ABSTRACT

This chapter provides a brief overview of the place-based approach being used in contemporary urban-planning theory and practice. The importance of all the human senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing) in the experience of place is presented by revisiting early theoretical explorations of environmental experience. This provides the framework for understanding people's experience of place and placelessness. In particular, the concept of soundscapes, that is, people's aural relationship with place, highlights the role of the acoustic environment in people's engagement or disengagement. The chapter presents a theoretical discussion complemented by empirical research. This research included conducting qualitative interviews with residents in Sydney, Australia about urban soundscapes and sense of place. Insights from these interviews have been tapped to add a qualitative dimension to reflect individual perceptions and experiences of the soundscape in local urban neighborhoods. Sounds encountered in these neighborhoods are typical to many cities.