The role of location-based services in shaping sense of place

Abstract

The increasing ubiquity of mobile devices with positioning technology has enabled more people to access and create information where it is geographically relevant. These location-based services are growing in user adoption, yet the role of such emerging technology in our relationships to the places we encounter has not been fully examined. This paper reports on a survey study that examines how people use mobile devices in relation to place and the potential for location-based services to improve sense of place. It was found that location-based services enhance people's familiarity, personal engagement, and social connection to place, leading to an improved sense of place.