Placemaking in planned towns : an observation on the issue with special reference to two contemporary planned towns in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Man's need to relate himself to familiar 'significant environment is deep rooted. It is with this familiarization that he gets attached to the physical environments and be identified with them Emotional attachments thus formed towards environments can be explained by the phenomenon of 'Place'. And, the presence of "Significant Places", it can be stressed, is necessary in any environment, in making them 'people-friendly'. 'Making significant places', which is geared and shaped by three contributive forces, is understood as an essential process which promote the emotional attachment of people towards any environment, be it a small individual entity such as a house, or a large communal entity such as a town. Town represents man as a communal being while the home represents him as an individual! Thus, the town, as well as home should essentially possess the ability to initiate belonginess within its people. But, When Towns are „Planed‟ there presence a great tendency for the deep rooted psychological needs of man - need for emotional attachment, sense of belonging - to be overlooked, due to more concentration been given on quantitative and practical issues of a town. This is understood as an unhealthy, as 'Well as unfriendly situation for its people in the long run. Therefore, this particular study seeks to, understand the nature of a Town, and, identify it as a collective composition of several places, understand the concept and constituents of "Place" and, also the aspects of "Placemaking", in view of enabling places in environments, identify and discuss the influence of contributive forces in giving significance to "Places", and, finally, observe the ways and means of application of "Placemaking" aspects in “Planed Towns”, by citing case studies from contemporary planned towns in Sri Lanka.