Coastal Towns in Transition: Local Perceptions of Landscape Change

ISBN-13: 9781402068867 / Angielski / Twarda / 2009 / 174 str.

Raymond James Green

Opis

Based on extensive primary research, this book looks at how changes due to unsympathetic development of the built environment and modification of the natural landscape are perceived to negatively impact on the character of small coastal towns.

Recenzje

From the reviews:

"Coastal towns in transition will be of interest to all those involved in landscape change management and conservation of town character. ... The most significant contribution of this work lies in its combination of methods, complementary data sets and analysis. Although the outcomes are of interest to planning practitioners, it is most likely that, due to their complexity, the methods will be used by academics or researchers in the fields of planning, social science, and landscape studies in collaboration with local planning practitioners." (Jiska de Groot, Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, Vol. 19 (3), 2012)

Spis treści

Acknowledgements.- Preface.- 1. Introduction. 1.1 The Plight of Coastal Towns. 1.2 Community Responses. 1.3 Conserving Place Character. 1.4 Sustainable Development.- 2. Notions of Place Character. 2.1 What is Place Character? 2.2 Dimensions of Place Character. 2.3 The Validity of Theoretical Propositions.- 3. Methodological Considerations. 3.1 Perceptions of Environmental Quality. 3.2 Assessing Perceptions of Place Character. 3.3 Studies Along Australia’s Great Ocean Road.- 4. Community Perceptions of Place Character. 4. 1 Introduction. 4.2 Place Character Features. 4.3 Categorization of Character Features. 4.4 Neighborhood Character. 4.5 Conclusions.- 5. Conserving Town Character. 5.1 Introduction. 5.2 Examples. 5.3 Summary.- 6. Facing Future Challenges. 6.1 Assessing and Managing Responses to Change. 6.2 Changing Place Character in the Face of Climate Change.- References.-

Blurb

Many coastal areas around the world are experiencing dramatic landscape changes as a result of increased tourism development and the "sea change phenomenon" – the migration of affluent urbanites to small coastal towns seeking beautiful, natural surroundings. In response to these changes local residents in these places often complain that the distinctive character of their towns and/or individual neighborhoods is being lost or degraded. Coastal Towns in Transition looks at how changes due to unsympathetic development of the built environment and modification of the natural landscape are perceived to negatively impact on the character of small coastal towns. The book explores the concept of town character, and associated notions of sense of place, genius loci and place identity, as conceptualised by local residents in several coastal town communities along Australia’s Great Ocean Road. Findings of a four-year study involving over 1800 respondents from these communities are used to explore theoretical and methodological issues associated with the assessment of place character in the context of coastal towns that are experiencing rapid environmental change.

This book will be of interest to planners and environmental designers, as well as scholars in both landscape studies and social science and planning fields who are interested in the sustainable development of coastal areas. The case studies and associated planning and design strategies, together with the bibliography of selected relevant literature, will provide an invaluable reference for these scholars.