Paper Short Abstract:

Arguing for greater recognition of the dynamics of people-place relations in urban planning, this paper explores the intertwined roles of sensory engagement and narrative practices in fostering place attachment and belonging in Reykjavík's inner-city neighbourhoods.

Paper Abstract:

Urban planning in older inner-city neighbourhoods tends to be dominated by a patrimonial regime, where officially sanctioned histories, aesthetics, and value judgments align with gentrification-driven urban development. Attempts to introduce citizen-led participatory models have often proven to be largely nominal, ultimately validating the authorised heritage discourse. Drawing on a case study conducted in Reykjavík, Iceland, this paper argues that top-down approaches to the management of urban heritage are counterproductive to fostering place attachment and a sense of belonging in the city, particularly in terms of inclusion and equity.

Using a people-centred mixed-methods approach, the study explores the intertwined roles of sensory engagement and narrative practices in people-place relations in Reykjavík’s inner city. The methods include walk-alongs, audio-visually recorded in-situ group sessions with a photo-elicitation component, and solitary self-led walks using audio-visual recording glasses, followed by interviews. Rather than prioritizing officially designated heritage sites, the study focuses on urban spaces to which participants are personally drawn, highlighting the sensorial and mnemonic dynamics that emerge through emplaced engagements and their role in fostering place attachment.

Drawing on phenomenological propositions of embodied and emplaced experience, and more-than-representational theories of pre-cognitive sensory perception, the study foregrounds the affective and experiential dimensions of people’s engagement with the materiality of the historic urban landscape. Arguing that recognition of such issues is pivotal to fostering inclusive and equitable urban spaces, the paper calls for greater attention to the sensorial and affective aspects of people-place relations in urban planning and heritage management.