Place attachment, place identity and aesthetic appraisal of urban landscape

Abstract

As the aesthetic of the Polish cities became a topic of wider discussions, it is important to detect the potential role of human-place relations. Two studies (N = 185 & N = 196) were conducted to explore the relationship between place attachment, place identity and appraisal of urban landscape. Satisfaction with urban aesthetic was predicted by two dimensions of place attachment (place inherited and place discovered), local identity (on the trend level) and national-conservative identity. Place discovered and European identity were also predictors of visual pollution sensitivity. Place discovered is considered as more active type of attachment that permits both a positive bias concerning the aesthetics of one's city, and a stronger criticism of the elements that can potentially violate the place's landscape.