The Cresswell reading, ‘Defining Place,’ explored space and how people use it. Cresswell talks about how we can define space, and I thought the example about ownership of space was interesting. A place may seem to belong to a person because they have their belongings there, so to make the space yours, you replace it with your belongings. I began thinking about how spaces change through renovation or refurbishing, such as the renovated historical buildings i encountered on Thursday. The building and place are the same, but the space is defined completely differently based on how it is used.

Cresswell writes that mere spaces have been made into ‘places’ because people have made them meaningful. A place is defined by people, and users. And this definition can change over time depending on the needs and behaviors of its users.