Placemaking and transnationalism: recent migrants and a national park in Sydney, Australia

Abstract

A study of the way Arab and Vietnamese migrants engage with a national park environment in south-west Sydney, Australia, has highlighted the agency of these people as they not merely adapt to that environment but actively make places for themselves in it. The concept of placemaking is useful particularly in showing that 'place' can be constructed out of social practice, emotion and affect, and does not have to entail physical impact on or alteration of the existing environment. Migrants bring with them into the park many of the perceptual habits, cultural 'ways', and expectations about nature that were formed in their homelands. Participants in the study also reported that certain elements of the park environment, including the river, strongly evoked and triggered memories of their homelands. They experienced being in two places at once. The concept of transnationalism allows us to understand how a national park environment can, for certain people, be situated in transnational more than national space. Transnational connectivity is helping to destabilise park boundaries much the way that, from another perspective, wildlife corridors and the theory and practice of connectivity conservation view them as ideally porous.

Western Sydney Parklands: Australia’s Largest Urban Park

“…These user profile findings are consistent with the results of research carried out on visitors to the Georges River National Park located approximately 20 km south east of the Parklands (Byrne & Goodall, 2013).…”

Cultural and spiritual significance of nature: guidance for protected and conserved area governance and management

“…An example of such is illustrated by research undertaken in Australia which is an ethnically diverse society of approximately 24 million people and comprised of people with more than 300 different ancestries. The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service has undertaken research within protected areas to understand how different migrant communities relate to park landscapes form a cultural perspective (Byrne & Goodall, 2013). Such work has been undertaken with Macedonians, Vietnamese and Arabic-speaking communities.…”

“…Such work has been undertaken with Macedonians, Vietnamese and Arabic-speaking communities. The research has explored ways in which these different migrant groups adapt their homeland cultural relationships with open spaces and natural environments to the Australian environment (Byrne & Goodall, 2013). These cultural groups have been identified…”

Valores y beneficios de las áreas protegidas

“…Valor estético y un sentido de lugar e inspiración para las artes, la ciencia y la tecnología algunas personas forman con las áreas protegidas (Lin y Lockwood, 2013). Estos apegos pueden incluir aspectos emocionales (incluida la identidad) y funcionales, incluso para las comunidades que solo tienen conexiones recientes con un área protegida (Byrne y Goodall, 2013).…”