ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN ON PERCEPTION OF SAFETY, PLACE ATTACHMENT AND PLACE SATISFACTION

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the effects of landscape design on place attachment by considering the mediating roles of place satisfaction and perception of safety. The data were collected from 283 residents in Penang, Malaysia. By confirming the reliability and validity of the scales using composite reliability and confirmatory factor analysis, the results of structural equation modelling indicated that place satisfaction and perception of safety affect place attachment positively and significantly. In addition, landscape design affects the perception of safety, place satisfaction and place attachment positively and significantly. The results also indicated that perception of safety and place satisfaction mediated the relationship between landscape design and place attachment. This finding implies that landscape design contributes to an increased perception of safety and place satisfaction and consequently improved place attachment amongst residents. Therefore, this study suggests that designers and those involved in designing urban neighborhoods need to pay more attention to the design aspects of the built environment because it plays a significant role in the sense of attachment of individuals living in that area.