Local Cultures – Global Spaces

Abstract

The relationship between public open place qualities (e.g., accessibility, enjoyability, and diversity) and the development of place attachment is a fundamental aspect of improving urban design. In the context of increased cultural diversity stemming from global migration, this study investigates why immigrants are attached to public open places and how they assess the qualities of these places. The aim is to improve urban design to meet the needs of diverse communities. To accomplish this objective, the study was conducted on the Gold Coast of Australia, a city with a large influx of tourists and immigrants. A map-based questionnaire encompassing open-ended and close-ended questions was thoughtfully designed and distributed among Indian, Iranian, Chinese, and Australian students at Griffith University in Gold Coast. Students were asked to select three public open places on the Gold Coast map to which they were attached. Subsequently, participants expounded on the motivations behind their attachment to each selected place and answered questions regarding public open places’ qualities. In total, 255 public places were selected on the map from 85 students who participated in the survey. ArcGIS, NVivo, and SPSS were used to analyze data. The study revealed similarities and differences among participants from diverse cultures in terms of their selected public places and reasons for attachment. Generally, built-up green spaces adjacent to watersides and natural waterside public places were common choices between different cultures. In the one-way ANOVA test results, significant differences were found across cultural groups in two public place qualities: diversity of activities and enjoyability of design and appearance.