Do places have personalities? It often seems they do. There’s a phenomenon called “sense of place,” which describes the very real emotional relationships we have with geographic locations. Sometimes, those relationships are highly personal; more often, they’re widely shared throughout a population, but they’re always triggered by and centered on a specific place.

It only takes a moment’s recollection of anywhere you know well to see this is true. Traveling back — if only in your imagination — to a place you once knew is like meeting an old friend. A sense of place is one of those universal human emotions we’re only dimly aware of until we think about it, but it’s no less potent for that.

In this issue of AVenue, we examine the idea of a sense of place, why the ProAV world is increasingly interested in creating and maintaining it, and why it’s long played a role in cinema’s creative story.

It’s a journey with few signposts. We can consider public spaces, traditions, architecture, and history, but these tell only a sliver of the story. They can’t possibly capture the million little unrecorded ways communities interact.

Because all these things must come together to create a sense of place. Often, it’s little more than a vibe, while other times, it’s a powerful emotional attachment. But it’s always how people perceive, experience, and find meaning in a neighborhood, city, region, or landscape. It’s an emotional backdrop as real as any road network or architectural icon.

All areas of growth for ProAV

Clearly, a sense of place is central to building and maintaining communities, encouraging tourism, planning urban amenities, and encouraging commercial activity. And these are all areas of growth for ProAV. Want to boost footfall in your city center? Build civic pride? Attract tourism? ProAV is increasingly seen as the most effective, immediate, and flexible tool for the job.

Because a sense of place is always built on shared experiences, and nothing builds shared experiences like ProAV.

With our lives increasingly lived online, we need a sense of place more than ever before. We crave something solid and tangible, something that feels real, and the sense of belonging that place and community bring.

So, let’s explore our place in the world.