Monsters or majesties: How place attachment shapes public perceptions of near-shore windfarms in Denmark

This paper explores public perceptions of the potential near-shore wind-farm sites in Denmark among the key project stakeholder groups, Permanent Residents (PR’s) and Second Home Owners, (SHO’s). Data shows that 1) levels of potential wind-farm acceptance are higher among PR’s than among SHO’s, and that 2) anticipated negative local project impact on different themes matter perceptions of the planned wind farms. 3) Age and gender are not significant for levels of project acceptance. The Person, psychological Process and Place-attachment framework of place-attachment (Scannell & Gifford in 2010) provides the theoretical framework. Data-insights inspired – and required – additional dimensions of time, temporality and futures to the framework. I suggest that the more positive project perceptions amongst PR’s mirrors their hopes for project gains, for example positive area change and future area potentiality given via the local wind-farm projects. Similarly, the more negative project expectations amongst SHO’s may reflect their wishes for area status quo. I suggest that personal needs from, experienced landscape uses and characteristics projected onto landscapes by the very beings experiencing them influence potential local wind-farm project acceptance; that the practicalities of everyday fears, hopes and dreams shape perceptions of local area change caused by the development of large-scale construction projects. In other words, what lies within individual experiences of place-attachment will matter for levels of potential wind-farm acceptance and local area change in our modern, mobile lives.