Synopsis
Conserving a Rural Landscape through Place Perceptions
CONSERVING A RURAL LANDSCAPE THROUGH PLACE PERCEPTIONS Case example: Chaloda Village, Ahmedabad Dhwani Patel PA 200315 Masters of Landscape Architecture CEPT University, Ahmedabad
Abstract Rural areas worldwide are undergoing a profound change, creating considerable challenges and stress for their residents and on the ecosystems on which they depend. With urbanization setting in, these landscapes which have a strong sense of place is slowly withering. Socio-cultural constructs integral and central to the rural character are a key to understand the way people have perceived the landscape at different times. The study reviews the diverse literature on “place perceptions” in the context of a village landscape to highlight the values essential to conserve the rural character. People develop strong bonds with the landscape in which they reside and depend on. The thesis hence argues that viewing the landscape through a local resident’s perception may help, to understand the ideas of place-making in a rural setting and in turn conserve them. Emotional construct such as place attachment and rootedness to a place can be a significant factor in land management. Such understanding may help planners in addressing both, conservation and residential development in rural areas. Keywords: Sense of place, place perceptions, place attachment conservation, rural landscape, rural character. 1. Introduction A man’s place in the landscape When landscapes are spoken about, terms such as ecology, geology, hydrology, culture, design, nature, experience, etc. are used to decipher meanings in it, either scientific or subjective. In this quest to make sense of the environment or a landscape that surrounds us, we often dwell upon the narratives of such landscapes. Landscapes do not only serve as a backdrop to carry out prospects of life but through narratives, people engage with them. The thesis proceeds from the premise that landscapes are a rich web of narratives. These narratives provide a clue to the way people have perceived the environment, a key to understanding the man-nature relationship. And when such landscapes undergo a change, they affect the humanities and in turn the thoughts, attitudes and experiences of mankind. Why do we readily perceive places in landscape? What do these places tell us? Why do they deteriorate over time? Why do these identities impart to land survive even though the landscapes change? These are some of the key questions that this research attempts to answer. The study hence examines the relationship between a place and a narrative in a landscape. It also attempts to bring out the importance of such perceptual values emerging from a narrative of a place and if they can be conserved when the landscape undergoes a change. Landscape Dissertation, Spring 2017
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Conserving a Rural Landscape through Place Perceptions
Synopsis
Rural landscapes are exemplary of such narratives. The study undertakes the case of a village on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city which is under transformation due to urbanization. Unaware of the discovery ahead, the research began with examining the site through a socio-cultural lens, documenting places and their narratives through a local resident’s perception. It was found that certain ideas and beliefs have played a decisive role in determining the perception of such landscapes. These ideas are then manifested into places, shaping the cultural landscape of the village. 1.1 Current approaches in planning for rural areas Generally, all the villages around a metropolitan city follow development models of typical urbanization devoid of its specificity. In the context of Ahmedabad, there are many such villages which do not have a specific anchorage for its development hence the same urban pattern as of a nearby town or city is transferred on to these landscapes. Such imposition of urban patterns on rural landscapes cause certain implications on the local resident’s perception and hence experience a sense of loss. 1.2 Current approaches in examining rural character (Based on case studies) Around the world, planners, academicians and others have used two methods to assess and understand the rural character in order to conserve it. One is a visual survey done through photo questionnaires. Here, the residents are asked to rate rural scenes on a five-point Likert scale and have helped towns implement design guidelines to protect visual resources. Such studies shed light on how new patterns of development in a rural area are perceived by people who live there. The second is a cognitive or cultural approach wherein the conceptual attributes such as place attachment, place perception, etc. independent of the visual attributes are explored. Such cognitive studies are done through surveys, interviews, etc. and are sociological in focus. Such studies illustrate the need to conserve rural character but fail to answer how these cognitive ideas such as family, community, etc. relate to visual aspects of the rural character. 1.3 Study Objectives This study is based on visual and cognitive analysis of places in a rural landscape. A methodology is derived to assess such places based on the narratives. It documents how rural places are perceived by rural residents. By drawing inferences from such observations, a deeper understanding of features that lend rural landscapes its character is achieved. Further, the study aims to shed more light on how cognitive ideas relate to visual aspects of the rural character. Hence, the research question asked is: Can perceptual values emerging from a cultural context of a place guide the development of a rural landscape? 1.4 Aim To bring out values in a non-specific rural landscape1 by studying the cultural landscape of a place. 1
A non- specific rural landscape refers to landscapes that may be generic over a region. E.g.: The Bhal region represents a specific landscape of dry and arid climate which is in general prevalent over the Bhal region. But the many villages in the region may not have a specific anchorage for development. E.g.: The landscape of Pavagadh has a specificity and is considered a sacred landscape/pilgrimage landscape. 2 Landscape Dissertation Spring 2017
Synopsis
Conserving a Rural Landscape through Place Perceptions
