Sense of Place

Marrying Urban Identity and Economic Prosperity
A new book posits that truly successful communities have a strong economic base and a firmly rooted sense of place.

A (Brief) Lesson in Planning For Psychologists
How can planners approach the emotions and psychology of urban stakeholders? Planning journalist Josh Stephens speaks with Psychology Today to give psychology professionals a glimpse into how planners think.
Looking for Successful Places in Metropolitan Phoenix
The Phoenix region, as a relatively young metropolitan area, has sprawled as it's grown and for much of its expansion has overlooked placemaking considerations. A recent feature in The Arizona Republic highlights the places that standout.

Against Generic Placemaking
'Placemaking,' the process by which cities and developers supposedly create appealing public spaces, is in a crisis, writes critic James Russell. Too many "made" places are generic and lack true relevance to the cities that build them.
Holiday Cheer Boosts Businesses Along Main Street
Eight years after downtown Rochester sparked a retail resurgence along its Main Street with a holiday light display, small towns across Metro Detroit are following suit to create a sense of place and lure shoppers away from boring big boxes.
L.A.'s Sprawling Valley Undertakes a Pedestrian-Friendly Retrofit
The San Fernando Valley is infamous for its seemingly endless expanse of flat, gridded single-family sprawl. But to accommodate growth and improve the quality of life, the Valley's distinct neighborhoods are looking to create a sense of place.
Why Sense of Place is Worth Caring About
Edward T. McMahon explores the importance of community character, and why it is one of the key elements to a city’s economic success.
Calling for an Architecture of Place
Fred Kent, of the Project for Public Spaces, wades into the debate over architecture and design criticism with an affirmation of the importance of place, buttressing his argument with five successful contemporary buildings, and a Hall of Shame.
Augmenting Sense of Place
In the first of a two-part series on augmented reality, Mitchell Schwarzer discusses how this new form of information affects our sense of place.
Town of Palm Beach
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
York County Government
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Fitchburg, WI
City of Culver City
Sonoma County Transportation Authority
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.