Discussion

We can think of the environment in two ways. As an abstract concept of “environmentalism” and conservation, or as a physical environment and the space around us.

These definitions coexist. The abstract ways we collectively think about and connect to the environment can manifest through physical objects, places, and experiences. Similarly, the physical environment is a system of connected objects that reflect the larger concept. In this sense, our local place is a scaled-down snapshot of the wider “environment”.

So rather than tackling the larger phenomenon, observing our place helps to break the environment down into tangible parts that we can carefully examine and create from.

Discussion

Our place is not only made up of physical objects, but also experiences and behaviours in that space.

Think of the environment as a system of objects. These objects are connected both physically (being grouped in the space) and through experience (how they’re used or thought of collectively). We draw these connections by being in the space, interacting with it, and creating our own perceptions of it. By this definition, our environment is realised through what we perceive it to be.

Today’s activity asks you to recreate your place from your perspective, and identify your direct connections to it.

Discussion

Functional Attachment, for our purposes, refers to how we draw connections and grow attached to our place as we use it.

The objects, facilities, and spaces in our home area all serve a function. For example, having seating can make people want to stay in a place for longer. No matter if we choose to sit or walk past the seats, our environment is made for us to respond to. In return, by responding to and interacting with the environment, we become connected to it.

We can analyse the visible features of our environment to determine the purposes they serve, and consequently our functional attachments to the place.

Discussion

Today’s topic refers to our lived experiences in our home area. Activities you do, routines you follow, and sensations you encounter in your place.

We often take for granted the daily experiences we have in our home area, but consider how you benefit from the space by using it. Our home places give us many opportunities for interaction, and from that interaction, you’re gaining something from that space. Even if it’s something as simple as completing a task or enjoying the atmosphere, these routine and remembered experiences become tied to this place.

As such, our most mundane experiences can be crucial to connecting back to our environment.

Discussion

Making connections with people is a very natural thing to do. So when those people are associated with a place, we can consequently become attached to that place.

Whether our relationships are positive or negative, the bonds we build with people can push us away or bring us closer to them. You might have a shop you go to more because the cashier is nice to you, or conversely avoid if they were mean. People help to create the atmosphere, the environment, of the places we live in.

By understanding how the people around us perceive this environment, we’re growing our understanding of both the people we’re drawn to and the places we share.

Discussion

Let’s represent the environment with a group of people moving in one direction. Whether you follow the crowd or walk to one side to let them through, you’ve interacted with them. As a result, the flow of people might get disrupted or be encouraged to move faster.

Similarly, by being in your place, finding new ways to create from it, or merely observing it, you’ve affected what the environment is and what it’s used for. In this sense, the environment is responding to you.

In the same way that we might change how we act when entering different areas, our can environment also change for us (whether those changes are real or perceived).

Discussion

Throughout this resource, we’ve created the building blocks to characterise our “home space” and ourselves as its inhabitants. Think of these blocks as the things in our environment that we want to “sustain”.

Ranging from global phenomena to local community attitudes, our environment will naturally change. However, even with these changes, there are elements, features, and values that stay consistent. These collective elements are the core of our home place. They're what we attach ourselves to, and something worth preserving.

The activities in this resource should help you reimagine your place, creating new images of what it encapsulates. Through these images, we can draw out the core values of our place.