What makes a place special? Understanding drivers and the nature of place attachment

Abstract

Place attachment is a key factor in understanding human-nature interactions; Research has shown that place attachment and its influence on environmental behaviour can be positive or negative based on local circumstances. With changing environments, as with climate change, a place-based understanding of place attachment is, therefore, critical to the success of local environmental efforts. Available quantitative and qualitative measures of place attachment can be difficult to translate to spatial planning. Map-based measures provide an operational bridge to spatial planning but cannot easily glean crucial local and personal contexts. This study combined participatory mapping with psychometric scales and interviews to explore place attachment along the East Coast of Tasmania. This integration of approaches provided critical context to findings that are necessary for successful place-based planning. Our results demonstrated that participants strongly identified with the region. Spatial data emphasised the importance of surrounding natural settings, especially protected areas and coastal landscapes, and the recreational, aesthetic, and biological values of these places, to their place attachment. Interviews suggested that interaction with these natural places is critical to participant's sense of self and well-being. Consequently, some individuals expressed dissatisfaction and sometimes opposition to management decisions that restricted their continued experience of natural places.