“SPACE”, “LOCATION”, “PLACE” and “DEVELOPMENT”

Three words often used in geography are space, location and place. Their

attributes comprise not only the more easily visible features due either to

natural processes or human construction, but also non visible valuation due

to social signification.

In general, space refers to the extent or area and the varying attributes of

that space, usually expressed in terms of the earth’s surface. Location, like

the word space, is abstract in meaning. It is defined as a particular position

within space, usually a position on the earth’s surface.

Place, also means a particular position on the earth’s surface. But in contrast

to location, it is not used in an abstract sense but confined to an identifiable

location on which we load certain values. So a location becomes a space

once it is identified with a certain content of information.

All three concepts are interlinked and remain just that, concepts, unless they

are put to some meaningful use, such as development. If development is the

process of finding resources and using such to fuel change then all three

concepts are invariably linked. The cumulative effect is determined,

however, by locating and the location of the resource, determining the

extent to which space is available for such source to be exploited and the

effect of utilization on the nearby places.

1
Planning and Development

Davidoff and Reiner1 define planning as a process for determining

appropriate future action through a sequence of choices. Planning is

therefore concerned with the scientific methods, qualitative and quantitative

analysis and procedures that guide administrators in the development of

policies in an attempt to address the multidimensional changes that define

society; settlement and people - in a place at a particular time, held together

by common behaviours and values.

In this way, conscious effort is “made to increase the validity of policies in

terms of the present and anticipated future of the environment” (Faludi

1994, p. 1). This essentially is the genesis of what becomes development at

national and regional levels of planning.

Development is therefore concerned with identifying and sourcing resources

and energies to sustain the multidimensional changes and simultaneously

satisfy the demands that are displayed and expressed in the change system

(Bailey, 2010). At a regional level, development planning places significant

importance on the economic welfare of the people. Usually it is undertaken

by the government or some regional authority which has outlined the social

objectives that order the activities of the space in an attempt to elucidate

and improve the welfare of people “in areas where there is a concern about

present and future living conditions”.

Attention now turns to the form of spatial development planning at the

regional level. One occurs when a government or regional authority attempts

1
Davidoff, P and Reiner, T. A Choice Theory of Planning.

1
(on the basis of realistic expectations and reliable data) to forecast the likely

trajectory of development within the region over a specified period.

The key objective of spatial development is to allow a reasonable amount of

decentralisation, through planning and management of settlement within an

articulated regional settlement network.

The concerns of spatial development are mainly economic and include

disparity in growth sectors, the likely location of development within the

region, and the ultimate effect on the choice of place on where persons

reside. In general, the government usually attempt to promote a spatial

structure which is in keeping with the locational characteristics of the

activities that are at presently developing, or could be expected to develop

within the region.

Spatial Development at Regional Level

National development plans when undertaken have no explicit spatial

dimension. These usually take the form of investment priorities. They tend to

consider a situation based on where the government wishes to pursue a set

of expenditures over a period. National Spatial Development Plans usually

take a top-down approach as decisions about future expansion are typically

drawn up and issued as guidelines for planning authorities at lower levels of

the government.

However, a regional government might adopt a more active view of spatial

planning and development and will establish particular goals for the region

1
as a whole. In this case planning and development would involve a number

of considerations which are more convenient to the space. For example, the

regional government may decide to assist those parts of the region with the

highest potential for development, this decision corresponding to the

efficiency objective.

Alternatively, the regional government might wish to develop the poorest

parts of the regions, with an emphasis on redistribution and equity, or it may

attempt to assist the various parts of the region on a proportionate basis,

with respect to population or employment, thus perpetuating the existing

spatial structure of the region. A further alternative is for the regional

government to attempt to improve regional economic performance by

modifying the spatial structure of the region, if this is thought to be an

impediment to development.

“Regional management is required as the comprehensive

common projection of where dynamic spatial development
can be created regionally”. The Ministry of the Environment and Oxford
Research 2003

The basic idea is that spatial development or the pattern of town growth is a

corollary of economic growth. Linstead, for example is one very minute

example of this. With the introduction of the Bauxite ad Mining Industry

organization ALCAN in the early 1980’s, Linstead grew in population, with

mostly skilled workers and artisans. In addition, the number of schools in the

area grew significantly and clinics and hospitals were built to facilitate the

demands of the growing population. While there are various arguments

surrounding Linstead as a consequence of economic growth, what is

essential to note is that, development in Linstead was more reactive rather

1
than proactive. In the case of Linstead, Bauxite was the resource, it provided

employment for a skilled population which had a trickling effect. This

essentially facilitated the change in this community.

