Open research questions in Place Attachment and Urban Studies

What the literature leaves open

• for future research. It is also important to clarify that accessibility in this study encompasses multiple dimensions: physical and spatial accessibility (proximity, walkability, connectivity, and transport options); functional accessibility (inclusive design, universal path surfaces, and amenity provision); psychological accessibility (feelings of safety, welcome, and comfort); and economic and regulatory accessibility (entry fees, opening hours, and use rules). The interview data and observations speak most directly to the functional, psychological, and regulatory dimensions, and findings are organized accordingly in the discussion that follows. 4.4 Safe design and safety perception Safety emerged as a recurring and significant theme across interviews in both parks. Participants consistently linked their sense of security, or the lack thereof, to specific physical features of the park environment. In Ramallah Municipality Park, the secondary entrance was repeatedly cited as a safety concern: it is poorly lit, lacks fencing, and is set to the side of the main circulation path, creating a perceived "blind spot" that participants described as uncomfortable, particularly at night. Several participants, especially women and parents, stated that this feature deterred them from visiting the park after dark. One female participant living nearby was direct: "After eight in the evening I would not go through that entrance alone.

  Voices from the neighborhood: residents perception on local parks · 2026 · DOI

• Future studies could focus on these dimensions and find new sub-items within each dimension, as has been proposed by, for example Melewar and Karaosmano- glu (2006). Future studies could examine how place identity develops in different types of public discourses and locations, considering a broader range of stakeholders such as tourists, residents, place brand managers, and other actors.

  Identifying place identity dimensions in urban development: an eight-dimensional framework · 2026 · DOI

• Independent-living senior housing (ILSH) is viewed as a promising housing alternative for promoting active aging, yet evidence remains limited on how spatial design and programming support social engagement.

  Design and Management of Common Space and Social Connectedness in Independent-Living Senior Housing: A Mixed-Methods Case Study · 2026 · DOI

• In light of these limitations, future research should explore the applicability and sustainability of the proposed model through comparative studies conducted in diverse geographical and cultural contexts. Additionally, future research may explore the integration of digital design tools and participatory technologies—such as virtual reality simulations or digital twin environments—to support collaborative decision-making in post-disaster reconstruction.

  Post-disaster Resettlement: Developing Permanent Housing Scenarios in Türkiye · 2026 · DOI

• Historical memory is also at risk: older generations of residents are passing away, while new residents have limited knowledge of local history. Residential buildings dominate, while commercial and service-oriented buildings are insufficient, failing to meet residents’ daily needs and negatively affecting visitor experience.

  Spatial Perception of Urban Island under the Influence of Gentrification: A Case Study of Jiangxinzhou, Nanjing · 2026 · DOI

• This study carries several limitations that should inform the interpretation of findings. First, the sample sizes within each stakeholder group were small, limiting statistical power and precluding definitive conclusions from the quantitative analyses. The chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests are reported as exploratory and hypothesis- generating rather than confirmatory. Future research should employ larger, randomly sampled participant pools to enable more rigorous inter-group comparisons. Second, pandemic-related constraints required the majority of sessions to be conducted virtually, which may have differentially affected participation by demographics with limited access to stable internet connections or devices, potentially underrepresenting the most economically marginalized residents. Third, the study's cross-sectional design precludes causal inference about the relationships between wellbeing domains. Longitudinal panel designs would be necessary to examine how priority structures evolve in response to policy interventions or changing urban conditions. These limitations notwithstanding, the study provides the most systematic comparative assessment of community wellbeing priorities across stakeholder groups in Jackson to date.

