Place Satisfaction Research Articles

Community stewardship to protect coastal and freshwater ecosystems–pathways between recreation and stewardship intentions

Abstract Strengthening community engagement in stewardship can help to improve management of coastal and freshwater environments (blue spaces). Research suggests that recreational users of natural areas may be more willing to engage in stewardship. However, little research at a population scale has examine how recreation experiences shape psychological ingredients for stewardship. We surveyed 3271 residents of South East Queensland, Australia and quantified willingness to engage in blue space stewardship. We then quantified frequency of different types of blue space recreation, perceptions about threats to blue spaces (threat appraisal) and protective actions (coping appraisal), and satisfaction with blue spaces. We then examined pathways from recreation to stewardship intentions using mediation analysis. Results show that many types of recreation were associated with stewardship intentions. Specifically, higher frequency of social activities and nature‐appreciation activities were associated with greater intentions for individual stewardship (e.g. picking up litter, reducing use of household chemicals). Higher frequency of social activities, nature appreciation, exercise and fishing/boating was associated with stronger intentions for collective stewardship (e.g. attending a public meeting or riparian management event) Mediation analysis showed that most forms of recreation did not influence perceptions about severity of threats to blue spaces. Rather, the relationships between recreation and stewardship were mediated by greater place satisfaction, perceived vulnerability to blue space degradation, and feeling more able to contribute to waterway protection (efficacy). These findings indicate that many types of recreation (not just nature appreciation activities) can be a foundation for engaging in nature stewardship, and reinforce the importance of building efficacy when promoting stewardship. The finding that both place satisfaction and perceived vulnerability to environmental degradation suggests that there may be an optimal motivational window for stewardship: people need to connect a place with positive experiences, and have some recognition of a potential threat, but where the potential threat has not yet eroded the natural values of a place. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Exploring the Impact of Accessibility on Place Attachment in Urban Public Open Spaces: A Case Study of Jiamusi City, China

Urban public open spaces are crucial for residents’ well-being, yet accessibility issues persist, affecting activities and social interactions. To this end, we take the main urban area of Jiamusi City, the most northeastern city in China, as an example. We start by examining both spatial and perceptual dimensions, using the Gaussian two-step moving search method to measure spatial accessibility, combining online data with multi-source data from questionnaires. Furthermore, we utilize structural equation modeling to explore the impact of accessibility on place attachment within urban public open spaces. The results show that (1) accessibility has a positive effect on place attachment, while place satisfaction plays a mediating role. (2) There were significant differences in spatial accessibility across modes of travel. Car travel had the best spatial accessibility, followed by bicycle, and walking had the lowest spatial accessibility. (3) Perceived accessibility and spatial accessibility differ, but perceived accessibility it is more persuasive in explaining and illustrating place attachment. Reducing travel costs and meeting the user needs will effectively increase place attachment and place identity. (4) Social factors such as age, education, and residency length also affect accessibility, satisfaction, and attachment. By understanding the impact of accessibility on place attachment, this study helps urban planners to better design urban spatial layout and transportation networks. It enhances people’s attachment to specific places by improving the convenience of traveling, promotes sustainable urban development, and enriches the discourse on the enhancement of psychological motivation in urban public open spaces.

How to Capture Place Identity Contents? A Tool for Planning Interventions

Research into place identity has mainly focused on its intensity rather than its contents. Place identity measurement is relatively mature, and the scales have been used in many literatures. However, the contents of place identity are rarely addressed, and if so, only in qualitative studies, constraining comparative studies. Thus, the purpose of the current paper was to develop a measure of place identity contents that elucidates the dimensions that contribute most to place identity in different urban contexts. The three studies described here developed and implemented a place identity contents scale. The scale was designed and validated amongst a sample of 422 residents in Study 1, with the identification of an eight-factor structure consistent with the literature review. Study 2 replicated the factor structure and confirmed correlations with place identity, place satisfaction and quality of life in the place. Study 3 explored the applicability of the PIC scale in a field study investigating three parishes that differed significantly in their physical and social features. Overall, the results suggest that place identity is a flexible and dynamic process and that, in order to form a bond with a place, people make use of those available features (both physical and social) that better contribute to a positive place identity. The results also suggest which place identity contents better favor identification and may, therefore, contribute to improving the quality of places and human well-being.

