Topophilia: A Study of Environmental Perception, Attitudes, and Values

by Yi-Fu Tuan

What are the links between environment and world view? Topophilia, the affective bond between people and place, is the primary theme of this book that examines environmental perceptions and values at different levels: the species, the group, and the individual.

Yi-Fu Tuan holds culture and environment and topophilia and environment as distinct in order to show how they mutually contribute to the formation of values. Topophilia examines the search for environment in the city, suburb, countryside, and wilderness from a dialectical perspective, distinguishes different types of environmental experience, and describes their character.

Genres: Geography, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Architecture, Environment, Academic, History

260 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1974

About the author

Fu Tuan (Traditional Chinese: 段義孚, born 5 December 1930) is a Chinese-U.S. geographer.
Tuan was born in 1930 in Tientsin, China. He was the son of a rich oligarch and was part of the top class in the Republic of China. Tuan attended University College, London, but graduated from the University of Oxford with a B.A. and M.A. in 1951 and 1955 respectively. From there he went to California to continue his geographic education. He received his Ph.D. in 1957 from the University of California, Berkeley.

Reviews

[Chris J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have wanted to read this book for probably five years. It finally came due in my rotation and I was excited to read Topophilia as I have been for few books. I was, to be honest, a little disappointed. Not that it's a bad book. I think I over-hyped it in my mind. I have read other articles and another book by Tuan and was very impressed by his attention and care for the micro - the overlooked aspects of everyday culture, and by his voice for the geography of children, the family, and the home.

His chapter on topophilia is classic and the best aspect of this book. Everything else to me either sounded like something I had heard before or simply did not capture my interest. I had higher hopes for this book probably than I ever have for a work of academic geography. I think I simply expected the moon.

[Federico García · Rating 4 out of 5]

Topofilia, una palabra para designar ese sentimiento de querencia, difuso e inconsciente que tenemos por los lugares en los que habitamos. Y que luego dan origen a situaciones mas complejas, como la pertenencia y los nacionalismos.
Este es un interesante trabajo en el que el autor analiza esa condición desde diversas perspectivas para acabar describiendo las maneras en que hemos acabado ocupando el planeta a lo largo de la historia de la humanidad.

[Lee Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great little book resonant with "A Pattern Language" (Alexander). "Poetics of Space" (Bachelard) “The Shape of Time" (Kubler), books by Jane Jacobs, and even JH Kunstler (“Geography of Nowhere”). This book is about all the Somewheres and Nowheres throughout history.

[Nile Kroner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book years ago and it was very impactful. At a house party I drunkinly gave it away to a random guest, and forgot the name! I've been racking my brain for YEARS trying to find it. Finally we have been reunited. As much as I think about this book, it has to be a 5 star. Excited to re read.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gostei

[Jenina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gateway to more psychogeography related books??
Again, I couldn’t finish this book because I had to return to the lib ):
But, here are a few notes + ramblings based on my progress so far:
- Beauty of nature appreciated through the lens of a humanly constructed world.
- Topophilia as the affected bond between palace and people or setting diffused as a vivid and visceral experience
- Visually dependent world: overwhelmed by visual stimuli
- Touch persuades us of the existence of reality independent of our imaginings —> seeing does not equal to ‘truth’
- Space in flux (example: Eskimo homes)
- Experiencing architecture through all the senses; reinforce one another to clarify the entire structure and substances of the entire building.
- Water: feminine, formless

[Um Flâneur de Walkman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reli Topofilia de Yi-Fu Tuan, pois gosto muito da forma como o autor aborda a relação entre o ser humano e os lugares. A obra combina geografia com uma pitada de psicologia e estética para explorar o modo como os sentimentos e valores moldam nossas percepções do ambiente. Achei especialmente interessante a reflexão sobre memória, cultura e pertencimento, que me levou a pensar de maneira diferente sobre as paisagens ao meu redor. A escrita de Tuan é acessível e envolvente, tornando o livro uma leitura agradável e instigante. Recomendo para quem busca compreender melhor a conexão entre pessoas e lugares.

[Nina · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting book considering how humans perceive their environment, construct world views, and how these perceptions and views in turn take their form in the living spaces we create.
However, the reader should keep in mind that this book was written in 1974, and therefore read it with a 70s American perspective in mind. For all that the author considers cultures as diverse as Chinese eras, medieval Europe, ancient Egypt to modern day USA, the book is still riddled with a Western-normative perspective, considering Western preferences for environments as universal and those of "primitive peoples" as exceptional, among other things.

[Claudete · Rating 4 out of 5]

"As imagens da topofilia são derivadas da realidade curcundante. As pessoas atentam para aqueles aspectos do meio ambiente que lhes inspiram respeito ou lhes prometem sustento e satisfação no contexto das finalidade de suas vidas. As imagens mudam a medida que as pessoas adquirem novos interesses e poder, mas continuam a surgir do meio ambiente: as facetas do meio ambiente, previamente negligenciadas são vistas agora com toda claridade" (p. 137)

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Tuan expresses a lot of profound ideas in this work, though it felt a little slow, and I guess I had (perhaps irrationally) high hopes for what would be covered here relative to what I found.

That said, this was a rather esoteric choice for me, so I may not have been the target audience :) .

[Wyn L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned to love this book. This was on the reading list for my Spatial Geography course. I must say there was some jargon in this book and I feel that could deter others from enjoying this read. Tuan does an amazing job at explaining how environment, culture, people, etc impact out geography and the outcomes of said geography in the long run. Excellent read.

[emco]

Very broad survey that relies too much for my liking on anthropology from, say, before the 1990s (obviously, given the book's publication date in the mid-1970s). Fascinating and beautifully written, and I look forward to reading through Tuan's philosophy as it evolves and develops in his writings.

[Álvaro Benício de Paiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

minha professora mandou só ler alguns capítulos, mas recomendou a leitura completa. Muito maluco pensar como nossas experiências são só uma em um espectro enorme de possibilidades que a humanidade permite

[Paula Soper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only is this book spot on for my proposal/dissertation, it's interesting!

[Gonzalo Prada · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sometimes hard to read book, but full of facts that might change your perception. I can't wait to read more Yi-Fu

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

chock-full of super-fascinating ideas, but written in such a drab manner!

[Ben Haines]

Interesting collection of thoughts / anecdotes about places and our relationships to them.

Sometimes I felt like he was just making things up.

Liked the descriptions of ancient cities / quotes.

[Thorang Kachen]

good

[Ray Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

文化地理学，较深

[=====D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure what makes this book anything more than a bunch of descriptions of cities, historical and current, despite the author's constant invoking of random cultural trivia such as what colors are associated with what directions and elements. Highly suspect along with much of the crap written under the post-modernist banner, although some of the stuff in this book was interesting.

[Andrew]

I'm a bit skeptical of the theory (which is solidly in line with the tradition of Bachelard, Levi-Strauss, and Eliade), but he writes like an angel. His observations may come off as a bit simplistic, a bit reliant on structuralist fallacy, but on the whole it's a very satisfying read.

[Amanda]

I just read a chapter from this book for a class on cultural geography, and am intrigued. Topophilia: human love of place. I'll read it some day...

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple but brilliant. One of my favourite books.

[Beth]

Not reading because I mainly skimmed it- but it was a pretty heavy skim and I liked what I saw.

[Adrienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This did not hold my attention and I definitely did some skimming.

[Yeshmanthi Ekanayake · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for the whole human race.

[Yujing He · Rating 4 out of 5]

A romantic book from a romantic geographer:)