  Perspectives on Community Wellbeing in an Urban Environment: Challenges, Opportunities, and Equity Implications for the City of Jackson, Mississippi · 2026 · DOI

• assessment 16 18 0.998 2000 of-life perspective 16 18 0.998 2000 of-life perspective 17 16 0.99 1997 assessment 17 16 0.992 1997 assessment 20 12 1 2001 ill person 20 12 0.999 2007 setting 21 12 0.997 2007 setting 21 12 21 22 12 1 2001 ill person 22 9 1 1995 life-cycle difference 23 9 22 23 12 0.995 2007 setting 24 8 0.986 1988 patients’ satisfaction 25 7 23 24 9 1 1995 life-cycle difference 25 8 1 1984 / 24 / / Source: Authors’ Own Creation. Note: ID = ClusterID; S = Silhouette; M(Y) = mean (Year).

  Who is Leading the Housing Satisfaction Study: A Bibliometric Analysis based on Bibliometrix Tools and CiteSpace · 2026 · DOI

• Purpose This study examines the post-COVID-19 impacts of sociodemographic factors on preferences for sustainable affordable housing, addressing a gap in the literature on how the pandemic has reshaped housing priorities across different demographic groups.

  Assessing the post-COVID-19 impacts of sociodemographic factors on sustainable affordable housing preferences in Malaysia · 2025 · DOI

• This article examines the impact of home-based business on spatial changes and architectural transformation in old apartment buildings, locally called Chung Cu, an under-studied housing typology in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).

  Changes to Domestic Spaces and Home-Based Business in Ho Chi Minh City: A Case Study of Nguyen Thien Thuat Apartment Blocks · 2024 · DOI

• However, little is known about how residents' identification with the characteristics of places and their adoption of place‐related norms and values specifically affect residential mobility intentions and pro‐local consumption tendencies, which are key topics in many spatial development plans and place marketing.

  The Role of Resident‐Place Identification in Mediating Consumption Localism and Mobility Intentions · 2024 · DOI

• Wooden multi-storey construction (WMC) offers an alternative building solution for urban consumers seeking a low-carbon, sustainable lifestyle yet, the literature on consumer experiences in newly constructed WMC-apartments is sparse.

  Consumer housing choices among residents living in wooden multi-storey buildings · 2023 · DOI

• Yet there is remarkably limited research on whether those homeowners are open to building an ADU, what motivations and obstacles they perceive regarding adding one, and why some homeowners do not want to build one at all.

  Exploring Homeowners’ Openness to Building Accessory Dwelling Units in the Sacramento Metropolitan Area · 2022 · DOI

• Did they succeed in producing a qualitative bond between inhabitants and habitats? Focusing on little known Belgian cases (1968-1983) offers new insights in system-based architecture and an opportunity to reveal its relevance to current issues related to housing.

  Life in Kit Form. Mass Customization in Playful Housing Experiments (Belgium, 1968–1983) · 2021 · DOI

• This research addresses a gap in the literature in the study of small living arrangements (town houses, apartment buildings, terraces), with 12 or less apartments, with a focus on residents' health and wellbeing.

  Living closely: residents' health and wellbeing in small multi-owned residential buildings · 2020 · DOI

• Are urban waterways amenities, and if so, are there inequities in household access? While urban waterways represent a potential site for access to nature within the urban environment, there have been few studies on the accessibility and interactions with water features in particular, what we refer to as “blue spaces.

  Accessing blue spaces: Social and geographic factors structuring familiarity with, use of, and appreciation of urban waterways · 2017 · DOI

• Globally, guidance tends to focus on promoting surveillance and few studies have explored how vacant poorly maintained housing might affect perceptions of crime and CPTED.

  Exploring housing maintenance and vacancy in Western Australia · 2016 · DOI

• Using multiple regression analysis of data from Vance, Alabama, which suddenly entered the global arena with the announcement and construction of a large German automobile factory there, the argument made here is that structural and contextual models are insufficient on their own to account for community life.

  Globally Embedded Community: Satisfaction and Attachment in Vance, Alabama · 2008 · DOI

• , Jacobs, 1969; Bangs & Mahler, 1970; Gold, 1972, 1977; Hester, 1984; Hutchison, 1994), but little is known about how people across densely populated Third World cities respond and relate to such spaces within their day-to-day living milieu.

