Exploring the Role of 'Visual Catalysts' on Influencing People's Attraction and Use of Place

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
As a result, in recent years a <strong>the</strong>oretical framework has emerged that looks at providing a
holistic approach to <strong>the</strong> understanding <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> affective conditions and grounded determinants
<strong>of</strong> place attachment; with that being framework proposed by Scannell and Gifford (2010).
Scannell and Gifford (2010) have collated a vast amount <strong>of</strong> research on place attachment and
distilled <strong>the</strong> overarching commonalities into a <strong>the</strong>oretical framework including three main
categories; person, place and process.
The person category is divided into that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> individual and <strong>the</strong> group. The main focus <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
person category is to understand how <strong>the</strong> individual and/or group is attached through a range
<strong>of</strong> complementary and singular influences; that being <strong>the</strong> influences <strong>of</strong> religion, history, specific
milestones, realisations and experiences (Scannell & Gifford 2010). The category <strong>of</strong> place is
divided into that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> social and physical; with that being aligned with <strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong> Hidalgo &
Hernandez (2001). The process category refers to <strong>the</strong> way people are connected, experience,
and act in place; and in turn reflect <strong>the</strong>se elements in <strong>the</strong>ir ability to alter and impact one’s
attachment to place.
This <strong>the</strong>oretical framework, as stated by <strong>the</strong> authors, can be used for a wide range <strong>of</strong>
studies. Additionally, <strong>the</strong> framework also provides <strong>the</strong> potential to build on some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> less
understood elements <strong>of</strong> place attachment; with that being <strong>the</strong> elements <strong>of</strong> place and process
(Scannell & Gifford 2010). In particular, it could be used to look at <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> physical
elements <strong>of</strong> place alongside that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> relationship it plays with <strong>the</strong> behavioural element <strong>of</strong>
process in <strong>the</strong> reconstruction (or construction) <strong>of</strong> attachment itself. Hence, it provides <strong>the</strong>
opportunity to look at <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> temporality in form <strong>of</strong> impacting one’s attachment to place.
CONCLUSION
As outlined, <strong>the</strong>re are significant opportunities for original research into <strong>the</strong> relationship
between creative placemaking (in particular ‘visual catalysts) and whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>se transient
forms can influence a person’s attraction and use <strong>of</strong> place. In particular, for creative
placemaking <strong>the</strong>re are significant gaps in research into <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> temporality <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se
transient interventions in <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> place both immediately and as an enduring construct. In
parallel with this, <strong>the</strong>re is limited research into how this phenomenon affects our relationship
with place – in particular whe<strong>the</strong>r it can promote an attachment to place.
This opens up particular opportunity to explore a widely adopted form <strong>of</strong> creative placemaking
on influencing people’s attraction and use <strong>of</strong> place in Sydney; that being ‘visual catalysts’. This
research, in <strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> a quantitative case study, will add fur<strong>the</strong>r insight into <strong>the</strong> physical and
social implications <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se transient forms both in <strong>the</strong> short term and long term.
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