Local place identity: A comparison between residents of rural and urban communities

Abstract

This study investigates the differences in place identity between residents of rural and urban communities. Differently from previous research comparing place identity between neighborhoods or countries, our study focuses on the local community type (urban or rural) as a key determinant of place identity. This fills a research gap in environmental social psychology, frequently ignoring the role of community type in shaping people's relationship with their local community. In particular, we analyze to what extent residents of rural communities present greater levels of cognitive, affective and evaluative place identity than their urban counterparts. Based on data from 1153 residents of Spanish rural and urban areas, results reveal that there is no difference between both environments in cognitive place identity. However, residents in rural communities show greater levels of affective and evaluative place identity than city dwellers. In addition, age moderates the influence of community type (urban vs. rural) on affective and evaluative dimensions of place identity. The discussion helps explain how place identity is developed differently in rural and urban locations. The study concludes that these differences are not caused by community size, but by community type and its personal relevance.