1.5 Study area Chaloda Village, Ahmedabad Chaloda is a village about 33 km's away from Ahmedabad city nearby a developing town called Dholka. It falls under the Ahmedabad metropolitan area and represents a typical rural landscape surrounded by farmlands, water bodies and basic infrastructure to sustain life. It has a population of about 13,000, a few 100 numbers of cattle, about 5 schools, 1 university and 4 lakes around the settlement. The annual income of people varies from 50,000 to a few lakhs per annum from various sources such as farming, teaching, land income, government jobs, etc. The place has experienced a considerable change in landscape with nearby farmlands being converted to housing colonies, brick manufacturing industries, change in agricultural practice. A significant number of people are migrating out in search of occupation, better infrastructure and living conditions. With development slowly setting in, the changing environment continues to affect human life and vice versa. 1.6 Scope and Limitations • The research will specifically be limited to factors that determine the perception of a place like socio-cultural constructs/ natural forms and natural features of the place. • The research negates everything else that falls under the purview of economy, education, management, etc. • The data and findings will be based upon the writings and description of places by local authors, perception of the local residents and on-site observations. • The study is particularly in the context of a rural landscape that does not have a specific direction for development and hence targets the culture and local resident’s perception as factors to explore for possible directions. (E.g. The specificity of Pavagadh landscape is the cultural context, i.e. pilgrimage but the specificity of Chaloda region landscape is none and thus follows a typical urban development trend of the nearby town- Dholka)
1.7 Methods • Documenting physical changes in the landscape. • Documenting the history of the village and the changes so far. • Photographic documentation of places in the village that suggest a sense of place. Survey on field: • Questioning people about changes in the landscape by showing them maps, photographs, etc. • Finding out places that they use for various activities like commemorating, celebrating festivals, playing, etc. • Analyze them to identify specifics that define this place.
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Conserving a Rural Landscape through Place Perceptions
Synopsis
1.8 Methodology The methodology devised to conduct this research is as follows: Methodology Introduction
Establishing the argument of thesis
Informing the argument
Literature review
Testing the argument Analyzing the site
Deriving conclusions The outcome of tested argument
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Aim Objectives Scope Limitations Need for study
Concepts of place making in landscape Place attachment Visual perceptions Cognitive perceptions Hypothesis Analytical framework
Understanding rural landscapes Studying the site The perceptual changes in rural landscapes Socio-cultural aspects Recognizing ‘places’
Inferences Conclusions Rethinking the hypothesis Revising the analytical framework
Establishing that rural landscapes are indeed profound places, and an environmental model where man lives in harmony with nature. Such an environment, if examined closely can help identify specifics that lend rural landscapes its character.
Reviewing theories about place-making and perceptions. Identifying factors that affect perception of a place like socio-cultural constructs, beliefs, myths, etc. Deriving a frame work based on factors recognized to analyze places in the landscape.
Identifying the ‘places’ on site through a sociocultural lens. Analyzing these places through visual and cognitive perceptions to recognize values that need to be conserved.
The expected outcome is a methodology to test if socio-cultural constructs can help conserve the landscape character of a rural environment.
Landscape Dissertation Spring 2017
Synopsis
Conserving a Rural Landscape through Place Perceptions
2. Literature review Diverse literature on concepts such as space and place, sense of place, place-making and place perceptions were reviewed under landscape anthropology and its genres such as cultural anthropology, social anthropology, rural sociology, ethnography, etc. On synthesizing it was found that the variables upon which the perception of a place depends are: 1. Culture which determines the perception of a place. 2. Human participation which helps in identifying a place and 3. Time or duration of involvement determines the perception and significance of a place by virtue of place attachment. The phenomenon of place, time and perception can hence be represented as follows: The Epitome of Culture Time (Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Years)
Space
The gradual decay of place and perceptions
The gradual building of place and perceptions
Place
Time and Object anchored in space - The genius of the place
Accrues meaning through cultural associations and becomes place The temporality of landscape
Space
Removing the object, place becomes space
Perceptions Figure 1. The phenomenon of Place, Time and Perceptions Source: Author
3. Analytical framework Based on the literature reviewed, the analytical framework derived is as follows:
A local resident’s perception
Socio-Cultural Lens
Helps in recognizing places in landscape
Helps in recognizing features that define the rural character
Recognition of characterizing features in a rural landscape helps in conserving them
Figure 2. Analyzing the concepts in order to derive a framework for analysis Source: Author
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Conserving a Rural Landscape through Place Perceptions
Synopsis
4. Hypothesis The thesis hence assumes that if a local resident’s perception is understood then features that define the rural character can be conserved because they are socially and culturally embedded in the landscape. 5. Site Study Based on the analytical framework derived, the site was surveyed to recognize places in the village that are socially and culturally important and form a part of the daily life in the village. In order to achieve the same, a study area was delineated based on the perceptual sprawl/limits of the village settlement.
