Dynamic place attachment in the context of displacement processes: The socio-ecological model

Abstract

We sought to create a comprehensive model to address the lack of a conceptual framework that captures the dynamic (re)production of place attachment in the context of change and time, and the partial neglect of the role of physical and social places. Our proposed model informed by critical literature review describes how residents, affected by urban displacement (change), negotiate the neighborhood’s affordances and shape its socio-spatial network, community ties, and continuity/familiarity dimensions. Singapore’s massive displacement programs — relocating the citizens from villages to urban public housing (Village Clearance, 1927–1990) and more recently from aging housing stocks to alternative sites (Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme, SERS, since 1995) have enabled urban redevelopment and renewal over the years. The implementation of the ongoing SERS policy provides a context for this study. Mixed-method research in Tanglin Halt public housing neighborhood which underwent three SERS phases, included a policy review, initial spatial mapping, first-person observations and interviews (N =38). The findings validate the proposed model and provide a new taxonomy on a community’s affordances to trace how attachments change over time. Furthermore, it indicates the significance of a socio- spatial heart(s) and residents’ agency for communities to dynamically negotiate displacement, which can inform urban regeneration policy.