Becoming Green Places: Attachment to Public Green and Recreational Space Among Multi-Unit Dwellers in Ballard

Abstract

The use of public green and recreational space has been transformed by increasing urbanization, densification, and residential unaffordability, and by the Covid-19 pandemic. This research seeks to discover how public green and recreational spaces and their uses contribute to the place attachments of multi-unit dwellers, and whether these places may be able to maintain or restore continuity of place attachment within rapidly changing and increasingly dense urban environments. A qualitative case study of interviews with multi-unit dwellers in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, an area that represents the level of residential density politically feasible in Seattle’s near future, was conducted. Place attachments, the emotional bonds between people and places, are rarely considered in the planning process but have significant impacts on the social cohesion, well-being, and resilience of communities. Findings from this study convey the nuanced importance of public green and recreational spaces to multi-unit dwellers; they offer opportunities to develop place attachments through gathering, encountering emotions, exploring, establishing time-depth, experiencing nature, and learning about local history. This study implores urban planners to consider place attachments and community well-being more intentionally in future urban development and planning efforts to ensure that public amenities keep pace with increased residential density.