Place identity in Urban places in Jeddah

Abstract

This paper focuses on place identity and its significance in ensuring continuity and attachment between man and place, which fosters and maintains the psychological well-being of individuals. In today's globalized world, place identity is at risk due to the dramatic social, economic, and physical changes that affected the urban settings of Jeddah. Thus resulting in a negative impact on the socio-cultural aspect as well as its bearing on the urban fabric, visual image and architectural identity. This paper identifies the issues concerning place identity through exploring the concept of place and its theories in Literature. Furthermore, it investigates the relationship between the three main components of place identity: physical settings, activities, and meaning and their attributes, through the use of qualitative methods. A questionnaire survey and interviews were conducted to examine place experience and to identify the characteristics of the places that influenced and would then benefit in terms of development of place identity which in turn contribute to securing a sense of place.