The term place can have several different meanings in geography. It is often thought of as a
location of a town, city, or region on the Earth’s surface. More specifically, place can define the
unique characteristics, both tangible and intangible, of a location. This means that it not only
includes the visual characteristics and features of a location, but also the associations and
feelings that we have when we see or hear about a particular place. These intangible components
may be evoked by photographs, symbols, stories, and songs or music
Phrases such as place attachment or sense of place refer to the complex relationship between humans and their surrounding environment. This relationship involves both the influence of the natural environment on humans as well as the changes that human activities have imposed on the surrounding environment. It is sometimes said that places have a way of claiming people, or that a place grows on you. This means that not only are we getting used to a place but also that we are developing a strong relationship with that place and that it is becoming a part of who we are―our
identity. The complex relationship between residents of the Canadian Prairie and its unique landscape is well described by authors such as David Bouchard in If You’re Not from the Prairie and W.O. Mitchell in Who Has Seen The Wind.
Often we first become aware of our own sense of place and identity when we travel to unfamiliar places and begin to realize that our surroundings are different and that we do not feel “at home” there. The landscape is different; the weather may be different; houses and towns are different; people are not the same; even things such as sounds and smells are not those that we are familiar with. On the other hand, if you move to a new place all of these things will gradually become familiar: you will be developing a new sense of place and it will then become part of your identity.