A review of an article on “The impact of urban renewal on place attachment”, with focus on the literature review done: for Housing Studies students

A review of an article on “The impact of urban renewal on place attachment”, with focus on the literature review done: for Housing Studies students

 

How to describe the reference of the article in Harvard reference format?

The Harvard reference format for the article would be:

Lin, S. and van Ameijde, J. (2026) ‘The impact of urban renewal on place attachment: A framework to enhance social structures and resident satisfaction’, Cities, 172, p. 106894. doi: 10.1016/j.cities.2026.106894.

 

What are the research objectives, research issues, research philosophy (i.e. positivism, interpretivism, pragmatism, and critical realism) and research type (i.e. descriptive, exploratory, causal, and evaluative types) of the study?

Based on the information in the article "The impact of urban renewal on place attachment: A framework to enhance social structures and resident satisfaction", the research details can be described as follows:

Research Objectives:

• To critically review and synthesize existing literature on the relationship between urban renewal and place attachment.
• To construct a conceptual framework that reveals the influence mechanisms between urban regeneration and place attachment.
• To identify key themes and factors shaping place attachment in urban renewal contexts.
• To propose an assessment framework to guide inclusive and socially sustainable urban regeneration projects.
• To provide theoretical and practical guidance for community-oriented urban planning that enhances resident satisfaction and social structures through place attachment.

Research Issues:

• Understanding how urban renewal affects emotional ties between people and places (place attachment).
• Exploring social and physical factors that reinforce or diminish place attachment during urban regeneration.
• Addressing gaps in how place attachment is considered in urban planning and redevelopment.
• Investigating the multidimensional and dynamic nature of place attachment in different urban renewal processes.
• Assessing resident satisfaction and community well-being in relation to urban regeneration efforts.

Research Philosophy:

• The study aligns most closely with pragmatism, as it combines systematic literature review (objective data analysis) with thematic interpretation to develop practical frameworks and tools aimed to improve urban renewal outcomes. The focus on applying knowledge to address real-world urban planning challenges and enhance social sustainability reflects pragmatist philosophy.
• The critical review and interpretation of empirical and theoretical studies suggest some interpretivist elements, but the overall aim to generate actionable frameworks implies pragmatism as dominant.

Research Type:

• The study can be classified primarily as descriptive, as it aims to describe, categorize, and conceptualize existing knowledge regarding place attachment and urban renewal from 124 selected studies.
• It also has exploratory elements, since it explores multidimensional themes and identifies research gaps for future studies.
• Additionally, the study has an evaluative aspect because it assesses existing frameworks and proposes a multidimensional assessment tool for urban renewal impact on place attachment.

In summary, this study is a systematic literature-based, pragmatist-oriented, descriptive and exploratory research with evaluative contributions focused on enhancing understanding and practice in urban renewal through the lens of place attachment.

 

How do the research philosophy, research type and research objectives of the study influence the literature review approach and literature review focus of the study?

The research philosophy, type, and objectives of the study strongly shape its literature review approach and focus as follows:

Influence of Research Philosophy (Pragmatism) on Literature Review Approach and Focus:

• Pragmatism emphasizes practical application and solving real-world problems, so the literature review is designed to critically synthesize diverse studies to build a useful conceptual framework that can guide urban renewal practices.
• This leads to an integrative and systematic review method combining bibliometric visualization tools (VOSviewer) with thematic qualitative coding (NVivo) to capture both quantitative trends and qualitative insights, ensuring actionable knowledge for policymakers and planners.
• The pragmatic orientation drives the review focus toward identifying mechanisms of place attachment relevant to inclusive and socially sustainable urban regeneration, rather than purely theoretical or discipline-specific scholarship.

Influence of Research Type (Descriptive, Exploratory, Evaluative) on Literature Review Approach and Focus:

• As a descriptive study, the review comprehensively maps and categorizes existing literature on place attachment and urban renewal, systematically collecting 124 studies through strict inclusion criteria and analyzing themes and keyword co-occurrence to reveal the research landscape.
• The exploratory nature encourages deep thematic analysis to uncover underexplored areas, gaps, and emerging themes, such as the multidimensionality of place attachment and its social and physical determinants in urban renewal contexts, which helps chart directions for future research.
• The evaluative element further focuses the review on assessing the strengths, weaknesses, and applicability of existing theories and empirical findings, leading to the proposal of an assessment-oriented framework tailored for urban regeneration interventions.

