Exploring image and atmosphere in built environments: focus on mediating effect models of adjective indicators in the sense of place

Abstract

In contrast to image, which has been discussed from various perspectives, atmosphere has not received much attention because of the ambiguity of terminology, complexity of triggering factors, and difficulty of measurement. Consequently, many studies have focused on phenomenological discussions of atmosphere and have been limited in their ability to provide objective data for scientific verification. This study overcomes these limitations by selecting adjectives proposed by a panel of experts to accurately capture a place’s atmosphere or image, and surveying 116 Seoul citizens’ feelings on a place frequently visited for leisure. This study found that atmosphere and image were significantly different, as were the adjectives that influenced them. Additionally, the mediation analysis confirmed that the mediating effect of atmosphere on image was more significant. The results of this study suggest that a change in the atmosphere can also change the image of a place. Therefore, this study suggests a direction for the atmosphere that should be created to enhance the positive image of a place.

Keywords

• image
• atmosphere
• built environment
• sense of place
• mediating analysis