Putting locative technology in its sense of place

Our relationship to the places we inhabit and encounter is considered a foundational human experience. As we interact and learn about places, we bestow meaning on such places, forming the mental concept of a sense of place. Although our relationships to place have been considered since antiquity, new ubiquitous technologies, specifically mobile devices and location-based services, may be altering people´s everyday relationships to place. This paper reports on an exploratory survey study conducted to provide groundwork for understanding the elements that comprise sense of place and the role location-based services may play. It was found that sense of place arises from diverse information sources, is multimodal, and is individualistic. The survey confirmed the importance of personal experience as a valuable and primary means to form a sense of place. Yet, respondents engaged in a diverse range of information behaviour, which was integral in forming their sense of place. The functionality and information provided by location-based services worked with personal experience and social elements that foster a sense of place.