S3E17 PnP How Place Shapes Who We Are with Jeni Cross

Sometimes, belonging to a place is something you feel beforeyou can put it into words.In this episode, Jeni Cross explores what happens when theplaces we live, move through and care for become part of who we are. She shares the personal experience that first made her realise how deeply her body could miss a landscape, and the question that changed how she thought about belonging: “Where does the land know you best?”Jeni talks about what happens when communities grow and familiar places disappear. A local shop can be more than a shop. A market can be more than somewhere to buy food. A garden, a footpath, a creek or a patch of native plants can become a place where people notice one another, help oneanother and build a sense of belonging.We also talk about the surprising value of reciprocity, through the story of a logger who cuts down trees for an elderly neighbour and receives a homemade blueberry pie in return. The pie is worth far less financially, but that is not what makes the exchange valuable.Jeni shares stories from her own family, including how heruncles returned from war and spent a year working on the family land and with the animals. We explore what can be lost when people cannot put down roots, and the small ways people can still create connections with place even when they do not own a home.There are ideas here for all of us: walking, cycling, growingsomething, noticing the seasons, caring for a small patch of land, talking to neighbours, or simply finding somewhere we can contribute.And for planners, Jeni has a simple message: talk to peopleabout what makes a place special. Then think about how we can protect those qualities and help people connect with each other and with the place they share.A hopeful conversation about home, belonging, community and the small things we can do to care for the places that care for us.#StreetsAndPeople #JeniCross #PlaceAndCommunity #SenseOfPlace #Belonging #Community #UrbanPlanning #ActiveTransport #Walking #Cycling #PublicTransport #Placemaking #PeopleAndPlace #CommunityConnection#TransportPlanning Check out our website for more info: https://getaroundcaboolture.au/place-and-community-connection/Podcast theme music: Doctor Yes | Yari | BensoundGetAroundCaboolture.au