The qualitative inquiry by Spartz and Shaw (2011) into the place meanings attributed to the University of Wisconsin Arboretum reveals the richly layered, emotionally charged, and often contradictory ways individuals engage with urban natural environments, at the core of this study is the assertion that natural areas within city boundaries are not merely ecological preserves but symbolically saturated spaces where notions of identity, sanctuary, social connection, and contested governance converge, respondents—members of the conservation group Friends of Lake Wingra—expressed attachments that blend personal memory, communal ritual, and sensory immersion, describing the arboretum as simultaneously a space of refuge, activity, biodiversity, and social interaction, crucially, these meanings are not uniform; the same locale may evoke reverence, frustration, and ambivalence, depending on one's proximity, past experience, or perceived management efficacy, themes such as "sanctuary in the city", tensions over invasive species, and conflictual uses (e.g., “no dogs allowed” policies or controversial developments) illustrate how place meanings serve both to bond and to differentiate, revealing emergent borderlands of ecological and social negotiation, methodologically, the study underscores the power of semi-structured interviews in surfacing tacit narratives that would elude quantitative surveys, and conceptually, it builds upon foundational works by Tuan, Relph, and Stedman to argue that place is not a static backdrop but a co-produced relational entity, the implications extend to land-use policy and participatory management, urging that environmental governance must account for the plurality and dynamism of place meanings if it is to foster sustainable, inclusive stewardship of shared landscapes, this case study contributes richly to urban environmental psychology by situating the urban natural area not as a fixed resource but as an active participant in the formation of ecological consciousness and civic identity.
Spartz, J.T. & Shaw, B.R. (2011). Place meanings surrounding an urban natural area: A qualitative inquiry. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 31(4), 344–352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2011.04.002
