Neighborhood attachment of suburban residents in the context of community life circle construction: A case study in Shanghai

Under the background of rapid suburbanization, suburban areas have become the most changeable and complex region in metropolitan areas. Increasing the dependence of residents’ daily activities on neighborhood space is of great importance for relieving the pressure of urban development and improving the quality of life of residents. Studies show that residents’ psychological dependence on a neighborhood also has a positive impact on life satisfaction. Based on the concept of people- oriented development, Shanghai City Master Plan 2017- 2035 proposes to build 15-minute life circles, and to optimize the spatial structure of suburbs. In the context of rapid suburbanization and community life circle construction, this research built a framework that combines the two dimensions of functional attachment and emotional attachment to study neighborhood attachment of residents in Shanghai suburbs. It aimed to answer the following research questions: 1) How is residents’ neighborhood attachment from a comprehensive perspective that combines the two dimensions of functional attachment and emotional attachment? 2) What are the differences of neighborhood attachment among various social groups? 3) How do the built environment and the subjective perception of neighborhood environments impact individuals’ neighborhood attachment? The data used in this research came from an activity- travel behavior survey conducted in Shanghai suburbs in 2017. The data include individuals’ socioeconomic attributes, daily activities, and perception of communities. First, this study analyzed the characteristics of residents’ neighborhood attachment and the differences of different social groups. Second, on the basis of the research framework, residents’ neighborhood attachment was divided into four types: neighborhood attachment, neighborhood dependence, neighborhood identity, and neighborhood exclusion. Multiple Logistics regression models were used to analyze the impacts of the built environment and subjective perception of neighborhood on individuals’ neighborhood attachment type after socioeconomic attributes were controlled for. Third, based on the results of regression analyses, we represent the relationships between socioeconomic attributes and neighborhood attachment, and neighborhood characteristics and neighborhood attachment by two coordinate systems. The differences of neighborhood attachment among different social groups are significant. Neighborhood characteristics have significant influences on neighborhood attachment: the density of neighborhood facilities mainly influences functional attachment; neighborhood green space ratio influences both functional attachment and emotional attachment; residents’ subjective evaluation of neighborhood environment mainly influences emotional attachment. According to the research findings, the construction of community life circle should maintain and improve environment quality and focus on the arrangement of green space, open space, and leisure facilities. Meanwhile, it is important to promote the social integration of residents in the neighborhoods.