This capstone project is meant to be a resource guide and provide criteria for potential residential identity anchors informed by positive placemaking that promotes an improved experience for residents, staff, and visitors to a shared space. Identity anchors should build connection to self, community, landscape, and personal history by fostering a sense of belonging through creative, flexible, safe, and engaging spaces. My research seeks to identify examples of a variety of design elements to inform identity anchors as a means of providing meaningful spaces for residents that
encourage community interaction, relationship building, and pride of place. The intent of creating shared spaces should NOT be to create a space that will meet the needs of all people who experience it. The objective should be to create shared spaces that allow as many people to find their place within the space as possible, ultimately positively anchoring them to their residence.