A multifaceted study of place attachment and its influences on civic involvement and place loyalty in Baharestan new town, Iran

《A multifaceted study of place attachment and its influences on civic involvement and place loyalty in Baharestan new town, Iran》

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关键字: Place attachment;Civic involvement;Place loyalty;New towns;Inter-generational differences

作者单位: Department of Geography, School of Economics, Management & Social Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran;Department of Geography, School of Economics, Management & Social Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

摘要: People’s bonds with places influence their intentions and/or behaviors in relation to the places. These intentions and behaviors can play a determining role in the life, dynamism and development of human settlements especially new towns. This paper examines the relationships between place attachment, as a second-order four-dimensional construct, with civic involvement and place loyalty. Inter-scale and inter-generational differences of place attachment are also explored. The analyses are carried out by applying structural equation modelling method and using data from a sample of 650 residents of Baharestan new town, Iran. Results show that the specified measurement model for place attachment and hypothesized structural model are supported by the sample data. Results suggest that strength of attachment to the town positively influences both civic involvement and place loyalty. The findings also reveal that among different spatial ranges, attachment to the town is the weakest. Moreover, it is indicated that attachments to neighborhood, town and country are stronger for adults than for teenagers. The implications of the findings are discussed.