There are certain sensory experiences that bind us to place. It might be the scent of the city after rain, the way light moves through a street tree canopy, or the texture of a handrail as you move through the day.

It is these small details that the field of placemaking is trying to help us rediscover. And it's something that an increasing number of governments and urban planning firms are integrating into their work.

But beyond the buzzwords and 'activation' sites, can placemaking deliver on its pitch?