What Constitutes A "Place"?

We had an interesting discussion on the Massplanners listserve this past week, well actually a couple that could lead to blog discussions, but one in particular that ties into much I have been wrestling with lately. This being the idea of what makes a "location" a "place."

To some the discussion may have seemed way off the beaten path of planning. It was a discussion full of reminiscing about the "Happy Valley" where many of the planners in the state have ties. The discussion was about things we remembered, places we worked, went to school and just basically hung out. What makes this an interesting planning discussion? And, how does this tie into a discussion of what constitutes a place?

Well, basically, the things we remember about an area, are the things that keep bringing us back to that location. The more of these locations, the stronger the attachment, and the more likely people are to return to those places, and encourage others to visit that area.

We have been discussing the concept of great places in Dennis as we begin the update of our Local Comprehensive Plan. We are looking at the Project for Public Spaces Power of Ten, as it relates to the town. You can read about these places on the Dennis Economic Development Blog here, here, here and here. From the villages we will explore the other special places in Dennis, the beaches, open space areas etc.

Now how does this tie into the Massplanners discussion? Well the discussion covered the special places and events in the valley. From the first snow snowball fight in Amherst Center, to places to find good pizza and friends. The discussion identified public places that many were able to connect with. Public places, that new generations are continuing to take advantage of. It shows a community, a greater community than a village or town, but still a large communal area that many different people connected with.

Now, as we look towards the future of Cape Cod, one would have to step back and wonder, does the Cape have those things that a twenty or thirty something would have equally fond memories of? The recent articles in the Cape Cod Times would argue that we do not. How do we plan for a future that demands the same loyalties for an area, that was shown in the discussion we had this week? How do we make more areas fondly remembered?

See, some may have thought the discussion got "off-topic" but in reality, it helped formulate questions we are probably all dealing with.