Motivations for community-led placemaking : a case study from Hubbards, Nova Scotia

Abstract

Placemaking is a phenomenon that occurs in many parts of the world to enhance the livability, attractiveness, and/or identity of places for their residents and visitors. This thesis explores motivations for citizen-led placemaking at a community scale. Specifically, a community-led placemaking initiative titled the Hubbards Streetscape Project (HSP) taking place in Hubbards, Nova Scotia, is examined as a case study. The HSP’s progress between June 2020 - the time of its inception - and February 2022 was considered. Qualitative data were gathered via semi structured interviews (n = 9), an online survey (n = 91), analysis of the HSP Facebook group, and observation of discourse during an online public consultation. Based on the research findings, it is argued that there are three interconnected motivations for community-led placemaking: 1) a desire to guide place change to accommodate residents’ place attachment and sense of place; 2) interest in enhancing the identity and livability of a place so it can reach the potential its residents feel that it has; and 3) recognition of a gap in coherent place governance and management that can be filled by residents. The power of social media as a catalyst for placemaking and opportunities for future research are also discussed.