The mediating role of residential time perspective between regional decline and place attachment

Abstract

Regional population decline has become a major problem for many rural areas in developed countries. The threat of regional decline due to population shrinkage may have a disruptive effect on people's attachment to their place of residence. This study explored the role of time perspective (past, present, and future) in the residential context, termed residential time perspective, as a potential mediator of the relationship between regional decline and place attachment. A survey was conducted among residents (n = 1000) living in municipalities in Japan that exhibited various rates of estimated population decline. Participants living in rural areas with higher rates of population decline reported more negative time perspectives and less attachment to their places of residence compared with participants living in urban areas. Multiple mediation analyses confirmed the viability of residential time perspective as a mediator of the relationship between residents' perceptions of regional decline and place attachment. Rural residency with a threat of regional decline moderated the mediation effect at the individual level, with significant mediation occurring through the past dimension. We suggest that the concept of residential time perspective can improve our understanding of place attachment processes and merits consideration in the context of regional sustainability.