A Sense of Place, a Sense of Time

05 Feb A Sense of Place, a Sense of Time

John Brinckerhoff Jackson, accounts for the sense of place and time in USA. Despite the lack of monuments and landmarks, that is common in the cities Europe, Americans do not feel like part of a singularity. The reason being that Americans most likely feel more connected via their sense of time.

USA was built on as an enormous grid system that lead to their monotonous infrastructure – on the countryside as well as in the cities. This have left a big hole in the cities capacity to individualise.

Americans have a mind-set with a stronger arousal for the hideaway in the countryside rather than the feeling of community in the city centre. Therefor they have mostly experienced the centre through a series events and experiences. Townsfolk have shared these events with others – and that has shaped their sense of community– not the monuments or sense of place.

As a result of shaping the community through events instead of monuments, Americans have come to feel the strongest sense of place in small local areas – a place where experiences and memories are created.

Another result of this shaping is their connection through time. Almost all Americans share the same timetable – a sharing that unites because of the common experiences Americans encounter.

Time Table from 1915

Source: John Brinckerhoff Jackson; A Sense of Place, a Sense of Time