Empirical evidence of the roles of public spaces and public activities in the promotion of community relations and sense of place in a coastal community
Journal of Place Management and Development
ISSN: 1753-8335
Article publication date: 30 May 2019
Issue publication date: 27 September 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the roles of public spaces in promoting community relations and sense of place in a coastal community, which are both important elements of sustainable community development. This study investigated how activities in public spaces can foster community relations, thereby affecting sense of place, and described how public spaces are used by local residents.
Design/methodology/approach
The Ban-Chaytalae community in the coastal area of Samutsakorn province, Thailand, was selected as a case study. This community has plentiful wetland resources, which provide various benefits for local people, and several areas in the community are used as public spaces for various activities, such as social interactions, recreation, sports, learning activities and cultural and traditional practices. In-depth interviews with residents in the community were conducted, and a questionnaire was administered in the Ban-Chaytalae community during August-December 2017.
Findings
The results of content analysis revealed that several places in the community are utilised as public spaces, including shrines, commercial shops, transportation routes, the coast and spaces between homes. Moreover, the results of path analysis revealed that engaging in cultural, traditional, community development and socialising activities had direct effects on residents’ sense of place and indirect effects on sense of place through community relations.
Research limitations/implications
The study findings implied that land development policy should avoid the deterioration of public places, and furthermore, public spaces should be developed to facilitate activities that can strengthen the active roles of citizens in sustainable community development.
Originality/value
This study provided empirical evidence on the role of public activities and spaces in promoting community relations and sense of place. The study results imply that the quality and quantity of public spaces where cultural, socialising and community development activities are performed should be conserved. Any development that might change these public spaces has the potential to affect people’s ways of living, which, in turn, influences social relationships and sense of place.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This study was funded by University for Community Research and Services Center: UCOM, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand. The authors would like to acknowledge all community members and community leaders from the Ban-Chaytalae community, Pantaynorasing sub-district, Muang district, Samutsakorn province, Thailand, for the support and participation in this research project.
Citation
Piyapong, J., Riruengrong, R., Wipawee, I., Siriphan, N. and Passanan, A. (2019), "Empirical evidence of the roles of public spaces and public activities in the promotion of community relations and sense of place in a coastal community", Journal of Place Management and Development, Vol. 12 No. 4, pp. 485-507. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMD-09-2018-0065
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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