Sense of place is real

“Sense of place” is not some nebulous, mystical idea. Sense of place is the emotional or psychological reaction to "place," as shown in the graphic above, created by Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).

Communities and neighborhoods with good physical form evoke that psychological reaction, which has both social and economic value, according to MSHDA, which has been promoting "place-based development." Locations with good physical form attract educated millennials and and downsizing Baby Boomers, who in turn are attracting investment and jobs. A late 2014 survey by NAOIP, the national commercial real estate association, found that 83 percent of US office employers preferred amenity rich, mixed-use locations, both in cities and suburbs, over conventional office parks.