LOCAL RESIDENTS' SUBJECTIVE PERCEPTIONS: FINDING MEANING IN THE LANDSCAPE OF EVERYDAY LIFE

Abstract

Landscape planning by experts has limitations and can lead to the creation of nearly identical landscapes that do not reveal the subjective interpretations and values of local residents. When local residents' roles are restricted to merely token input, it is difficult to manage the landscape in a way that reflects the values stemming from the inhabitants' relationship with it. To overcome these obstacles, it is crucial to understand the landscape local residents encounter in their everyday lives and how they perceive it. In this study, local residents' subjective perceptions were empirically analyzed. The authors interviewed 12 residents of suburban areas near Icheon, a major South Korean city, using a method they developed that combined photo elicitation and walking to gather data. They examined photos and residents' explanations of the landscape objects they found meaningful and analyzed the data using open coding based on grounded theory. The authors identified 11 factors in residents' subjective perceptions that influenced their interpretations of the landscapes; the factors were then divided into affective and cognitive dimensions. The analysis found that the affective factors had a strong influence on the process of forming a subjective landscape and that local residents assigned meaning to landscapes based more on connections with the village community than on connections with the individual. These findings could make it possible to design more sustainable, distinctive plans for landscapes by reflecting local residents' views and giving them a more active role in planning.