Exploring Place Attachment and Neighbourhood Effects : A case study of Skärholmen and Vårberg, Sweden

Sammanfattning: Sara, Amatul Sabooh (2020) Exploring place attachment and neighbourhood effects: A case study of Skärholmen and Vårberg, Sweden Urban and Regional Planning, advanced level, master thesis for master exam in Urban and Regional Planning, 30 ECTS credits Supervisors: Danielle Drozdsewski and Eva Andersson Language: English Key words: neighbourhood effect, place attachment, social cohesion, collective efficacy, social ties. Abstract If we take residential neighbourhoods as a space for making social ties and interactions, we can learn a lot about the generated neighbourhood effects on its residents and their subsequent attachments towards neighbourhoods as a place. It is believed that neighbourhoods have an impact on individuals and groups either significant or insignificant. The neighbourhood effect is understood by deeply observing the common trends, norms and similar behaviours, furthermore, by measuring the influence it has on life of its residents. This study intends to explore the relationships between neighbourhood effects and place attachment and is inspired from a bigger project ‘The Neighbourhood Revisited’ (Research programme in Department of Human Geography at Stockholm University, Riksbankens Jubileumsfond 2019-2024) that explores the spatial polarization and social cohesion in contemporary Sweden. The aim of my study is to look at social ties, how it changes over time and what neighbourhood effects we can observe on its residents’ social lives. Neighbourhood effect and place attachment studied together, through the narratives of local residents give many new meanings to both concepts. My focus here is on social aspects of it.