  Use And Experience Of Neighborhood Parks In Singapore · 1996 · DOI

• Association, and 1972. Ilersonal space. Socinl Problems, & D. H. applicn- 1966. FEI,IPE. N. J., 8r SOMMER, R. Invasions of 14, 206-214. FISHER, J. D.

  Situation-specific variables as determinants of perceived environmental aesthetic quality and perceived crowdedness · 1974 · DOI

• ) Lack of consensus was evident for four children who failed to express any opinion about the future or whose opinions conflicted with the agency plan. Lack of consensus was evident for ten children: for three, the future plan was indefinite or uncertain; for four, the foster parents had questions about continuing to care for them; and in three cases, the plan was for the child to return home, but the parents were not visiting. Previous research findings concerning children's contact with parents following placement are inconclusive.

  The resolution of object loss following foster home placement · 1967 · DOI

• It remains to be shown that unplanned neighborhoods of equal density and equally homogeneous composition do not provide the identical patterns of friendship for- mation and group structure. Thus, to all intents and purposes, it remains to be established how planning does significantly more than shift or re-group active-not relations into new settings.

  The Social Effects of the Physical Environment · 1961 · DOI

• 20 If and when sufficient research has been done to establish the relationship between site planning and social life on a sounder empirical basis, the concept of voluntary resident placement should be explored. Little is known about the role of propinquity and homogeneity in established communities, although there is no reason to expect any major differences.

  Planning and Social Life: Friendship and Neighbor Relations in Suburban Communities · 1961 · DOI

• t o t h e community and t o make T h i s s p e c i a l comt o t h e Housing Authority. m i t t e e brought t o g e t h e r t h e major l o c a l agenc i e s concerned with t h e p r o v i s i o n of such community s e r v i c e s as r e c r e a t i o n, educetion, l i b r a r y, welfere, and h e a l t h: ?qy i n c l u d j n g t-epresen L a t i v e s from 1. Regional Planning Commission, 2 Cli tg P1 arming Comissiorl, 3. B o ~ i - 6 o f Edcca-cjoii, 4, Scilools i n Lhe nejghborhopd. 5. c i t y C O U 7 C i l, 6. Bureau of Recrestion, ?. Conf'erence o!' Ca-cholic Charj ties, 8. Bureau of Parks, 9. Soh0 Community House, LO. Soho Neighborhood House, 1L. Saho Board, 12 Urban League, 13. Carnegie Librarg, 14. Carnegie I n s t i t u t e of TechnoloEy, 15. Federation of S o c i a l Agencies, 1 6, Jewish S o c i a l Service Bureau, 17. P i t t s b u r g h Housing Association, 18. The I r e n e Kaufaann Settlement House, 19, P i t t s b u r g h Housing Authority- The Advisory Committee met e number of times d w i n g t h e pl-haning and c o n s t r u c t i o n s t a g e s of t h e development t o stkdg t h e recrcot i o n needs of the neighborhoods a f f e c t e d by t h e p r o j e c t s and subsequently t o make recommendations t o t h e Housing Authority and o t h e r,.. ^.-- -. -. -- - - i n t e r e s t e d p u b l i c and p r i v a t e agencies, such a s t h e School B a r d and Bureau o f Recreation. l o c a l agencies, The United S t a t e s Housing Authority gave a s s i s t a n c e in t h e determination of needs f o r i n t h e c e g o t i a t i o n s with community s e r v i c e s, v a r i o u s i n the planning of connlwLita spbce& m d i n t h e p r e p a r a t i o n s f o r o p e r a t i o n of t h a t space. At, t h e r e q u e s t of the P i t t s b u r g h Housing Authority, Howard L, mite, t s s i s t t l n t Chief OP Tenant, Reiations, IJ.. Kilej, Associate Tomi Planning a?(; C t. ~ i i ~ l k r c h i t e c 1, t o render c a m t h e s e s e r v i c e s. from Washington Such n ~ s t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n and personnel o f t h e housing s t a f f and advisory groups concerned with t h e planning f o r community servcoupled with t h e s p i r i t o f i c e s. l e d t o t h e coBperation with o t h e r agencies, sound glanning which followed.

