The ontology of sense of place and its constituent components

Document Type : Original Article

Author

• AHMAD Danaeinia

Member of Scientific Board, Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/cauds.2025.95185.1025

Abstract

Place is interpreted as a meaningful space and has different scales. Belonging to place, in addition to individual and social identity characteristics, is a factor in creating or strengthening attachment to a place, and it is an issue that has been considered in the design structure of physical or urban spaces. This research, with the aim of improving the status of place in architectural or urban space, seeks to answer the question: What factors are effective in creating a sense of belonging to a place and improving the quality of the environment? The research method is qualitative, and in the field of methodology, it's based on a qualitative-interpretive model with a content analysis and interpretation-oriented approach. The sense of belonging to place is an integrated approach, and many qualitative elements and components are effective in shaping and directing it. The satisfaction of an individual's needs is the result of the fulfillment of needs by the environment. In this way, his relationship with the environment becomes more effective and carries a positive inferential meaning. The sense of belonging encompasses two dimensions: physical and social, and emphasizes the superiority of social belonging over physical belonging. Accordingly, by creating a context through architectural space, such as separating private and public elements, stimuli such as form, shape, and geometry, spatial scale, and appropriate division of spaces, the duration of a person's presence, which is the magical essence of creating a place and increases the depth of belonging in the audience, can be enhanced.

Keywords

• Place
• Sense of Connectedness
• Quality of Environment
• Built Environment
• Social Context

The author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

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