Kayleigh Kavanagh
As a part of the VIVA-PLAN project, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) hosted a three-day online PhD seminar titled “Senses of Place/Place Sensing”. Bringing together scholars from eleven institutions and eight countries, the seminar explored the question “How should the researcher approach the problem of ‘place’ within the sensory analytic (e.g., sense of place/place sensing) in order discern, support, and cultivate progressive social and ecological values?”
Lectures and discussions included a wide range of topics, including:
- From Sense to Senses, A Concept History by Christopher Raymond (University of Helsinki)
- Creating Processes to Engage Communities in their Place – Case Studies From Winnipeg and Kenora, Canada by Alan Diduck (University of Winnipeg) and Ted McLachlan (University of Winnipeg)
- Ecological Inventories of Urban Green Space in Residential Areas in Malmö (Sweden) by Christine Haaland (SLU-Alnarp)
- Relational Values, Assessing Place-Based Values of Nature, and the Quantification of Experiences by Sanna Stålhammar (SLU-Alnarp)
- Machinic Sensing: Place in a Smart Forest by Max Ritts (University of Cambridge)
- Environmental Justice and Sense of Place: A Sense of Place for Whom? by Rebecca Rutt (University of Copenhagen)
In addition, students also participated in practical workshops on soundwalks (led by Gunnar Cerwén, SLU-Alnarp) and The Work That Reconnects (led by Gwyneth Jones). Many students indicated that the combination of lectures, breakout discussions, and practical workshops were the course’s greatest strength. Further, students appreciated the opportunity to interact with other researchers who share “similar goals and aspirations” and wrote that discussions with other students were the most valuable course takeaway.
Given the success of the course, SLU hope to organize a follow-up session in 2022!
About the Author
Kayleigh Kavanagh is currently completing a MSc in Environmental Change and Global Sustainability at the University of Helsinki. Kayleigh also works as a Research Assistant on the CO-CARBON project, where she collects youth perspectives on carbon-smart urban green infrastructure.