INFLUENCING FACTORS OF NEIGHBOURHOOD ATTACHMENT: A CASE STUDY OF PENANG, MALAYSIA

Many studies have examined the influencing factors of neighbourhood attachment. However, there are relatively lesser empirical studies regarding the influencing factors of neighbourhood attachment in the aftermath of COVID-19. This study investigates the influencing factors of neighbourhood attachment in two Penang Island, Malaysia neighbourhoods. Neighbourhood attachment is a second-order factor structure assessed by a first-order factor structure that includes place dependence and social bonding. A questionnaire survey with a Likert scale was used to measure the residents’ assessment of economic, physical and social factors as well as neighbourhood attachment level. The findings were then analysed by Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). These results support the theoretical findings in the literature that economic, physical and social factors affect neighbourhood attachment. Social factors are the most substantial influencing factors of neighbourhood attachment among the three factors. Neighbourhood attachment comprises multiple factors and processes rather than just one. Social interactions, cultural practices, environmental factors, and other experiences all contribute to the development of attachment. It can encourage residents to stay for a more extended time or permanently by fostering neighbourhood attachment. Therefore, this study can serve as a guide for community stakeholders to design attractive neighbourhoods that evoke pleasant memories and sentiments, which in turn encourage a sense of neighbourhood attachment.