نوع مقاله : مقاله مروری
نویسندگان
1 دانشکده شهرسازی، پردیس هنرهای زیبا ، دانشگاه تهران، تهران
2 استاد شهرسازی - پردیس هنرهای زیبا، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران.
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Introduction: Empowerment and place attachment are two foundational concepts in local development, each significantly shaping social, cultural, and spatial outcomes. Empowerment involves strengthening the capacity of individuals and communities to participate meaningfully in decision-making, exercise agency, and manage local resources—thus promoting social equity and self-governance. Place attachment, by contrast, reflects emotional, cognitive, and behavioral bonds between people and place, encompassing dimensions of belonging, identity, and responsibility toward one’s environment. When these two processes interact, they form a mutually reinforcing cycle: empowered individuals tend to develop stronger affective ties to their locality, while a deep sense of place motivates civic engagement and participatory action. Despite the conceptual proximity of empowerment and place attachment, most studies have explored them in isolation. As a result, there remains a significant gap in understanding how enhanced agency, shared power, and participatory governance translate into stronger emotional and symbolic ties to place—and vice versa. This systematic review addresses that gap by examining how these concepts intersect and how their integration contributes to more sustainable, inclusive, and community-driven development practices.
Methodology: Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature search was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science (October 3, 2024), targeting peer-reviewed English-language sources using keywords such as “place identity,” “civic engagement,” “capacity-building,” and “social empowerment.” The search yielded 986 items; after rigorous screening via the Rayyan platform, 46 studies were selected for in-depth review. To synthesize qualitative data, the study employed meta-synthesis based on Sandelowski and Barroso’s seven-step approach. MAXQDA software supported multi-phase thematic coding, resulting in 282 conceptual codes across psychological, social, political, legal, and environmental dimensions. These were clustered to reveal broader themes linking empowerment and place attachment within the context of community-based initiatives. The selection process is illustrated the figure below, clearly showing how articles were filtered from identification to inclusion.
Results: The integration of cognitive, functional, and governance dimensions reveals a reciprocal relationship between empowerment and place attachment. Cognitively, individuals with higher psychological empowerment-marked by self-awareness, perceived control, and competence-exhibit stronger emotional and participatory commitment to their communities. Functionally, engagement in communal activities fosters supportive social networks, reinforcing belonging. Governance-wise, inclusive institutions that promote power-sharing, transparency, and capacity-building enhance long-term place attachment. Overall, 21 critical factors were identified, including active participation, shared decision-making, legal protections, grassroots economic support, and skills-based education. These elements collectively demonstrate how empowerment strengthens place attachment and vice versa.
Discussion: This study positions empowerment and place attachment not as parallel tracks but as converging, co-dependent phenomena vital to inclusive urban planning. It emphasizes the importance of tailoring strategies to specific psychological, social, and governance contexts. For practitioners and policymakers, this means designing multi-layered interventions that respect local identities while building institutional mechanisms for long-term participation.
The findings also reveal that place attachment can act not just as an outcome of development but as a catalyst for sustained engagement. As such, urban planning must move beyond transactional participation toward models that empower communities through identity formation, collective memory, and shared agency.
Conclusion: This study advances the discourse on local development by offering a systematic framework linking empowerment and place attachment across cognitive, functional, and governance levels. It emphasizes equitable power distribution and institutional support as essential to fostering sustained community engagement and belonging. By positioning place attachment as both an outcome and a catalyst of participation, the review encourages more integrated development strategies that strengthen self-reliance, resource management, and the long-term success of community-based initiatives.
کلیدواژهها [English]
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