Analyzing the concept of place attachment in the context of spatial factors: Kuzguncuk, Istanbul

In contemporary globalised cities it has become increasingly important, for those of us who live in monotonous so-called cloned-environments, to find a sense of place we can identify with. When ties between inhabitants and places are disrupted, people are estranged from their neighbourhoods. As a result, not only people’s relations with places are harmed, but also their social relations are affected, leading to isolation, alienation and socio-economic disruption. The causes of these relations are analysed through the concept of place attachment. Since the 1970s, research on place attachment has grown considerably. These studies are mostly focused on sense awareness and affectiveness, with the physical attributes of places accorded lesser attention (Lewicka, 2011). In a similar vein Christopher Alexander (et al, 1977) has asserted that, when studying place attachment, influences associated with human feelings only comprise ten percent of total influences, while the rest derive from the physical characteristics of places. And yet these are the least examined objects of study. In this context, the aim of this paper is to examine more closely the spatial qualities of places in the formation of place attachment. For the study, a long-established neighbourhood of Istanbul, Kuzguncuk, has been chosen to analyse the works of Christopher Alexander, Kevin Lynch, Jane Jacobs and John Montgomery. As a result, a matrix showing the spatial/physical qualities which have allowed the inhabitants of Kuzguncuk to develop a stronger attachment to their neighbourhood will be presented.