Investigating the measurement properties of livability: a scoping review

ABSTRACT Connecting evidence-based public health recommendations to livability, a popular and relatable construct, can increase the policy relevance of research to improve community design. However, there are many different definitions and conceptualizations of livability and little consensus about its measurement. Improved measurement, including standardization, is needed to increase understanding of livability’s influence on health and to facilitate comparisons across contexts. This study sought to review existing livability measures, how they were created, and evidence regarding their reliability and validity. A scoping review of three databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science) identified 744 eligible studies. After screening, 24 studies, 15 from the original search and 9 through backward citation searches, were included in the review. Most studies were carried out in an urban context. There was minimal consensus across studies on the conceptualization of livability. However, measure domains and indicators overlapped significantly. While the process used to validate the measures varied, most studies reported high levels of reliability and found that livability was correlated with similar measures (e.g. place satisfaction, neighborhood safety, and sense of place) and self-reported health and wellbeing. Further research is needed to develop parsimonious, standardized measures of livability in order to create and sustain livable communities worldwide.

Exploring the effects of place attachment and positive emotions on place satisfaction and intentional behaviour in Iranian ski resort: a perspective from S-O-R model

ABSTRACT This study developed conceptual framework based on the SOR model consisting place attachment, positive emotion and place satisfaction to investigate the behavioural intentions of visitors in an Iranian ski resort. A total of 290 respondents participated in the study, who were ski resort tourists in Pooladkaf, a relatively new and upcoming ski resort in Iran. The data was analysed via Partial Least Squared structural equation modelling. Findings highlighted the importance of place attachment and positive emotions as predictors of place satisfaction and intention behaviour. Place satisfaction was also found to have a full mediating effect on the relationships between place attachment, positive emotions and behavioural intention. The study contributes to the literature by elucidating the mediating effects of satisfaction within the ski resort context, which has not been examined to a great extent in the current literature. Our study also highlighted the crucial role played by positive emotions in enhancing tourists’ sense of satisfaction which consequently influences future behaviours. Destination marketers and operators of ski resorts ought to focus on improving service quality, infrastructure and marketing communications strategies in order to engender a greater sense of satisfaction, attachment and positive emotions, which have been shown to have a strong bearing on tourist behaviour intentions and thus, lead to revisit behaviours and the spread of positive word-of-mouth.

Effect of Soundscape on Place Attachment for Historical Blocks: A Case Study of Harbin, China

Sound is a memory carrier in places with rich history and culture, which can invoke place memories and images. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of soundscape on place attachment in different types of historical blocks. Six historical blocks in Harbin, China, were selected, and a questionnaire survey was conducted to evaluate place attachment and soundscape. The soundscape evaluations of harmony, quietness and nature were significantly higher in residential historical blocks than in tourism historical blocks. The mechanical sound source preference of residential historical blocks was lower than that of tourism historical blocks. The main components of place attachment were place bonding and identity, and place dependence, but in different orders in different types of historical blocks. In tourism historical blocks, the preference of sound source helps to enhance place attachment, especially the sounds of activities and equipment related to the history and culture of the blocks. Soundscapes promote place attachment in tourism historical blocks and are positively correlated with place satisfaction. There was no significant correlation between soundscape and place attachment in the residential historical blocks surveyed.

The effect of immersive experience, user engagement and perceived authenticity on place satisfaction in the context of augmented reality

PurposeThis study aims to measure the effect of augmented reality (AR) on immersive experiences, place satisfaction, user engagement and perceived authenticity.Design/methodology/approachThe population of the research consists of museum visitors visiting the Sakip Sabanci Museum in Turkey, which provides an interactive experience to the audience using AR technology via iPads. The data were collected both online and offline. The research was carried out with 397 questionnaire forms. The hypotheses were tested through smart partial least squares (PLS) 3.FindingsImmersive experience positively affects place satisfaction, user engagement and perceived authenticity. It was also concluded that user engagement and perceived authenticity mediated the relationship between immersive experience and place satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsThe entire universe could not be reached, as the study had limitations in terms of time, cost, accessibility and control difficulties. Therefore, the study was carried out with 397 visitors who visited the Sakip Sabanci Museum (SSM) in Turkey and used AR technology.Practical implicationsThe study emphasized the importance of AR in cultural tourism. The interactions of museum visitors with AR can be greatly enhanced by immersive experiences. Expanding AR to provide different experiences can increase the number of visitors.Originality/valueAlthough there are recent studies on AR, it seems insufficient to investigate and empirically examine this subject in the context of museums. No studies conducted in Turkey have investigated the current topic of this study. Conducting this research in Turkey with the proposed research model will make the topic easier to understand, proving the study's originality.

