Abstract:
Ethnic business precincts in many cities worldwide are important places for people with different cultural backgrounds to engage with the local environment and create an ordinary landscape. This engagement builds a strong sense of place, which gradually contributes to the spatial configuration of the cultural landscape.
In this thesis, I investigate the construction of a sense of place in Chinese business precincts in Auckland, New Zealand. By examining the socio-cultural meanings of place and the activities in and uses of place, this thesis reveals the underlying complexity of constructing a sense of place in the cross-cultural context. My research contributes to the advancement of the study of place by reestablishing the connection between the previously separate research fields—the sense of place and the cultural landscape.
The study uses a new research framework that relates the study of place to cultural landscapes. Elements such as activities and culture, associated with place, reflect people’s identification with the cultural landscape and are also a way of expressing people’s reconceptualisation of place, constructing the sense of place, and reshaping the place meaning. Using qualitative and case study methods, I have conducted interviews with the users of ethnic business precincts, engaged in participant observations within and around the study precincts, and collected visual data. Using qualitative thematic analysis of the data collected, I have explored the construction of a sense of place from the perspective of human agency, which has previously received little research attention. Through in-depth interviews with Chinese users, this study has explored the transformation and development of Chinese business precincts in Auckland. The research findings have the potential to contribute to the development of regional economic vitality, cultural diversity, and social inclusion in a cross-cultural context.