Exploration of the Meaning of A Place by Volunteered Geographic Information

Abstract

<jats:p>Geographers view place as a projection of one’s inner perceptions of space and is socially constructed and personally experienced. It is not merely a spatial location but something with meaning. Traditional GIS has implemented space of physical environment successfully based on computational geometry. However, how GIS can implement place which is formed through human experience from the interaction between their social activities and natural environment is still in developing stage. This research employed VGI (volunteered geographic information) concept and used geo-tagged photos from Flickr web album to delineate the meaning of a place - Gongguan. A native place located in southern part of Taipei city. The Alpha Shape, Kernel Density Estimate and Social Network Analysis were employed for analysis. Results imply that the VGI approach can be an innovative method for study of place.</jats:p>

Spatial Transformation—The Importance of a Bottom-Up Approach in Creating Authentic Public Spaces

“…Phenomenology, a branch of philosophy that studies the structures of consciousness as experienced from a first-person point of view, sheds light on the importance of direct, subjective experiences and perceptions in understanding reality [2]. This inquiry lends itself to a study of 'place', a term that transcends physical descriptions and involves the layers of personal and social meanings that individuals and communities assign to a location [3].…”