Influences of Risk Perception and Sense of Place on Landslide Disaster Preparedness in Southwestern China

The effects of risk perception and sense of place on disaster preparedness have been widely reported.However, most studies have only demonstrated weak relationships and it is unknown whether these are applicable to China. This study investigated such relationships in hazard-threatened areas of the Three Gorges Reservoir area in southwestern China. Data were collected from 348 farming households in landslide-prone areas. Binary logistic and Tobit regression models were constructed to determine whether risk perception and sense of place influence landslide preparedness. The results show that:(1)Farming households' awareness of the need to prepare for disasters was relatively low, and disaster preparedness behaviors were mainly based on self-learning. Among the348 sampled households, 67% exhibited no disaster preparedness behavior, and only 2% adopted four of the five types of disaster preparedness behaviors. About a quarter of farming households consciously learned disaster-related knowledge.(2) Risk perception and sense of place had important influences on disaster preparedness. Respondentswho received higher scores on the perception of the probability of a landslide, the threat of a landslide, and the place dependence variables were more likely to adopt a greater number of disaster preparedness behaviors.Respondents with higher scores on the perception of controllability in the case of a landslide were less likely to adopt a greater number of disaster preparedness behaviors.Additionally, individual and household socioeconomic characteristics—education, loss, distance from hazard site,information acquisition channel, and housing material—were all related to household disaster preparedness behavior. This study contributes to the current literature by improving the understanding of the relationships of risk perception and sense of place to disaster preparedness in farming households threatened by geological disasters in southwestern China.

The Best of Both Worlds——Building Gardens With a Sense of Place

The last decade in China has been a period of great growth and renewal.More and more public garden has been built,many those gardens are built with Western-influenced styles and lack of Chinese factor.A garden with a strong sense of place will clearly put the visitor in a specific locality by astute use of design to support a distinctive regional character.Here the author gives several examples of famous gardens about how to keep the sense of place and try to give some useful suggestion on Chinese garden build.

Visitors＇ perceptions on the important factors of atrium desisn in shopping centers： A study of Gandaria City Mall and Ciputra World in Indonesia

Atriums as quasi-internal public spaces in shopping centers play an essential rote as an identity provider and offer spatial orientation in shopping center architecture. This study aims to examine the significant factors of atrium design, which can provide a sense of place for shopping center visitors. The research was conducted with the sequential exploratory method, which involved a qualitative study, followed by a quantitative study. The objects of this research were two shopping centers located in the two largest cities in Indonesia, namely, Gandaria City Matt in Jakarta and Ciputra World in Surabaya. A total of 43 informants were a part of the qualitative data collection, and 350 respondents served as survey participants. The survey research shows that the design factors considered by visitors at the Gandaria City Malt are atrium legibility, atrium decoration, event decoration, social image and interaction, and event ambience, whereas the visitors at Ciputra World considered atrium legibility, social image and interaction, atrium ambience, and atrium decoration.