The role of attachment in creating sustainable sense of place for traditional streets in Alor Setar, Malaysia

Abstract

In urban design research, it is vital to search the role of place attachment as an element that places significant meanings that include physical characteristics, activity and meaning that contribute to the sense of place. In urban studies, most of the study leads to the importance of physical characteristics and activities towards the sense of place; however, research on place attachment roles as part of the sense of place has not been sufficiently done. This paper aims to search the role of place attachment in creating a sustainable sense of place in two main traditional streets in Alor Setar, Jalan Tunku Yaakub in Pekan Cina (JTY) and Jalan Kampung Perak (JKP). Field survey and Semi-structured interviews were conducted as a data collection method, and all the content were analysed to accomplish a thorough interpretation of the findings. The findings show that users attached to the traditional street in Alor Setar, Kedah, dominate and influence the place's identity. The street view is vital in daily engagement attached whereas, the mobile users of the streets are primarily attached in terms of functionality. In addition, the meaning and history also influence the user's attachment to the place. In conclusion, the roles of place attachment on traditional streets attributes should be considered to sustain the sense of place for the future development in Alor Setar.