مسکن و محیط روستا (Jun 2023)
Exploring the Role of Place Attachment in Increasing Residents\' Satisfaction for Enhancing the Rural Landscape; Case Study: Masuleh
Abstract
The continuous development of industries and urbanization has led to the migration of rural residents to cities, resulting in the loss of their satisfaction and attachment to villages and their habitats. Consequently, the gradual disappearance of identity values and the authenticity of Iranian rural environments has occurred. Understanding the nature and landscape of these environments, their structures, and how other factors influence the preservation of rural landscapes are important goals of urban planning and environmental design. Therefore, the aim of this research is to examine the role of place attachment in enhancing the satisfaction of residents for the promotion of rural landscapes. The research method employed in this study is quantitative-survey, and the statistical population consists of 203 residents of Masuleh city, who were selected through convenience sampling. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive and inferential statistics. To evaluate the relationships between the variables of place attachment (physical, social, individual, and spatial), satisfaction (social, functional, and contextual), and rural landscape (morphology, climatic elements, and human factors), structural equation modeling with partial least squares approach was used with the assistance of Smart PLS software. The results of data analysis have shown that, from the perspective of residents, attachment to place leads to increased satisfaction and, consequently, the enhancement of rural landscape in Masuleh. In this regard, the greatest impact of attachment on resident satisfaction is attributed to the spatial dimension of attachment (β=0.799), while the least impact is attributed to the physical dimension of attachment (β=0.269). Regarding attachment to rural landscape, the highest impact is attributed to the spatial dimension of attachment (β=0.751), while the lowest impact is attributed to the social dimension of attachment (β=0.280). Furthermore, the greatest impact of satisfaction on rural landscape is attributed to the functional dimension of satisfaction (β=0.430), while the least impact is attributed to the social dimension of satisfaction (β=0.206). The findings of this research can provide a solution for enhancing the value of rural landscapes by examining the psychological needs of residents.
