2021 Volume 77 Issue 1 Pages 1-16
The purpose of this study is to clarify how to value places by focusing on important places for inhabitants in the daily living area where they live. Specifically, we conducted a questionnaire survey of eight districts in Nara City. We devised a new framework to better understand how place’s experiential properties are based on mental images, emotions, interpretation, ties and norms by building on a concept of Strategic Experiential Modules, which is used in the management field. Then, we showed the concrete contents of each value and clarified the overall picture. As place’s experiential properties, the following features, degree of recollection, relation with places were clarified: 1) beauty of the scenery and richness of nature related to the mental images, 2) comfort, healing, nostalgia, pride, oldness and mystery related to emotions, 3) familiar or remembered appearance related to interpretation, 4) connection with community and predecessor related to ties, 5) faith, history, tradition and custom related to norms. This demonstrates the effectiveness of a new method for evaluating the value of places as local resources based on residents' experiences.
