To understand place requires engaging people, historical events and stories, rather than a technical portrayal of space. It is complex and colourful.
Mythologies of Placemaking, an article by B. D. Wortham-Galvin from Place: Forum of Design for the Public Real outlines dangers in placemaking: recreating mythical places of the past, in a contemporary context, with accompanying values and ideals; and/or by prescriptive re-creation which does not allow for change, discussion, adaption (e.g. New Urbanism). W-G also discusses the power of media in the portrayal of romantic/unrealistic ideals of place (e.g. New England in idealised television programmes).
I agree with this danger: placemaking in an idealised way would result in disassociation and dissatisfaction with reality and impossible ideals. There is also the additional danger of experience and perception of place (e.g. through television programmes) playing a powerful role in creating people’s ideas, leading to compounded dissatisfaction and disassociation. Instead it needs engagement, informed discussion and shared histories.
To segue to our assignment - I am interested in the place of the volcanic cones and water in the life of Auckland (part of the water supply chain - Mt Eden, Mt Wgtn etc; volcanic lava aquifer - One Tree Hill; recreational lakes - Lake Pupuke). Wondering how these can be mapped in a way which engages people and contributes to their sense of place.
And thanks to Dancing Cities - CQD for the blog's background image: http://www.cqd.info/eng/index.php
