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.