Valley of Heart's Delight: Environment and Sense of Place in the Santa Clara Valley

The Santa Clara Valley has transformed from America's largest fruit-producing region to the technology capital of the world. Anne Marie Todd explores the concepts of place and placelessness, arguing that place is more than a physical location and that exploring a community's sense of place can help us to map how individuals experience their natural surroundings and their sense of responsibility towards the local environment.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 207 pages
Publication date: 25 October 2022
Publisher: University of California Press

This agricultural history delves into the remarkable transformation of the Santa Clara Valley over the past century, evolving from America's premier fruit-producing region to the global hub of technology. In the latter half of the 20th century, the region's focus shifted dramatically from fruits like apricots and prunes to computers. Both personal and public discourse reveal the intricate ways in which a sense of place emerges and evolves within an ever-changing agricultural community, such as the Santa Clara Valley. Through extensive archival research and in-depth interviews, Anne Marie Todd delves into the concepts of place and placelessness, contending that place extends beyond mere physical coordinates and that understanding a community's sense of place can provide valuable insights into how individuals perceive their natural surroundings and their sense of responsibility towards the local environment. Todd expands the notion of sense of place to encompass Silicon Valley, portraying it as a non-place where weakened or disrupted attachments to place pose significant environmental and community risks. The story of the Santa Clara Valley is a testament to the profound impact of agricultural development on rural regions and the ongoing evolution of society.

In the latter half of the 20th century, the region's focus shifted dramatically from fruits like apricots and prunes to computers.

Both personal and public discourse reveal the intricate ways in which a sense of place emerges and evolves within an ever-changing agricultural community, such as the Santa Clara Valley.

Through extensive archival research and in-depth interviews, Anne Marie Todd delves into the concepts of place and placelessness, contending that place extends beyond mere physical coordinates and that understanding a community's sense of place can provide valuable insights into how individuals perceive their natural surroundings and their sense of responsibility towards the local environment.

Todd expands the notion of sense of place to encompass Silicon Valley, portraying it as a non-place where weakened or disrupted attachments to place pose significant environmental and community risks.

The story of the Santa Clara Valley is a testament to the profound impact of agricultural development on rural regions and the ongoing evolution of society.

Weight: 308g
Dimension: 153 x 229 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520389588