Contrastación de hipótesis

One of the primary objectives in design is to make places, and SoP is of crucial importance in creating successful places because it helps to maintain the quality of the physical environment (Najafi & Shariff, 2011). This quality is then expected to contribute to SoP in return. Montgomery (1998, pp.95-96) indicates that urban quality is the product of the proper combination of physical elements (e.g. architectural form, scale, vistas, open spaces, green areas, etc.) with each other and with the psychology of place;

however, the socio-cultural and psychological dimension of space is more significant in achieving this quality. On the other hand, Beidler and Morrison (2016) state that, although the social experience of place is influential, the primary source affecting SoP is the physical setting. This potential of the physical setting in SoP measurement has been

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identified in various studies. However, there is no clarity or agreement on the place dimension or perspective that is associated with the notion of SoP.

Some studies have looked at the place dimension as only a geographical location rather than an architectural product, and identified the link between place and SoP regardless of its architectural design features. For instance, Anton and Lawrence (2014) examined the impact of place of residence (urban and rural) on some indicators of SoP such as place attachment, place identity and place dependence. They looked at the differences in socio-economic demographic variables such as ownerships status, the length of residence, gender and age. However, their primary conclusion was drawn on the strong relationship between place of residence and place attachment, and they found that people living in rural areas were more emotionally linked to their living environment than those living in urban areas. They also claimed that the larger the community size, the less the attachment to the place.

Shamai et al. (2012) focused on the territorial dimension of place and examined the impacts of different place scales on SoP: home, settlement and region. The study did not find any differences depending on the variety in demographic variables such as age, gender or length of residence, but did find differences between the previous living place and the new place. Although the concept of place in this research was not also defined in architectural terms, similar to Anton and Lawrence’s (2014) research, the study emphasises the significant impact of the geographical and physical dimension of place on SoP, while Anton and Lawrence’s (2014) attempt reveals the potential impact of place density on SoP.

Another study focusing on the place dimension regardless of its spatial-physical characteristics was conducted as a literature review by Graham et al. (2009). They identified the potential relationship between the historic environment, SoP and social capital. The generally adopted notion in the study is that the link between historic environment and SoP can be explained in relation to three dimensions of SoP: “place distinctiveness”, “place continuity” and “place dependency”. This study also did not consider the architectural value of a heritage environment but looked at heritage activities that encourage people to communicate and become involved in place making.

However, the study has brought to the discussion the notion of whether it is people’s relationships in a place or the built environment creating SoP.

In architectural terms, religious architecture has always been popular in SoP research due to religious buildings’ spiritual power on people’s perceptions. Mazloomi et al.’s (2014) study can be given as an example looking at the relationship between SoP and architectural physical design in a religious context. They looked at three perceptual predictors (place identity, place dependence and place attachment) of SoP in contemporary mosques in Malaysia and examined the potential influences of architectural design features, the spiritual atmosphere and the social environment of the mosques. The primary aim of the research was to examine the impact of socio-demographic variables on SoP rather than the impact of the place itself. However, the study also emphasised the influence of architectural design features (Islamic architecture) such as texture, colour, shape, geometric orientation and spatial sequences to SoP – albeit not as much as the social and spiritual environment. Another important result of the research is that it did not observe any differences depending on socio-economic demographic data, such as length of experience and age, although the other literature claims the opposite.

SoP has also been associated with the particular characteristics of the physical environment. To explain: Beidler’s (2007) research examined the influence of the physical form of a neo-traditional neighbourhood in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA, on its residents’ SoP. Density, proximity of houses, public-private area relations and the relationship of the housing to the un-built environment were taken as physical form characteristics that affect residential experiences. The results partially supported the idea that physical setting can help enhance SoP, since the scope was limited to the attached housing with limited social interaction in the outdoor public area. However, according to the research, the concept of SoP is heavily dependent on social interaction and therefore the design features contributing to social interaction – such as the use of semi-public spaces, quality outdoor environment design and small, intimate, semi-public spaces connected to the housing units – are relatively important in achieving SoP. The research also emphasised that the public spaces are not only the design elements

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contributing to social interaction; the quality of design is also significantly important, in particular, regarding building residential SoP.

