There are three different aspects of place:
1. Location: Where a place is
2. Locale: Takes into account the effect people have on their setting
3. Sense of place: The subjective and emotional attachment people have to a place
All places have a unique character which is formed by their many different characteristics.
These factors can be endogenous or exogenous:
Endogenous factors - the internal factors which a shape a place's character. These
could be physical (e.g. location), or they could be human (e.g. land use).
Exogeous factors - the external factors which shape a place's character, including
the relationship to other places and the flows in and out of a place, e.g. the flows of
people.
Endogenous - physical:
Location:
Where a place is.
Places can be characterised by the features that are present because of their
location.
Topography:
The shape of the landscape.
Places can be characterised directly by their topography, e.g. in a valley, places
would be characterised as flat.
It affects other factors that give places character, e.g. land use; flat places may be
suitable for large-scale arable farming.
Physical geography:
The environmental features of a place.
Places can be characterised directly by their physical geography, e.g. a place could
have igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic rocks, which form different landscapes.
It affects other factors that give places character, e.g. economic characteristics; a
place that is rich in natural resources such as iron or coal may be characterised by
the industries that can exist there, such as mining or smelting.
Endogenous - human:
Land use:
The human activities that occur on the land.
It's one of the most important human factors in directly defining the character of
places, e.g. a place could be thought of as rural if the land use is farming.
, It affects other factors that give places their character, e.g. the built environment is
often required for businesses in city centres.
Land use changes over time, e.g. deindustrialisation.
Built environment and infrastructure:
Aspects of places that are built by humans.
Infrastructure refers to the structures built for transport,
communications and services.
Places can be characterised directly by their built environment and infrustructure,
e.g. town and city centres will have higher density buildings, may have tower
blocksand are likely to have complex and dense networks of roads and railtracks, as
well as communications networks and sewers. They may have other built features,
such as sport stadia or cathedrals.
Demographic and economic characteristics:
Demographic characteristics are about who lives in a place and what they're like.
Demographic factors, e.g. age, can directly contribute to the character of places, e.g.
many people retire to seaside locations meaning they can have higher poportions of
older people.
Economic characteristcs are factors to do with work and money.
Economic factors can directly contribute to the character of places, e.g. places such
as Kensington in London, have a high proportion of above average earners and low
unemployment.
Exogenous factors:
The character of places can be influenced by their relative location to other places,
e.g. villages and towns outside major cities can be characterised as commuter
settlements.
Tourism influences the character of many places, e.g. the land use and economic
characteristics of Las Vegas are affected by tourism; the casinos and hotels are
therefore the tourists, and these create employment for local people.
Flows of investment affect the character of places, e.g. Japanese car manfacturer
Nissan has a factory in Sunderland. The flow of investment from Japan has
influenced some of the characteristics of Sunderland.
Migration can influence the character of places, e.g. parts of the UK have an
ethnically diverse population due to migration from other parts of the world.
Theoretical Approach’s to place
1. Descriptive Approach: is the idea that the world is a set of each places and can be
studied and is distinct
2. Social Constructionist Approach: Sees place as a product of a particular set of social
processes occurring at a particular time – e.g Trafalgar Square
1. Location: Where a place is
2. Locale: Takes into account the effect people have on their setting
3. Sense of place: The subjective and emotional attachment people have to a place
All places have a unique character which is formed by their many different characteristics.
These factors can be endogenous or exogenous:
Endogenous factors - the internal factors which a shape a place's character. These
could be physical (e.g. location), or they could be human (e.g. land use).
Exogeous factors - the external factors which shape a place's character, including
the relationship to other places and the flows in and out of a place, e.g. the flows of
people.
Endogenous - physical:
Location:
Where a place is.
Places can be characterised by the features that are present because of their
location.
Topography:
The shape of the landscape.
Places can be characterised directly by their topography, e.g. in a valley, places
would be characterised as flat.
It affects other factors that give places character, e.g. land use; flat places may be
suitable for large-scale arable farming.
Physical geography:
The environmental features of a place.
Places can be characterised directly by their physical geography, e.g. a place could
have igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic rocks, which form different landscapes.
It affects other factors that give places character, e.g. economic characteristics; a
place that is rich in natural resources such as iron or coal may be characterised by
the industries that can exist there, such as mining or smelting.
Endogenous - human:
Land use:
The human activities that occur on the land.
It's one of the most important human factors in directly defining the character of
places, e.g. a place could be thought of as rural if the land use is farming.
, It affects other factors that give places their character, e.g. the built environment is
often required for businesses in city centres.
Land use changes over time, e.g. deindustrialisation.
Built environment and infrastructure:
Aspects of places that are built by humans.
Infrastructure refers to the structures built for transport,
communications and services.
Places can be characterised directly by their built environment and infrustructure,
e.g. town and city centres will have higher density buildings, may have tower
blocksand are likely to have complex and dense networks of roads and railtracks, as
well as communications networks and sewers. They may have other built features,
such as sport stadia or cathedrals.
Demographic and economic characteristics:
Demographic characteristics are about who lives in a place and what they're like.
Demographic factors, e.g. age, can directly contribute to the character of places, e.g.
many people retire to seaside locations meaning they can have higher poportions of
older people.
Economic characteristcs are factors to do with work and money.
Economic factors can directly contribute to the character of places, e.g. places such
as Kensington in London, have a high proportion of above average earners and low
unemployment.
Exogenous factors:
The character of places can be influenced by their relative location to other places,
e.g. villages and towns outside major cities can be characterised as commuter
settlements.
Tourism influences the character of many places, e.g. the land use and economic
characteristics of Las Vegas are affected by tourism; the casinos and hotels are
therefore the tourists, and these create employment for local people.
Flows of investment affect the character of places, e.g. Japanese car manfacturer
Nissan has a factory in Sunderland. The flow of investment from Japan has
influenced some of the characteristics of Sunderland.
Migration can influence the character of places, e.g. parts of the UK have an
ethnically diverse population due to migration from other parts of the world.
Theoretical Approach’s to place
1. Descriptive Approach: is the idea that the world is a set of each places and can be
studied and is distinct
2. Social Constructionist Approach: Sees place as a product of a particular set of social
processes occurring at a particular time – e.g Trafalgar Square
