People and Place

The planning field gives surprisingly little consideration to the non-tangible qualities of place. Given the key role of planning practices in mediating change, it would appear self-evident that a central thread of planning theory and methodology should be concerned with people–place connections, and associated meanings and significance. But, as shown in some New Zealand examples, much planning activity is still largely focused on the physicality of place rather than its embedded qualities. Other social science disciplines have much to offer in understanding the nature of these relationships, and in developing a range of assessment tools to evaluate them. The planning field needs to draw inspiration from other disciplinary theories, and to develop or adopt a conceptual framework that accounts for both the rational and intangible qualities of space and place. This could assist planners to “design with culture” as well as with nature, and to better incorporate place identity into the decision-making mix.