GENIUS-What?? Defining Sense of Place

By Kristi Sherfinski

Mar 20, 2020

The Latin phrase for “sense of place,” or the meaning of a place is genius loci. This is a term landscape architects use to describe the personality, or “spirit” of a place. We all have places that mean something significant to us. Meaningful places don’t have to be well known or well documented, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris or Central Park in New York City. It can be something as simple as a clearing in the woods you remembered as a kid, or your grandmother’s kitchen where you helped her cook. What places have meaning for you?