Defining Place Attachment in Asian Urban Places through Opportunities for Social Interactions

Norsidah Ujang

doi:10.21834/e-bpj.v1i1.191

Authors

Norsidah Ujang Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Design and Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v1i1.191

Keywords:

Place Attachment, Public Places, Social Needs, Social Interaction

Abstract

Despite the high intensity of urban dwellers and the growing needs for socialization outdoor, the opportunity for interaction is limited due to the lack of public open spaces. This paper discusses the use of public open spaces in a city of Kuala Lumpur and how it shapes users’ attachment. Field observations and face to face interviews were conducted to examine the opportunities for social activities and pattern of users’ engagement. The findings indicate the incapability of the places to provide multifunctional spaces for diverse interactions while the social attachment to the places is strongly defined by interaction with familiar people in place.

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