Land tenure security, place satisfaction and loyalty in the peri-urban area of Ibadan City, Nigeria

Land tenure security is pertinent to achieving the sustainable development agenda in cities where land is needed and useful for development purposes. Sufficient empirical research has been done to prove the importance of tenure security for investment, resilience, conservation, food security, as well as health and well-being, but it has not been clarified if and how land tenure security could adequately influence place loyalty and satisfaction with the residential environment, as it is clear that place loyalty and satisfaction are pertinent to inclusive development. Using the case of Ibadan City, the study examined how different dimensions of tenure security could determine residents’ place loyalty and satisfaction. The study employed a survey cross-sectional research design to distribute 514 structured questionnaires to household heads across 4 sampled peri-urban local government areas while 452 were retrieved for analysis. Hierarchical regression analysis model was employed to understand the association between tenure security dimensions and satisfaction (as model I) and loyalty (as model II). For the model I, F ​= ​8.640, P ​= ​0.000, R ​= ​0.555 and R2 ​= ​0.308 while for model II F ​= ​9.157, P ​= ​0.001, R ​= ​0.415, and R2 ​= ​0.173. This thus means that residents’ place loyalty and satisfaction can partly be explained by tenure security. In particular, respondents with no eviction experience, recognized property rights, and invulnerable to eviction have higher odds of being satisfied and loyal. Therefore, the study recommends protection, improvement and upgrading of land tenure security as one of the means to promote place loyalty and satisfaction which is essential to achieving inclusive and sustainable developments.

How much similarity is good? The effect of similarity and crowding on place satisfaction

ABSTRACT The relationship between perceived similarity, crowdedness and tourists’ evaluations of their experience has been largely neglected by research into the destination social servicescape. This study therefore examines this relationship to fill the gap in the literature. Data were collected from 282 tourists in Pamukkale, Turkey. PLS-SEM and fsQCA were combined to identify the symmetric and asymmetric effects of the destination social servicescape. The PLS-SEM results showed that demographic similarity significantly increased place satisfaction, whereas psychographic similarity and perceived crowdedness had no effect. The study also used fsQCA to investigate how crowdedness and similarity predict place satisfaction in combination with income, age, education, and gender. The analysis identified five different models of place satisfaction by combining different demographic factors.

How does place attachment affect word-of-mouth?: Evidence from a street with emerging cafes

This study aims to reveal the relationship between place attachment, place satisfaction and word-of-mouth communication. The context of the study is a street with emerging cafes in a small city that serves as the most important alternative for locals and visitors to spend their leisure. The data obtained from 443 individuals who participated in the survey were tested through PLS-SEM. The findings indicate that place dependence, place affect, and place social bonding directly influence place satisfaction, which is an important antecedent of word-of-mouth communication. These dimensions of place attachment indirectly affect the word-of-mouth communications of individuals, whereas place identity does not have a direct or indirect effect. Within this context, indirect-only mediation and complementary mediation roles of place satisfaction were discovered. These findings are discussed within the context of the study, and both theoretical and practical contributions are introduced.

As California burns: the psychology of wildfire- and wildfire smoke-related migration intentions.

Climate change impacts and rapid development in the wildland-urban interface are increasing population exposure and vulnerability to the harmful effects of wildfire and wildfire smoke. The direct and indirect effects of these hazards may impact future mobility decisions among populations at risk. To better understand how perceptions and personal experience inform wildfire- and smoke-associated migration intentions, we surveyed a representative sample of 1108 California residents following the 2020 wildfire season. We assessed the associations between threat appraisal, coping appraisal, personal experience, migration intentions, the impact of wildfire and smoke on migration intentions and place satisfaction, and the potential likelihood of future migration. Results indicate that roughly a third of our sample intended to move in the next 5 years, nearly a quarter of whom reported that wildfire and smoke impacted their migration decision at least a moderate amount. Prior negative outcomes (e.g., evacuating, losing property) were associated with intentions to migrate. Perceived susceptibility and prior negative outcomes were associated with a greater impact of wildfire and smoke on migration intentions. For those intending to remain in place, prior negative outcomes were associated with a greater impact of wildfire and smoke on place satisfaction, which was in turn associated with a greater reported likelihood of future migration. Our findings suggest that perceptions of and experiences with wildfire and smoke may impact individual mobility decisions. These insights may be leveraged to inform risk communications and outreach campaigns to encourage wildfire and smoke risk mitigation behaviors and to improve climate migration modeling.

