Sense of Place – Planning, Design, Development

Jeffrey Soule, FAICP

American Planning Association

Outline• International Cultural

Engagement• What is the sense of

place?

• Understanding the role of design

• Examples• Observations

What is sense of place and why do we care?• Challenges of

Urbanization (190,000)• Cultural Identity vs.

globalization• Scarce resources• Impact on quality of life• Civic view vs. Ego• A philosophy as much

as technique

Ideological Battle• Many architects

promote a “no context” design philosophy

• Koolhaas “Tabla Rasa”

• Much of the world views architecture and engineering as planning

• Planning takes a humanistic approach

Goals for Urban Planning:• improve quality of life for the

most people. • Fairly distribute positive and

negative aspects of development.

• Cultural and historic preservation

• Provide a predictable process for decision making informed by community goals. 

• Environmental conservation• Involve a variety of people

Human Impacts of Development• Destruction of

traditional settlements• Opportunity costs:

Beijing example• CCTV building=

$800,000,000• Opera House=

$300,000,000• Misunderstanding

modernity  

Sense of place at the regional scale

• Planning Principles

• Global challenge: Going beyond objects to places

• Benefits of this approach

• US Heritage Area Efforts

Heritage area concept• Natural, historic, and

cultural resources • Managed as an whole• Reflects an entire narrative• Provide opportunities to

conserve natural, cultural, historic, and scenic features;

• Provide recreational, economic and educational opportunities.

Elements and application• Corridors, features that

span a region• Containing a variety of

resources, tangible, intangible, natural and cultural

• Appalachian trail example

Strategic Economic value of planning and design

• Analysis and positioning

• Celebrate cultural character

• Engage institutions and individual

• Develop a strategy

Interpretation engages people• Develop a narrative• Highlight the linkages• Scenic• Cultural• Historic• Natural• Oral and musical• Arts

City Design Process

• Reading the city• Reflect cultural layers• Human perspective• Citizen participation • Urban design is

between city plan and architecture

• Manage at different levels

Elements of Reading Places• Customs• History• Climate• Visual elements• Scale• Architecture• Landscape

Design Guidelines• Strengthen the city’s

character• Helps implement the

civic vision and plan• Encourage new

development that adds value to the city

• Establishes a process and criteria for review

• Essential for success

Washington DC

Case Examples

Nanjing Men Xi Combining preservation with development

•Inventory•Establish form characteristics•Locate Key new development in cleared industrial area•Tie into overall tourism strategy•Pilot efforts in engagement

Zhenjiang

• New Town Design• Based on historic

urban landscape• Incorporates modern

design within a local framework

• Responds to both human and environmental needs

Beijing Qianmen • Historic preservation,

tourism and redevelopment

• High visibility• Ethical conflict

Heritage Area and scenic corridorChangXing Example

节点 3

Observations

• Essentially missing from global debates

• Link cultural heritage conversations to issues of sustainability

• Establish a community-based planning process

• Base dialogues on defining local cultural values

• Link to community development

• Quality of life is the entry point

• Planning and design is about good governance and tools for managing change

• Provide incentives for residents and businesses

• Examine the lessons from heritage areas

• Engage political leaders more effectively