Spatial, Behavioral, and Experiential Associations with Place Attachment Among Engaged Area Users: A Cross-Sectional Study in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo

Abstract

Place attachment is important in urban planning and environmental psychology, yet the relationships among spatial, behavioral, and experiential factors and place attachment remain insufficiently understood. This cross-sectional study examined these associations among users engaged with Shimokitazawa, Tokyo. A purposive sample of 127 participants evaluated three spatial areas each, yielding 381 evaluations nested within respondents. Structural equation modeling (SEM) using maximum likelihood estimation with robust standard errors (MLR) and respondent-level clustering was complemented by exploratory group comparison and qualitative text analysis. The results distinguished Physical Environment from Natural Sensory Environment. Natural Sensory Environment was positively associated with Place Attachment (β = 0.452), whereas Physical Environment showed positive associations with Behavioral (β = 0.269) and Experiential Factors (β = 0.530), as well as a positive total indirect association with Place Attachment (β = 0.472). Exploratory analyses identified four descriptive orientations—identity-, everyday-life-, repeated-experience-, and perception-oriented—but provided no statistically robust evidence of between-group differences in structural associations. The findings provide preliminary support for a conceptual framework linking spatial, behavioral, and experiential factors with place attachment and highlight the potential importance of environmental quality and opportunities for repeated engagement. Given the cross-sectional, non-probability sample and single-case context, causal, developmental, and broader population-level generalizations require further investigation.