Territorial functioning in settings where the person-place transactions are of low centrality is the focus of this chapter: how people create and maintain minimal territories in settings that are by definition public. In the round of our daily lives, we are constantly “laying claim” to spaces for short periods of time. (For some examples, see the first box in this chapter.)

Organization of the chapter

The nature of the low centrality person-place bond is reviewed. The components of territorial functioning in locations where centrality is low are examined. Although territorial functioning may in some instances shade into other person-place processes such as jurisdiction, group space, and personal space, it is nonetheless clear that territorial functioning operates in these public settings. Following our model, evidence of the physical, social, cultural, and personal determinants of territorial functioning, and the consequences of such functioning for individuals, groups, and settings, are considered.

Settings where person–place bonds are of low centrality

We spend considerable amounts of time in public places and spaces; these locations are open to all or almost all of the citizenry. The sheer number and variety of these places is staggering: buses, trains, planes, bus and train stations, airports, stores, restaurants, classrooms, banks, post offices, libraries, resorts, stadiums, theaters, bars, playgrounds, and beaches, just to name a few. Since these are “public” spaces, our “claim” to a particular “spot” in a location is not backed by any law or legal statute.