New development
N 30-10-2003
Sprawl direction
10-04-2016
Sprawl of the village
The demographic studies of the site revealed that it is occupied by Hindu community of different castes, each recognized by the work they do. A significant number of people are involved in agriculture and some of the castes are: Nagar vaniyas- Trade, Luhanas- Trade, HarijansWeavers, Bhavsars- Dyeing, Bharwads- Cattle rearers, Prajapatis- Potters, Manufactures bricks, Patels- Farmers, Brahmans- Priest, etc. An annual fair on Janmashtami called ‘Janmashtami no Bharwadi Melo’ is held at the village. Moreover, on tracing the history of the village it was observed that with the changing time and ideologies, the village landscape has transformed over time, changing the way the landscape is perceived. With the changing perception, people have started aspiring for a city life. Such aspiration forces them to move out of villages and dwell in the city. This admiration leads to shaping their environments as per the urban models.
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Landscape Dissertation Spring 2017
Synopsis
Conserving a Rural Landscape through Place Perceptions
6. Documenting places on site Certain features in the landscape such as temples, nodes, trees, lakes, significant buildings, etc. identified as places by the local residents were documented. This documentation was done visually through photographs, sketches, site observations, etc. which helped in identifying the elements of place-making in the landscape. Besides a documentation through narratives such as interviews, conversations on site, reading local literature on stories about a place was done in order to understand the way in which people cognize with their environment. They were analyzed based on its narratives to test its relevance in today’s time. The inferences drawn from this analysis were synthesized to draw conclusions and understand the relevance of this study. 7. Synthesizing the inferences Based on the inferences drawn from narratives of a place, certain conclusions were made to understand how a physical change in landscape affects a resident’s perception. The relationship between man and nature explored here revealed certain understanding on how a landscape is perceived through a socio-cultural lens. Such analysis based on narratives could be an important tool for planners to develop designs, introduce change that is accepted by the people and feels more rooted to the place. Such places together constitute a specificity of the landscape, and hence it can be conserved while introducing the change. It is also understood that such places form an integral part of human life in the village. They are socially and culturally embedded in the landscape and foster a greater degree of man-nature relationship which make the inhabitants feel rooted to the place. 8. Conclusions Based in the inferences, it can be concluded that certain features of the landscape act as placemaking elements and contribute significantly to the character of a rural landscape. When narratives are applied to such elements of the landscape they are recognized and get embedded in the memories of people and are perceived as places. These narratives determine the perception and hence the social, cultural or political importance of such places.
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Conserving a Rural Landscape through Place Perceptions
Synopsis
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Synopsis
Conserving a Rural Landscape through Place Perceptions
Thesis 1. Bhatt, Mehul. "Sense of Place: An Understanding of the Notions of Urban place making in India." Thesis. CEPT University, 1995. Print. 2. Desai, Gouri Ashok. "Concept of Layering and Transition in the Phenomena of Place Making." Thesis. CEPT University, 2013. Print. 3. Jethaliya, Shivani. "Construct a Sense of Place by Using the Residents Perceptions of the Built Environment of Shahibaug." Thesis. CEPT University, 2013. Print. 4. Mithaiwala, Maitri D. "Plants in Indian Place Making: Case Study: Chandod: A Pilgrimage Place." Thesis. CEPT University, 2005. Print. 5. Ramani, Sneha. "Attitude towards landscape the courtyard dwelling as a theme of response." Thesis. CEPT University, 2013. Print. Seminar 1. Palkar, Netra. "Anthropology of landscape." Diss. CEPT University, 2014. Print. 2. Shah, Nirav. "Nature and Sense of Place." Diss. CEPT University, 2004. Print.
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