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Place attachment is a form of connection between a person and the environmental setting. In the production of urban places, planners and designers mainly focus on the quality of the physical components. However, the aspects of meanings and attachment are not adequately considered in the planning and decision-making process. This study utilizes semi-structured interview method to examine place attachment dimensions in understanding the values of a place in the life of the users. Sample cases include examining attachment to streets in the city centre of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was evident that users' roles and ethnic backgrounds influenced their responses. Attachment to the places was economically, socially and culturally oriented and prevalent in their daily experience of the places, and the place memories recalled.

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Public squares function as open spaces where people can conduct many activities and events in the city. The 'life' of squares evolves and changes according to the contemporary demands of the people. Learning from the evolution of the City Square in Melbourne, Australia, this study aims to analyse how its designs changed over the years in order to accommodate city life. This study employs spatial analysis to examine the relationships between the square's physical characteristics with people's activities. The findings reveal that square designs ought to meet evolving social, physical and environmental needs to cater for future requirements and lifestyles.

Recreational public parks in Kuala Lumpur are provided to support leisure activities of city residents. The leisure activities include voluntary, recreation and social activities. Recreational parks have been recognised to play a positive reinforcement in promoting a healthy lifestyle, regarding physical health, social or even mental health. Nonetheless, some users have negative perceptions of recreational parks. The study investigates challenges pertaining to city residents' use and needs of recreational parks in Kuala Lumpur. Survey results from respondents who live in various zones in Kuala Lumpur were analysed to identify the parameters relevant for the study (n = 1617). The respondents' answers were statistically analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS). The findings revealed challenges related to the use and needs of recreational parks, namely facilities, design aspect, maintenance and safety. The findings imply that similar challenges are prominent in many research papers in the last 15 years. In other words, the specific challenges identified in this study need more attention, should be evaluated closely and be solved for future improvement on the conditions of city's recreational parks. Through solving the pertinent aspects, comfortable spaces and activities that affect residents' health and well-being can be planned and managed.