Sense of Place, Placelessness, and Place Identity Essay

This essay delves into the multifaceted concept of sense of place, defining it as the emotional connection between individuals and spatial settings, which fosters a sense of belonging. It contrasts this with placelessness, the feeling of alienation when disconnected from one's environment. The essay uses the student's residence in Dandenong, Victoria, as a case study, examining factors that challenge its identity, such as crime and social changes. It also explores the evolution of the place since the student's childhood, highlighting shifts in demographics and the development of an entrepreneurial culture. The essay references academic literature to support its arguments and provides examples to illustrate the concepts of sense of place and placelessness.

Running head: SENSE OF PLACE
Sense of Place
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

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Introduction
Sense of place refers to the multidimensional construct which helps in characterizing
relationship in between people and the spatial settings. It is indicative of the characteristics
which makes a place unique that helps in fostering sense of belonging (Shamai, 2018). This
essay throws light on the concept of sense of place and placelessness that is crucial to the
identity of the people. This essay elucidates on my place of residence in Dandenong, Victoria
and the challenges that are being posed to the identity of the place in the present age. This
essay talks about the changes that have taken place in the place since my childhood.
Discussion
Sense of place helps in describing the relationship of an individual with the places and
it is indicative of attachment of an individual towards a particular place. Place attachment
refers to bond that exists in between people and the places and place meaning is indicative of
symbolic meanings which are ascribed to the places. Sense of place refers to the lens with the
help of which people find meaning about their experiences with the place (Masterson et al.,
2017). The sense of place have been found to vary among the people and it differs across the
course of the lifetime of an individual. It evolves with the help of personal experiences of an
individual and it helps in defining how the people interpret the world. It helps in echoing
intersections of history, environment and culture which is impacted by migration and global
mobility (DeMiglio & Williams, 2016). The people who reside in the suburb of Tamarama
lead a luxurious life and it is indicative of the mindset of the people who live in the region.
The beauty of the beaches in the places adds to the distinct charm of the place that attracts the
people from different parts of the world. The people who live in Mungallala within
Queensland lead a rural life and the frugal means of the people residing in the area makes the
standard of living very poor in the area (Abc.net.au., 2020). The town have endured bad

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circumstances and this has a negative effect on the people living in the particular area. The
people who dwell in the area of Mungallala are grounded in poverty and they get the sense
that the place is filled with horrors and injustice as they feel unprivileged in the society.
Placelessness is indicative of the feeling when an individual is uprooted from his
original place with which he could identify and put in a place that seems to be alien for an
individual. The individual within the framework of the new place feels a sense of
hopelessness as he feels that he cannot identify himself with the intrinsic aspects of the place
(Relph, 2016). The identity of an individual is lost in the event of an individual being put in a
place where he does not feel at home and which makes him go through the internal conflicts
(Raymond, Kyttä & Stedman, 2017). It makes an individual feel insensitive and he loses the
sense of happiness as he cannot identify himself with the elements of the new place (Yacobi,
2017). It can be stated that Iraqi refugees who settle down in Australia feel sense of
placelessness as they cannot associate themselves with the new place of their living
(Sbs.com.au., 2020). They are of the Iraqi descent and they cannot identify themselves with
the ideals of the new place. They settle down in the regional Victoria however they cannot
identify with the cultural practices of the new place which makes them undergo a sense of
placelessness.
My place of residence is Dandenong in Victoria and there are certain factors that are
challenging the identity of the place. The residents living in the place believed in the peaceful
way of living and the people used to believe in the idealistic ways of living. The identity of
the place is being challenged by the treacherous gangs who are wreaking havoc in the city
(McCunn & Gifford, 2018). The people feel unsafe in the suburb and the place have become
the breeding ground for young criminals who are terrorising the people of Melbourne with
the home invasions. The people who live in the suburb are afraid to venture out after the dark
and the presence of the gangs have threatened the well-being of the people living within the

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boundaries of the region (News.com.au., 2020) The area is facing the challenges that have
thrown into jeopardy the people who are living in the place. The residents who are living in
the place are not active and this is raising the health concerns for the people. The uniqueness
of the place resides in the fact that there exists the great places that can provide the great
respite to the people living in the area. It have taken recourse to place-making which have
helped in the creation of people-focussed places which have provided the relaxation for the
people residing in the community (Shamai, 2018). The Council of the place takes recourse to
Place making Framework which have helped in revitalising the city and endow a distinct
charm to the place. It have helped in supporting the economic sustainability of the place
which have made the people meaningful for the people living in the region (DeMiglio &
Williams, 2016). The local people are involved in the planning of the spaces which helps in
the retention of unique character of community.
I have been living in Australia for last 4 years as the international student. I reside in
City of Greater Dandenong since my arrival and I have noticed that changes have taken place
in the area in the present time. Greater Dandenong have lost the manufacturing base and it
have developed the entrepreneurial culture in form of the rapidly burgeoning immigrant
population (Greaterdandenong.com., 2020). It have evolved to become a multicultural urban
region that have helped in transforming the place. The people have the entrepreneurial spirit
and it have aided in development of industries in the region.
Conclusion
Sense of place describes relationship of a person with the place and it refers to
attachment that an individual has towards the particular place. The identity of Dandenong in
Victoria is being challenged by robbers who are threatening the peace prevailing in the

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region. Greater Dandenong have been instrumental in developing entrepreneurial culture
owing to the presence of immigrant population.
References
Abc.net.au. (2020). Mungallala, Queensland: What it's like to live in Australia's poorest town.
Retrieved 15 April 2020, from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-13/mungallala-
4467-australias-poorest-town-queensland/7493136
DeMiglio, L., & Williams, A. (2016). A sense of place, a sense of well-being. In Sense of
place, health and quality of life (pp. 35-50). Routledge.
Greaterdandenong.com. (2020). Creating Great Places in Greater Dandenong - City of
Greater Dandenong. Retrieved 15 April 2020, from
https://greaterdandenong.com/news/2141/creating-great-places-in-greater-dandenong
Masterson, V. A., Stedman, R. C., Enqvist, J., Tengö, M., Giusti, M., Wahl, D., & Svedin, U.
(2017). The contribution of sense of place to social-ecological systems research: a
review and research agenda. Ecology and Society, 22(1).
McCunn, L. J., & Gifford, R. (2018). Spatial navigation and place imageability in sense of
place. Cities, 74, 208-218.
News.com.au. (2020). Is this the unhappiest place in Melbourne?. Retrieved 15 April 2020,
from https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/news/new-report-finds-greater-
dandenong-area-could-be-the-unhappiest-place-in-melbourne/news-story/
c61da9cb0baf5df49f39b74bbf2bab4a
Raymond, C. M., Kyttä, M., & Stedman, R. (2017). Sense of place, fast and slow: The
potential contributions of affordance theory to sense of place. Frontiers in
psychology, 8, 1674.

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Relph, E. (2016). The paradox of place and the evolution of placelessness. In Place and
Placelessness Revisited (pp. 20-34). Routledge.
Sbs.com.au. (2020). This is what happened to Australia's 12,000 refugees from Syria and
Iraq. Retrieved 16 April 2020, from https://www.sbs.com.au/news/this-is-what-
happened-to-australia-s-12-000-refugees-from-syria-and-iraq
Shamai, S. (2018). Measuring negative sense of place: Israeli settlers’ forced
migration. GeoJournal, 83(6), 1349-1359.
Yacobi, H. (Ed.). (2017). Constructing a sense of place: architecture and the Zionist
discourse. Routledge.