Regional development plans are really management tools used supervise

growth. The aim is essentially to be premeditating growth and plan for the

change in demand. The objectives should describe a desired future spatial

development for the administrative region’s cities and towns, rural districts

and small-town (peripheral) regions, for nature and the environment,

recreation; business, including tourism; employment; education and training;

and culture.

Location and Place as a People–Environment Interaction

Process

Location is concerned with spatial relationships and interrelationships. In

human - geography location is concerned with the differences that exist

socially because of the differences in geography.

Spatial or Locational analysis as it now more commonly called, studies the

locational variation of a series of variables that affect place and the reasons

people exist there. Such variations include interpreting the distribution of

population density or of rural poverty. Locational analyses ask what factors

control the patterns of distributions and how these patterns can be modified

to make distributions more efficient or more equitable. More importantly it

questions the differences in expectation of individuals, usually urban against

rural demands.

1
The key concepts of Locational analysis are based on spatial organization as

well as the functional region—the tributary area of a major node, whether a

port, a market town, or a city shopping centre2. It is the idea that people

require space for their activities and therefore have a location. It addresses

the relationship between the activities at the local level by government

agencies, the individual and the transportation. Locational analysis may be

viewed as a mathematically and numerically based study and explanation of

location and spatial distribution drawing upon the traditions of location

theory within economics (Haggett, 1965)

What makes the people of one area have different needs than those in a

different area? What determines their needs? If we were to compare St.

Elizabeth (rural) to St. James (urban) we would notice several differences.

According to the 2007 Agriculture Census (STATIN, preliminary data. 2010),

St. Elizabeth has one of the highest proportions of farmland in Jamaica. This

is due to geographic location. However, the population has used their

resource to provide an income. Food which is cultivated in the communities

of St. Elizabeth are sold to other parishes of Jamaica. The rate of

employment in extractive industries is significantly higher in St James as it’s

culture is more determined the demand on tourism.

A place can be partly or wholly created by enacting special types of behavior

at a particular piece of environment. Such behaviour becomes associated

with that place. Territorial relations with place are a special form of place

behaviour. People move into new environments, establish new places in

2
Human Geography as Locational analysis. Online Britannica Encyclopeadie. 2010

1
such, create boundaries around their places and may be prepared to defend

them.

Place is made and takes on meaning through an interaction process

involving mutual accommodation between people and the environment.

Places and their cultural meanings are generated through one or a

combination of three types of people–environment interactions. A place can

be created by altering the physical characteristics of a piece of environment.

Such physical features may be natural or human-made.

A social intelligibility of place originates and develops, and is then

maintained by groups of people having collective experiences at those parts

of the environment and reinforced through feedback from ongoing

experiences at such places. Social intelligibility also develops from social

interchanges with others who have had further experience or knowledge of

particular places. If places are in existence before one interacts with them, it

is because other people have made them, through their past processes of

environmental activity. Properties of place are transmitted socially and thus

may stay constant through generations and cultural periods.

1
Humans have a special role in defining place. Bonds between individuals (or

social groups) and places constitute part of the personal identity of those

individuals (or the identity of the social group). Thus people can be seen to

be dependent upon the concept of place for their self-identity (and social-

identity) just as places are dependent upon people for their identity. This

illustrates the mutual interaction process of people–environment relations

(Memmott, 1979).

Conclusion

The regional development plans must tie with the idea that regional planning
manages spatial planning in detail in each municipality. In the future the
state and the municipality will be responsible for ensuring optimum quality in
land-use planning. The regional spatial development plans will not be able to
manage in detail and will not have the role of deciding where various
functions will be located if the regional councils, the councillors and
employees do not abandon the old way of thinking, the regional spatial
development plans will fail and remain sparse documents.

Locational Analysis constitutes an ideal representation of reality. It shows

economic growth on National and particularly regional levels. Our place,
where we choose to reside or focus mainly is a result of our location.

1
References

Barnes, T. The place of locational analysis: a selective and interpretive

history

Memmot, P. and Long, S. 2008. Place Theory and Place Maintenance in

Indigenous Australia. Urban Policy and Research, Vol 20