The effects of physical and social attributes of place on place attachment

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the required physical and social attributes of open spaces and demonstrate the effects of these attributes on place dependency, which is the functional dimension of place attachment. In this context, the paper only focused on the effects of the physical and social attributes of the environment on the place attachment. Design/methodology/approach The general framework of the study design included the determination of the place attachment value for the space through identification of its physical and social attributes by the users. The research method included the evaluation of the physical and social attributes and the place attachment. Findings The study model demonstrated that the place attachment increased in successful urban spaces where user needs are met at a higher level. It was demonstrated that the social attributes, in particular the social environment, had a higher impact on the functional attachment of the users when compared to the physical attributes. Research limitations/implications The present study investigated the factors that affected place attachment in urban open spaces within the context of human–environment interaction and specifically in the context of Trabzon square parks. Practical implications The study findings are considered important for both urban planners and administrators, who are responsible for protection and development of urban spaces, and the users. Originality/value The present study attempted to investigate the effects of physical and social attributes of the place on place dependence.

Factors Influencing Urban Livability in Seoul, Korea: Urban Environmental Satisfaction and Neighborhood Relations

“…For example, New York in the United States and Bilbao in Spain are among the most representative cities that have grown again through the improvement of the urban environment (Furman and Kroeger 2013;Patterson 2020). Of course, some studies have considered urban environments and neighborhood relations as factors influencing the quality of life or local satisfaction (Anton and Lawrence 2014;Fornara et al 2010;Özkan and Yilmaz 2019). This suggests the possibility that urban environments and neighborhood relations may also have a positive impact on livability.…”

“…This will have a significant impact on residential life by inducing a response of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Urban environments can be divided into various sub-components, and the level of satisfaction, and by extension livability, felt by residents may vary depending on each component (Özkan and Yilmaz 2019). In this study, the components of the urban environments were divided into accessibility, pleasantness, and safety.…”

“…For example, Lewicka (2011) explained that social capital based on neighborhood relations can have a positive effect on building community attachment. Recent studies have identified residents' trust in their neighborhoods, number of friends, and social interactions as factors that can measure neighborhood relations (Kamalipour et al 2012;Nicholas et al 2009;Nunkoo and Gursoy 2012;Özkan and Yilmaz 2019).…”

“…Many studies on urban satisfaction refer to social capital based on relationships among neighbors as an important factor on livability. They stress that community ties or social activities can positively affect the level of satisfaction with the region (Lewicka 2011;Özkan and Yilmaz 2019). For example, Özkan and Yilmaz (2019) measured social ties through formal and informal social activities and interactions between residents, which were shown to have a positive effect on urban satisfaction.…”

“…Some studies have examined the relationship between these two variables and livability, but not many (Marans 2003;Mouratidis 2018;Zhan et al 2018). Moreover, studies on local satisfaction have considered urban environments and neighborhood relations as important variables (Anton and Lawrence 2014;Özkan and Yilmaz 2019). Considering that Soc.…”