Rethinking the role of sense of place in heritage conservation : a case study of Cattle Depot Artist Village

Abstract

This dissertation examines the notion of ‘sense of place’, which is the collection of meanings, beliefs, symbols, values and feelings that individuals or groups associate with a particular locality. Hong Kong is a city where changes and transformations happen frequently, and these changes have great influences on the overall image of the city. Realizing that all true places have distinctive identities and characters, urban planners and designers start to see the importance of engendering a ‘sense of place’ in the urban landscape through heritage conservation, so that a historical urban identity and authentic urban identity can be preserved and to enrich the overall landscape. The new understanding that heritage conservation should not only focus on restoring the authenticity, but also to conserve the overall urban experience has led to the inquiry of people’s behavior in the place, and how their emotional ties to a place is formed.

Understanding that people’s place attachment can be studied through their ability in imaging the place, this dissertation introduces environmental mapping – a qualitative research method in gathering spatial information of a place from the conscious and unconscious behaviors and minds of people. Through a case study on Cattle Depot Artist Village, we will be able to understand how a sense of place is developed, and how the environmental mapping method can be applied in urban planning and conservation projects.