Reimaging socio-spatial planning: Towards a synthesis between sense of place and social sustainability approaches

Socio-spatial planning forums are shedding light on how people embrace, contest or reject social changes. These understandings are now being used to explore sense of place and social sustainability approaches in spatial studies, and provide input into the formulation of socio-spatial planning interventions. Research evidence, however, suggests that the integration of elements from each approach into a unified working model can help overcome existing conceptual confusions and revitalise socio-spatial planning processes. Our research therefore seeks to identify these confusions, as well as the supplementary elements in each approach, resulting in the creation of a conceptual framework that reimages socio-spatial planning. We argue that there are elements conceptually linked in each approach that could be re-conceptualised into a more robust framework for socio-spatial planning. The article further proposes that the synthesis will not only negate the shortcomings inherent in each approach but will also provide a more responsive medium for the current dynamic societal context of socio-spatial planning. Our findings advance socio-spatial planning theory and contribute to a foundation for the future research aimed at improving the understanding of background theories.