Abstract
The urban fabric contains symbols (icons) that tell us something about ourselves and something about those to whom the symbols belong. This aspect of the urban fabric has been called the glue that bonds people to place. The contention of this paper is that these icons deserve special attention in urban design decisions because they contribute to place identity and ultimately to self identify, health, sense of community and sense of place. To explore the nature of these place-based meanings, data were collected from residents of Charleston, SC following hurricane Hugo in 1989. Residents were asked to describe what they had lost to the storm, not just the physical features blown away by winds or damaged by rains, but the memories and meanings embodied by these features. Residents identified several types of features as icons of special significance: urban forest (30%), churches (27%), homes (19%), public buildings (6%), places associated with historic events (6%) and retail structures (5%). Residents' explanation for why these icons were special fell into six major categories. The icons: provided connections to residents' pasts; symbolize the social groups to which residents belonged or with which they identified; gave the community its distinctive character; satisfied important functional needs; evoked emotions or feelings; and served as reminders of personal accomplishments and concerns. We concluded that place identity, although subjective and subtle, can be assessed and managed through sensitive land development efforts.
Introduction
The purpose of this study was to explore the conceptual and empirical nature of place identity so that it might be better understood, made more tangible, and ultimately inform environmental design and planning decisions. More specifically, the purpose was to explore and develop place identity and related concepts through a case study analysis of hurricane damage in Charleston, SC. In September 1989, hurricane Hugo damaged or destroyed trees, buildings and other physical features of Charleston’s neighborhoods. We used this “opportunity” to ask residents about the important meanings and values symbolized by the lost and damaged place features. Before launching into the empirical study, a review of the relevant literature is provided.
