Sociology Planning History and Theory

SOCIOLOGY
Planning History and Theory
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SOCIOLOGY
Cities such as Milton Keynes are often derided for being 'fake' and 'sterile.' Aside from time,
what is required to give a new city a sense of place? And why is it so often deemed necessary?
Refer to a minimum of one case study in your response.
A sense of place accounts for what makes a geographical location worth. Multiple
researchers and planners have tried as much as possible to analyze why cities are appealing to
businesses, residents, and visitors. The common elements used to rank cities include
sustainability, efficiency, and level of innovation. Thus, the essay encapsulates how aspects such
as legal frameworks, economic pull, and rapid development contribute to the sense of place,
especially in the case study of Milton Keynes.
Strong social and cultural characteristics enhance the sense of place. In simple terms, the
sense of place is attributed to the way individuals conjure in a new city with contradicting
emotions (Chapin III, & Knapp,2015). The point is that cities have multiple groups that have
different values and norms. These groups ought to have key aspects that must be recognized by
other communities. For the city to have a sense of place, then it means the residents should be
well coming as well having other characters that influence the well-being virtues. Masterson et
al (2017) cited that sense of place is induced by those positive attributes we have to that place.
On the other hand, the legal frameworks in a place induce a sense of place. A new city
ought to have a favorable legal framework. The point is those customary units are subject to the
rule of law. In most of the cities, we have law base institutions that help in forcing the rules and
regulations. For this matter, it becomes easy for people to value those cities with robust legal
frameworks (Minoia, 2017). Besides, the customary units leads to the massive growth of the city.
This happens especially when the issue of the economy comes in. Most of the investors want to

SOCIOLOGY
invest more, especially in those cities that have robust legal frameworks. These statutory bodies
make sense of place as many people are willing to stay or work in a safe place.
Besides, the economic pull is attributed to those business-related capabilities of a place.
The presence of transport, industries, and communication networks in a new city impart the
sense of place. The idea is that transport systems are the crucial elements that aid in the
movement of people, goods, and services in and outside the city (Chapin III & Knapp, 2015).
This makes it easy for a large number to migrate to these cities in search of jobs or for personal
desires and motives.
Moreover, a sense of place is a way of creating the right image for a specified location.
The excellent icon portrayed by new cities serves as a unique opportunity for development
(Massey 2012). A sense of place will allow the public to realize the benefits of coming from a
particular area. This induces growth, since more industries will be established. Besides, active
transport networks are an advantage for those new cities as they tend to fuel the economy
(Hausmann et al 2016).
A sense of place is necessary since it gives a place meaning. Hausmann et al (2016) cities
that sense of place is made up of the various qualities and characteristics that are unique all the
time. The meaning attributed to these places makes them different from other places. Besides,
the sense of place helps cities to care for the crucial surroundings. According to Massey (2012),
planners need to concentrate more on defining those developing features that will make a place
unique. This will include drawing the appropriate boundaries, thus defending the resources
belonging to the city for competitive advantage.