Reflections on “place attachment”: perceptions of urban redevelopment in an informal neighborhood in Istanbul

İnal-Çekiç T., KOZAMAN AYGÜN S., Bilen Ö.

Journal of Housing and the Built Environment, cilt.39, sa.1, ss.1-20, 2024 (SSCI) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 39 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s10901-023-10037-x
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Housing and the Built Environment
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, ABI/INFORM, Environment Index, Geobase, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-20
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Decision tree analysis, Informal settlement, Istanbul, Path analysis, Place attachment, Place identity
  • Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

In the last two decades, urban redevelopment practices in informal settlements in Turkey often neglected inhabitants' spatial practices. The contradictions between conceived and lived space constitutes reactions to these spatial interventions. Against this background, this paper examines the association between place attachment and residents' attitudes toward the redevelopment project in an informally developed neighborhood. Using path and decision tree analysis of survey data, the paper explores the relationship between their attitudes towards and their attachment to the neighborhood. Our findings reveal that individuals' social and physical bonds with their neighborhood shape their attitude toward urban redevelopment. As such, this study confirms the idea that daily interactions between residents reinforce their place attachment in informal settlements where place identity compensates for the (low) quality of life. Still, our findings also demonstrate that residents' identification with the place is a more influential factor, compared to the risk of leaving the neighborhood, on the level of concern against spatial interventions.