Space - place - environment

Verona Conley highlights the need to revisit the concept of space in our contemporary world, where electronic simultaneity and virtual reality challenge traditional notions. The idea of total electronic simultaneity suggests a potential end to time, space, and human life, yet we have not reached that point. For instance, a broker managing global capital flows via instant communication quickly confronts the reality of sequential time when caught in a traffic jam. This shift in perspective leads us away from Kant’s belief in time and space as fixed forms of perception, leaning instead towards Edward Casey’s phenomenological view that prioritizes the concreteness of place. Casey’s philosophy emphasizes the significance of the body, where "emplacement" and "embodiment" are interconnected, and it highlights the renewed importance of local and regional contexts. As a result, the concepts of space, place, and environment must be continuously redefined to reflect evolving viewing conventions and the socio-political power dynamics of each era.