The Role of Time in Developing Place Meanings (Report) (Survey‪)‬

Studies and writings on places and their meanings span a range of fields, including philosophy, literature, psychology, anthropology, geography, sociology, natural resources, and architecture (Casey, 1997; Kaltenborn, 1998; Low & Altman, 1992; Manzo, 2005; Relph, 1976; Twigger-Ross & Uzzell, 1996; Williams & Stewart, 1998). While most people would likely agree that both places and time are important parts of our lives, the influence that time has on our connections to places has been a relatively neglected area of study. The present study sought to add to this diverse body of knowledge by exploring how time can influence people's connections to places. This study starts from the constructivist perspective that people are the "creators" of places (Relph, 1976; Tuan, 1977; Williams & Patterson, 1994). People obviously exist in some geographical space, which becomes a "place" when it is endowed with personal meanings (Casey, 1997). We posit that place meanings have a temporal dimension that is central to this process of place construction. As noted by Relph (1976), a humanistic geographer, places are centers of action and intention with loci in particular points in time and space, and it is through people's "focusing [on places that] they are set apart from the surroundings while remaining a part of it." (p. 43).