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Permanent URI for this communityhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/294

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    Vacating place, vacated space? A research agenda for places where people leave
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2021-02) Koning JD; Hobbis SK; McNeill J; Prinsen G
    What happens to rural places when people leave? We propose a research agenda that accounts for the material and immaterial values of depopulating and depopulated places. A three-pronged research framework departing from the notion of place is outlined that focuses on the social and political relations and the natural environment in which vacating places are embedded. We use vignettes of places in Ecuador, New Zealand and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea to illustrate how this framework can be used to explore how depopulation has transformed the sense of place. Each explores an aspect of this transformation: (1) replacing people – where inhabitants of a place are replaced; (2) diluting local voice – where the local sense of place is diluted through changing governance arrangements through institutional amalgamation; and (3) transforming nature – where the biophysical transformation of a space effectively renders it inhabitable. Each vignette answers questions about who speaks for, who benefits from, and what is valued about this place. By paying close attention to political, economic, and environmental transformations and what they mean for the values of these depopulating rural areas as well as by showcasing different modes of vacating space and the consequences on legitimacy and beneficiaries, we highlight the importance of this research framework for global public policy and its applicability for both the Global North and the Global South.
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    The search for favourite places using the "My Favourite Place" web application. A geospatial interpretation of locations, descriptions and activities : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Information Sciences (MInfSc) in Geoinformatics and User Interface Design at Massey University, Albany Campus, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021-02-21) Richardson, Nora Johanna Vitoria
    In this study, data was collected through an online survey to find out people’s favourite places in New Zealand and Wales. A web application called, “My Favourite Place”, was designed and built with simple user interface design aspects and a Leaflet map in order to find favourite places. The website was launched on the worldwide web to generate interest from the public to participate in the survey. Participants were invited to complete one task of submitting the coordinates of their favourite places when using the embedded interactive map. Three surveys were conducted. The first survey had 9 respondents who tested various user interface design aspects. The second and third surveys collected a total of 128 respondents who had submitted coordinates of their favourite places in New Zealand and Wales. The results of the first survey showed that people found the text colour red hard to read, the text colours blue and yellow easier to read, preferred using check boxes more than radio buttons, preferred blue font more than black font, and preferred red buttons more than black buttons. The results for the second survey of 114 respondents from New Zealand showed that people liked their favourite places because it was attractive, and because they enjoyed walking activities. The results of the third survey of 14 respondents from Wales showed that they valued attractive places, and its intrinsic values. Also, there were correlations of positive agreement for favourite places between the age groups of 40 to 49 year olds, and 50 to 59 year olds from New Zealand. Finally, the results of this study showed that a favourite place is often associated with sense of place values, activities, human relationships, beauty, and safety.