Educates on aspects of place • Helps connects us to our places Photo By Sacred Land Film Project
- 23. Design Heuristics • Allow personal experience to be recorded privately and publicly • Offer personalization features • Consider affect • Draw upon various multimedia formats • Offer different types of information • Ensure content available across many locations
- 24. More Information Email: glen.farrelly@utoronto.ca Portfolio: glenfarrelly.com Blog: glenfarrelly.blogspot.ca
Editor's Notes
- Here’s another snapshot of Toronto. This time as seen through the app HistoryPin. A historic image of Torontonians celebrating Victory in Europe (V.E.)day circa 1945 is overlaid on top a mobile device’s view of Bay street now. This jubilant scene brings history to life to an otherwise generic streetscape. But more relevant to my research, it can shape our current perception of that space..
- Respondents were instructed to check any of the above eight characteristics of place that “makes a place meaningful to you”. Three out of the eight characteristics were reported by more than 75% of respondents: personal experiences that occurred in a given place (79.5%), aesthetic physical qualities of the place (76.9%), and social dimensions of the place (75.6%). Familial and cultural aspects were 57%. Overall, these response demonstrate that many aspects of a place go into forming a sense of placeand many of these would not be perceptible to other people.
- For locative mediato meet the place-related needs of users, this research identified the following recommendations: