Evaluating the Model of Causal Relations Between Sense of Place and Residential Satisfaction in Iranian Public Housing (The Case of Mehr Housing in Pardis, Tehran)

Abstract

In recent years, Mehr public housing project has been operating in different Iranian cities, aiming at providing shelter for low-income households. However, no serious sustained study has focused on the link between sense of place (SOP) and residential satisfaction (RS) which could be the key to fulfill social objectives of the project. Therefor, the present study is an attempt to investigate the relationship between SOP and RS in social housing projects via the framework of a causal model. The survey was conducted on 330 respondents selected from residents in Mehr housing located in Pardis, Tehran. Data analysis results revealed that the model fit in this study is appropriate enough and place identity (PI), place dependence (PD) and place attachment (PA) predict RS directly. Moreover, the model confirmed indirect effects of the three components of SOP on RS, while considering SOP and other variables as mediating factors. The results indicate that not only PI, PD and PA in isolation are predictive factors for RS, but also they can strongly count for enhancing RS while these elements are considered as a unified whole.