Residential and workplace neighborhood environments and life satisfaction: Exploring chain-mediation effects of activity and place satisfaction

Enhancing people's life satisfaction is the ultimate goal of efforts to build happy cities. Urban planners thus aim to optimize the environment to improve life satisfaction. We use structural equation models to explore the relationship of life satisfaction with perceived environmental elements in residential and workplace neighborhoods mediated by domain satisfaction based on a sample comprising 1058 respondents in Shanghai in 2018. The results suggest that the residential environment contributes more to life satisfaction than the workplace environment does. In residential neighborhoods, perceived environmental quality and social capital are important to life satisfaction, while in workplace neighborhoods, perceived accessibility is the most critical element, followed by perceived environmental quality. Moreover, perceived environmental elements can influence life satisfaction by affecting commute satisfaction and residential neighborhood satisfaction and/or workplace neighborhood satisfaction. These findings suggest that optimizing the environment in both residential and workplace neighborhoods helps improve people's satisfaction with specific domains and overall life.

Residents’ Motivation and Place Meanings in a Hallmark Event: How to Develop a Sustainable Event in the Hosting Destination

The main challenge for sustainable events is to attract residents to participate and to continue participating. Motivation can be used to explain a place and the intention to revisit a place. The main purpose of this study was to explore residents’ place meanings at Peony Culture Festival Luoyang China (PCFLC) and the impact of residents’ motivation on place meaning and place satisfaction with respect to PCFLC. A sequential mixed-methods approach was adopted. In-depth interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data. The thematic analysis yielded four themes of residents’ place meanings in PCFLC. Structural equation modeling via the bootstrap approach was used to examine the role of residents’ motivation in place making in PCLFC. The results indicated that residents’ place meanings in PCFLC consisted of self-identification, self-development, economic dependence, and leisure, which enriched the types of place meanings. In addition, place meaning had a mediating role in the relationship between autonomous motivation and place satisfaction and a masking role in the relationship between controlled motivation and place satisfaction from the perspective of the self-determination theory. The paper provides a theoretical perspective to explain the effects of motivation on place making and puts forward a practical proposal for the products and marketing of events.

Unlocking the dichotomy of place identity/place image and its impact on place satisfaction for ecotourism destinations

ABSTRACT Ecotourism's destination management has been focused on the place identity built by public authorities and centered on place promotion, marketing, and branding without a match between place identity and place image perceived by the place visitors and tourists and impact on their place satisfaction. This study uses the Melgaço council in the Portuguese Peneda-Gerês National Park to measure these relationships. We used two questionnaires for tourist operators and City Hall and external stakeholders (tourists and visitors). Results show that it is possible to measure place identity and place image with the same adapted items. Place quality and place branding have a positive impact on place satisfaction. Still, the effect of place promotion and marketing is negative, revealing that the gap between place identity and place image is negatively associated with perceived place satisfaction, moderated by psychological attraction, travelling experience, and visiting experience. There are presented several practical and theoretical implications.

The Effects of Tourism on Local Community Quality of Life and Living Place Satisfaction: A Case of TRNC

Nowadays, living place satisfaction and quality of life play an increasingly important role and more studies are being conducted on these topics. This conceptual paper explores and discusses the concepts and dimensions of sustainable tourism, satisfaction and quality of life. The aim of the study is to determine the extent of tourism development among local community by determining local community's attitudes toward tourism, taking into account tourism development in destination areas. In this research, the questionnaire technique, which belongs to the quantitative research methods was preferred as an instrument for data collection. The data were collected from the local population in the Kyrenia region of Northern Cyprus. Based on the results obtained from 259 participants of the survey conducted with the participation of the local community living in Kyrenia, one of the most important tourist destinations in Northern Cyprus, the results were tabulated and interpreted in terms of the demographic information of the participants and then on the axis of the research scales the influence of the local community on tourism, the quality of life and the living place satisfaction.

PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH WORKPLACE SATISFACTION IN MEDICAL COLLEGE TEACHERS

The impact workplace wellbeing has on mental health is being increasingly recognized. A medical teacher spends at least a third of their life and half of their waking hours at work hence it is important to recognize their satisfaction at work, and to identify factors which help them to be happy. The study was done with the aim to investigate the correlation between psychiatric illness and work place satisfaction. Medical teachers with an experience of more than 6 months in the teaching were included, and were administered workplace wellbeing questionnaire and DASS 21scale. The analysis showed significant association with respect to depression, anxiety and stress in relation with work environment and work load. It was concluded that the severity of depression, anxiety and stress was significantly associated with burden of teaching and was also affected by the work environment.

Measuring place satisfaction by university campus open space attributes

Measuring place satisfaction by university campus open space attributes

Effects of Perceptions of Climate Change and Flood Risk on Coping Behavior: A Case Study of Taipei, Taiwan

Globalization and population growth have put great pressure on the environment over the last few decades, and climate change has increased associated negative effects. Researchers examine the interactions between human and the environment. Among them, the relationship between place attachment and pro-environmental behavior has attracted particular research attention. However, few studies have addressed the relationships among flood risk perceptions, place attachment, and climate change coping behavior in a densely populated urban area. This study examines the effects of perceptions of climate change and flood risk on coping behavioral intention, and determines whether place attachment plays a mediating or moderating role therein in Taipei, the flood-prone capital city of Taiwan. A total of 1208 questionnaires were collected. An analysis of the mediation effects based on a three-level regression model (Phase I) suggested that place attachment is not a mediator. Adjustment of the model and analysis of moderation effects using structural equation modeling (Phase II) suggested no moderation effect. In Phase III, the mediation effect was reexamined, with the replacement of dependent variables (adaptation/mitigation) with high-effort/low-effort coping behaviors, and one dimension of place attachment was replaced with four dimensions thereof (place dependence and place identity, place satisfaction, place affect, place social bonding). The results thus obtained reveal that the paths of place satisfaction exhibit significant mediating effects between attitudes and high-effort coping behavior. Some paths exhibit significant mediating effects between perceptions and low-effort coping behavior through place satisfaction. Another four paths exhibit partial significant mediating effects through place dependence and place identity and place social bonding. These results suggest that affective attachment of people to local places results in a behavioral tendency to protect or improve those places. The main contribution of this study is its support of meta-analyses of the effects of each dimension of place attachment to provide a better understanding of the effects of place attachment on flood risk perception and coping behavior.

Role of place satisfaction and residents’ ambassadorship behaviours (RAB) on place attachment to city and neighbourhood

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how place satisfaction (SAT) and residents’ ambassadorship behaviour (RAB) are related to residents’ place attachment (PAtt). In addition, this relationship is examined at the city and the neighbourhood levels.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on a questionnaire survey of 1,160 residents from Khulna city in Bangladesh. This research model is tested using structural equation modelling.FindingsThe findings support the four-dimensional (place dependence, place social bonding, place identity and place affect) second-order construct of PAtt. It also highlights that RAB mediates the relationship between residents’ SAT and PAtt at the city and neighbourhood levels.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research can investigate how RAB changes over time. In addition, the research model can be tested in multi-city and multi-country contexts.Practical implicationsThe results from this study emphasise the need for urban planners to satisfactorily meet the needs of the residents to engender positive word-of-mouth, which can lead to greater PAtt.Originality/valueThis study contributes by improving the understanding of the way PAtt is influenced by SAT and RAB. Furthermore, it shows that this influence varies across city and neighbourhood levels.

Here I belong!: Understanding immigrant descendants’ place attachment and its impact on their community citizenship behaviors in China

Within the extensive literature, satisfaction and attachment, as separate yet related concepts, have been widely proved to affect citizenship behaviors at the community levels. However, little research has distinguished their different roles in predicting various types of community citizenship behaviors. This article clarifies the differential impact of place satisfaction and place attachment on a series of community citizenship behaviors, providing empirical evidence from a quantitative survey study. A sample of six immigrant descendant communities in Zhejiang, China, was included for partial least square-based structural equation modeling testing. The results suggest that: (1) compared with place satisfaction, place attachment is a more potent driver of community citizenship behaviors. Place attachment strongly predicts residents' courtesy, altruism, and social virtue behaviors, while place satisfaction only predicts residents’ courtesy behavior. (2) Place attachment plays an important mediating role between place satisfaction and community citizenship behaviors. The implication of the study for community researchers and managers are further discussed.