ABSTRACT
The collective attachment to place exerts the most positive influence of any single force on the design of community. When the values embedded in place attachment are awakened through a sensitive design process, they remind people of their common identity and shared fate. People become more empathic towards others, more attentive to the welfare of each other. They discover local resources that satisfy their needs, becoming less vulnerable to consumptive fads and unhealthy statusseeking. They are fulfilled by everyday life patterns and landscapes. They become more trusting of their native wisdom. They are more aware of their rootedness and dependence on local ecosystems and strive to better steward their environments. They act with greater civic mindedness and live more intentionally. They often sublimate selfish desires and petty conflicts. They seek more noble ends and attain power from place to achieve them. The designs that result from such a process are so distinctive that they express the essence of each community grounded in place.
