Analysing urban integration through place attachment: How do university students contribute to the formation of an integrated urban space?

Abstract

An increasing number of scholars acknowledge the complexity of urban integration. Analysing how a large-scale urban development project integrates existing urban structures cannot be limited to urbanistic preoccupations of ensuring functional connections between these areas. To offer a larger conception of urban integration, this paper suggests a user-centred approach. By considering the development of person-place relationships as an original way to measure urban integration, it analyses the emergence of place attachment among the student population of the University of Luxembourg in Belval, a newly built knowledge district developing in Esch/Alzette, Luxembourg. The aim is to provide scientific evidence on the multidimensional relationship between the students and the city, and how it is influenced by their place of residence and by sociodemographic characteristics. The paper uses a combination of survey results and qualitative insights from focus groups. Findings draw a nuanced overall picture. Place attachment is significantly influenced by place of residence. While most of the students only develop limited ties to their university location, a significant number establishes a certain form of attachment that is less characterised by spatial practices in the city than by the creation of an intangible student identity linked to Esch/Alzette. This mainly concerns older, international students who have a clearer vision of their post-student life and consider making Esch/Alzette their home. The missing elements of the campus, such as green areas or an urban atmosphere, were recurrently mentioned by the focus group participants as factors leading them to explore the city centre.