De-localization And Re-localization:Research Upon Electronic Map And Sense Of Urban Place

With the advancement and development of science and technology,media technology is fully implanted in material life,and the real-time positioning technology of smart phones is rapidly spreading,which provide technical support for the instant people-to-people and people-to-city connection.In particular,the combination of GPS positioning technology and electronic maps has brought great changes to our travel and daily life.Although the locative media represented by the electronic location map is based on the geographical location to guide and identify the destination of the user,the unified and solidified code pattern deviates from the unique cultural history and geographical significance of the place itself,which results in the dissolution of the regional differences.But at the same time,it also enables the geographical location to be reproduced,emulated and simulated,so that people have new sensory experience,which not only greatly affects people's life conduct and ways,but also builds a relationship different from the past.This study takes the sense of urban place as the pointcut,and examines the use of electronic maps through in-depth interviews and data analysis.Meanwhile,it tries to explore how electronic maps can change the human-centered local experience when they are applied;what kind of influence does it have on people's sense of place? How does it cross the gap between reality and virtuality to highlight the tension between“delocalization” and “relocalization”? In this series of changes,what kind of relationships are implied among the medium,people and city?The study shows that the mobility and simplification of electronic maps have dispelled the traditional sense of place,and also have produced the illusion of "no place" and "no sense of place" among users.Whereas,as a matter of fact,relying on its powerful function of duplicating realistic geography and its unique mobile positioning system,electronic map as a new media recreates place.Though the involvement ofelectronic maps has changed the traditional source of sense of place,yet the sense of place centering on local attachment,status identity and local identity has been constructed through the media.Such sense of place is characterized by diversity and extroversion.Electronic map has become the intermediary between people and cities,opening up new scenes of encounters.With it embedded in people and cities,electronic map creates “Cybermen” and “media cities” and changes people's perception of self and city as well.