Another stream of the study of the physical dimension of SoP is the investigation of the impact of new development in existing settlements on the place character and SoP. For example, Lopez (2009) focused on the impact of new development on the character of downtown Cayucos, California, USA, and proposed a design approach allowing for changes and responding to enhancement needs such as accessibility, parking, amenities, and management but at the same time keeping the town character and the local SoP.

She looked for the ways to maintain people’s SoP while allowing the development needs. In her further argument, Lopez (2010, p.46) suggested that three concepts, namely “sense of place”, “experience of place” and “design”, should be studied together to identify successful places and decide what place elements should be maintained to help retain and enhance SoP.

Billig (2005) aimed to understand how SoP is affected where urban revitalisation projects are implemented. She examined the impact of both physical and sociological factors on SoP, and carried out interviews with only women in six different housing developments built in and adjacent to old neighbourhoods, where the deteriorated urban texture is replaced by the more prestigious and modern housing developments.

She identified the contrast between new and old buildings regarding their height, shape, design, colour and landscape design features. She also compared a number of housing units, building arrangements (e.g. along a street, in a star shape, in a square shape, or in a semi-closed horseshoe shape) and type of separation – walls and fences. She concluded that SoP is affected by both socio-economic differences observed between the old and new residents and the differences in physical appearance and the design of the new and the old housing developments. The study also suggested that SoP should be taken into consideration when the erection of new buildings in the existing environment is necessary, and planning and design should aim to maintain and enhance the existing SoP.

Farshchi et al. (2014) studied the impact of deteriorated urban texture on SoP in Sarshoor, a market place in Mashad, Iran. Three types of blocks were defined according

to the level of deterioration following criteria looking at the land coverage of worn-out, instable buildings and passages and the presence of historic buildings and monuments.

Farchchi et al. (2014) also identified differences in the degree of SoP depending on age, education, being immigrants to or local people from the chosen area, being a resident or a passenger, and the length of residence. The research, as a result, developed scenarios and offered some suggestions like wider passageways, building new homes in harmony with the existing fabric, not constructing modern buildings in the deteriorated neighbourhood and creating mixed-usages of the area.

Overall, the physical dimension of SoP has been identified by numerous scholars and in a variety of contexts. Even though their main focus is on the physical dimension, the general tendency in these studies is to look at the socio-economic demographic variables together with the physical place factor. This is mainly because the literature is commonly agreed on the impact of demographic variables on SoP and the benefit of studying its physical and social dimensions together. However, not all studies have observed significant differences in SoP because of social, economic, cultural and demographic differences. Furthermore, the meaning of place also differs from one study to another. Thus, not all the studies have defined place architecturally and with regard to its form-based spatial characteristics. Therefore, the way that the physical setting is related to SoP varies across the studies. It can be a geographical, territorial, spiritual, conceptual, aesthetical or architectural relation. Moreover, as seen in the above studies, the physical characteristics of place discussed in relation to SoP are different as well. The most common spatial characteristics associated with SoP are density, public-private area relations, building heights, access network, building types, landscape design, the contrast between old and new buildings, site arrangements, public space design, borders, etc. The scholars have, either superficially or in depth, looked at these spatial characteristics individually or as a combination of a few. However, the selection of the physical elements in these studies was fairly random. They lacked consistency and a solid scientific approach. In this regard, employing typo-morphology in this research context is also to improve the data quality of physical elements studied in relation to SoP.

Additionally, although SoP has also been studied in relation to the impact of the physical changes after transformation, the scope was limited to the regeneration developments

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and the adaptation of the new buildings to the existing context, and no study has been found looking at the impact of different physical spaces and their transformations on SoP.