Investigating the Attachment in Urban Residential Environments (Case Study: Tehran Navvab District)

Abstract

The attachment to a place can be described as a meaningful relationship between person and place, an emotional bond that people consider to be worthwhile as a setting to return. Attachment to a place is an indicator by which one can measure the degree of distinction of that place among people compared to other places. these distinctions are the result of a variety of material and spiritual factors, including the environment, physical and architectural environment, the social environment and types of activities, the level of culture and history, personal and psychological dimensions (perception, cognition, and feeling). Attention to the identity of places that play an essential role in the socio-humanitarian and urban structure is essential in today's society. Social events in residential districts of cities play a vital role in the vivacity of their inhabitants. The present study explores the attachment to the neighborhood among the inhabitants of the Navvab residential district between Komeyl Street and Mortazavi Street. The present study was a survey method in which data was collected using questionnaires and interviews.  The main questions of the present research are, how is the status of neighborhood attachment among residents in the Navvab district? What is the effect of this phenomenon? How can the attachment in people be enhanced by designing the environment? What are the potential capabilities of the environment, and what is the impact of planning on improving the neighborhood? Findings indicate that the variables of local social ties, access to facilities and educations, the sense of security and social order, age of people have a high impact on the attachment to the residential district. Also, people who are more satisfied with their neighborhood are likely to have more attachment to their neighborhood identity. Indigenous people living in the neighborhood (the effect of the length of stay) have more attachment to their neighborhood than non-indigenous people. The more the security of inhabitant of the neighborhood, the more the attachment of the inhabitants becomes.