ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our living experiences in cities and neighbourhoods. It is urgently necessary to understand more about place attachment and human-environment interactions in urban communities. Master-Planned Estate (MPE) as a sustainable residential form, provides physical and social infrastructures to build a healthy community and sustainable environment. Place attachment is one essential factor of community sustainability. However, there is a significant research gap in exploring the relationship between neighbourhood built environment and place attachment in MPEs. This study investigates the associations between community parks and place attachment in MPEs in Sydney. Using the data collected via a resident survey in two MPEs in Sydney during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, we found that three factors of community park use are significantly and positively associated with place attachment: pedestrian accessibility to parks, pedestrian connectivity with surroundings and satisfaction with children's playground in parks. This study provides theoretical, empirical, and practical contributions to sustainable communities. It tests place attachment theory in the Australian MPE context. It provides first-hand empirical evidence to understand human-environment interactions in MPEs and adds evidence from the COVID-19 context to the literature. The findings provide practical implications for sustainable urban communities in Sydney or wider regions.
ABSTRACT
There have been growing concerns regarding increased social isolation in Australia, many of which are currently being exacerbated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Feelings of social isolation may increase the risk of mental issues in people. New Urbanism hypothesizes that neighborhood communal spaces can influence social interaction between residents and, in turn, can promote community sustainability. This study investigated the associations between community parks and social interactions in master-planned estates (MPEs) in Sydney, Australia. Data were obtained from a resident survey conducted in two MPEs in the inner west area of Sydney: Breakfast Point and Liberty Grove (n = 192). Hierarchical multiple regression (HMR) models were used to analyze the relationship between community park use and social interaction. This study found that the factors 'frequency of community park use', 'rest spaces satisfaction', and 'pedestrian connectivity with surroundings' are significantly and positively associated with social interaction between residents in the MPE context. The findings of this study highlight the importance of the community parks in creating social sustainability in MPEs, particularly in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.