Analysing the Relationship Between Space Quality and Place Attachment in Urban Coasts Using Structural Equation Modelling: The Antalya Konyaaltı Case

Abstract

The physical and social characteristics of urban design can influence the degree to which users develop attachment to a place. This study aims to identify spatial quality factors in urban coastal areas, analyse their effects on place attachment and provide a theoretical framework for the design of urban coastal spaces. Conducted in the Antalya-Konyaalt & imath; urban coastal area, the study identified quality factors through Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses, thereby developing a valid and reliable measurement tool. Place attachment levels were assessed based on the scale developed by Williams and Vaske (Williams, D. R., & Vaske, J. J. (2003). The measurement of place attachment: validity and generalizability of a psychometric approach. Forest Science, 49(6), 830-840. https://doi.org/10.1093/forestscience/49.6.830). Survey data were collected from coastal subareas that differ in design characteristics and analysed using ANOVA, regression analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings indicate that the factors alone are insufficient to explain place attachment; however, the structural model established through SEM reveals these relationships with strong model fit values. While all factors were found to have a positive effect in the regression analysis, SEM results showed that particularly green space quality, vibrancy, safety and ease of movement significantly influence place attachment. The observed negative relationship between green space quality and place attachment suggests that the physical qualities of these spaces alone are not sufficient to foster attachment, especially in the presence of deficiencies in accessibility, continuity and other spatial attributes. As a result, the combined use of different analytical techniques has provided an opportunity to evaluate the phenomenon of place attachment in coastal spaces in a more comprehensive and in-depth manner. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the relationship between coastal spatial quality factors and place attachment, offering a substantial basis for developing design strategies specific to urban coastal contexts.