  Housing and Recreation—A Pittsburgh Example of Effective Cooperation · 1940 · DOI

• In overseas deployments, discomfort and adapta- tion stress stemming from cultural and environmental dif- ferences can undermine service performance, yet empiri- cal research on these linkages remains scarce.

  Strategic housing satisfaction and preferences among U.S. military personnel: Evidence from Camp Humphreys, Korea · 2026 · DOI

• Neighborhood influences on emerging adulthood (ages 18–29) remain understudied despite their role in shaping identity, independence, and health.

  “I’ll Find My Place. It’s Going to Take Some Time, Though”: Neighborhood Place Attachment in Emerging Adulthood · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Place Attachment and Urban Studies

• Assessing the Measurement Properties of Neighborhood Scales: From Psychometrics to Ecometrics · American Journal of Epidemiology · 2007 · 668 citations
• A Place to Call Home: Identification With Dwelling, Community, and Region · Sociological Quarterly · 1993 · 467 citations
• ‘Dig In’ to Social Capital: Community Gardens as Mechanisms for Growing Urban Social Connectedness · Urban Policy and Research · 2006 · 285 citations
• Is compact city livable? The impact of compact versus sprawled neighbourhoods on neighbourhood satisfaction · Urban Studies · 2017 · 234 citations
• Local place identity: A comparison between residents of rural and urban communities · Journal of Rural Studies · 2021 · 156 citations
• Urban happiness: context-sensitive study of the social sustainability of urban settings · Environment and Planning B Planning and Design · 2015 · 155 citations
• Building safer public spaces: Exploring gender difference in the perception of safety in public space through urban design interventions · Landscape and Urban Planning · 2021 · 147 citations
• Objective and perceived built environment, sense of community, and mental wellbeing in older adults in Hong Kong: A multilevel structural equation study · Landscape and Urban Planning · 2021 · 147 citations
• Dimensions of Conservation · Environment and Behavior · 2012 · 139 citations
• Third Places and the Social Life of Streets · Environment and Behavior · 2009 · 138 citations

Most recent work

• Research Methodologies in Brownfield Redevelopment Studies: A Meta-Methodology Systematic Review · Land · 2026
• Studying Utility of Public Open Spaces: A Synthesis of Variables Influencing Public Open Spaces Usage Through Systematic Literature Review · Journal of Planning Literature · 2026
• Older Adults’ Social Lives in In-Between Space in High-Rise, High-Density Housing Estates: An Epistemic Network Analysis · Housing Theory and Society · 2026
• Interior Design Features and Emotional Experiences of Older Adults in Community Day Care Centers: A Qualitative Study in China · Journal of Aging and Environment · 2026
• Demand-Oriented Renovation Strategies for Public Spaces in University Dormitory Squares: A Case Study of the LZH Campus at North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power · Exploring Science Academic Conference Series · 2026
• Developing an integrated framework for post-occupancy housing quality evaluation in mass housing: a user-centered IPA–gap–Kano approach · Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management · 2026
• Spatial Perception of Urban Island under the Influence of Gentrification: A Case Study of Jiangxinzhou, Nanjing · International Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies · 2026
• Exploring Residential Façade Preferences under the Taif Architecture Design Framework within Saudi Architecture through the Lens of the King Salman Urban Charter · International Design Journal · 2026
• The Reshaping of the Boundaries of “Home”: A Study on Stakeholders’ Perceptions of the Impacts of Community Homestays · Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism · 2026
• Demographic influences on the acceptance of shipping container shopping malls in Lagos, Nigeria · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · 2026

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