Influence of Research Objectives on Literature Review Approach and Focus:

• With objectives aiming to construct a multidimensional framework reflecting place attachment’s mechanisms in urban renewal, the literature review is systematically organized to highlight these mechanisms by integrating thematic clusters that cover social dynamics, urban design, gentrification, identity, and well-being.
• The objective to provide theoretical and practical guidance shapes the review to focus on empirical evidence and methodological approaches used to study place attachment in urban renewal, ensuring relevance for urban planners and policymakers.
• The review's thorough screening and coding process aligns with the objective of a nuanced understanding of place attachment’s role across different cultural and geographic contexts, aiming to enhance the generalizability and applicability of findings.

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Summary:

• The pragmatist research philosophy inspires a mixed-method, integrative, and applied literature review combining quantitative bibliometric analysis and qualitative thematic review.
• The descriptive, exploratory, and evaluative research type guides comprehensive mapping, deep thematic exploration, and critical appraisal of existing research.
• The focused research objectives, centered on understanding and operationalizing place attachment in urban renewal, direct the review toward identifying multidimensional themes and producing practical frameworks to support inclusive, sustainable urban regeneration.

Thus, these research elements collectively steer the literature review to be systematic, critical, multidisciplinary, and practically oriented, bridging theory and practice in urban regeneration planning.

 

Does the literature review examine any major academic theories?

Yes, the literature review examines several major academic theories related to place attachment and urban renewal, as detailed below:

1. Place Attachment Theories:

• The review discusses various conceptualizations of place attachment, highlighting theoretical debates around its dimensionality.
• It references Topophilia (Tuan, 1974) as a foundational concept describing the emotional and cognitive bonds people develop with places over time.
• It contrasts unidimensional theories (where place attachment overlaps with sense of place, place identity, place dependence) with multidimensional theories that consider emotional, social, functional, and psychological factors. For example:
• Williams and Roggenbuck (1989) emphasize two dimensions: place identity and place dependence.
• Bricker and Kerstetter (2000) add a lifestyle dimension.
• Kyle et al. (2005) introduce social connectedness.
• Scannell and Gifford (2010) propose a three-dimensional framework incorporating individual, psychological, and place dimensions.
• Raymond et al. (2010) further subdivide place attachment into identity, dependence, nature, family, and friendship ties.
• Manzo and Devine-Wright (2013) emphasize cultural and community variations in place attachment.

2. Theoretical Gaps and Challenges:

• The review notes inconsistencies and ambiguities in definitions and frameworks that affect the comparability and accuracy of place attachment studies.
• It highlights the need for attention to the commonalities in place attachment frameworks to reduce confusion in research and improve applicability in urban planning practice.

3. Urban Renewal Theories Intersection:

• Though urban renewal is primarily described as a policy and planning process aimed at economic, social, and environmental improvements, the literature review underscores the importance of linking it with place attachment theory.
• It recognizes that urban renewal can disrupt physical and social place attachments but also that when aligned with residents’ needs and social practices, renewal can strengthen these attachments and community cohesion.

4. Integration into a Framework:

• The review synthesizes these academic theories to construct a comprehensive multidimensional conceptual framework that captures the interaction of demographic, physical, and social environment variables in shaping place attachment during urban renewal.

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In summary, the literature review critically examines and integrates major academic theories of place attachment—ranging from early foundational concepts to recent multidimensional models—and relates these theories to urban renewal processes, identifying gaps, challenges, and the need for applied frameworks that can inform inclusive planning and policymaking.

 

Describe 2 research limitations and 2 literature review limitations of the study.

The study identifies several limitations related to both the research process and the literature review, including the following:

Research Limitations:

1.    Subjectivity in Coding and Interpretation: The study acknowledges that the process of structured coding and thematic visualization was based on personal assessments by the researchers. This may have affected the comprehensiveness and reliability of the findings, as subjective judgments can influence which themes and variables are emphasized or overlooked.

2.    Lack of Longitudinal Data: The authors point out that the existing body of research includes a limited number of longitudinal studies, which restricts the ability to dynamically track changes in place attachment over time and assess the long-term impacts of urban renewal interventions.

Literature Review Limitations:

1.    Inconsistencies and Ambiguities in Definitions and Theoretical Frameworks: The review notes that the literature on place attachment suffers from inconsistent use of definitions and theoretical frameworks, which complicates the comparability and generalization of research findings. This heterogeneity challenges the development of a unified understanding and application in urban planning.

2.    Limited Geographic and Cultural Diversity: The study highlights a research gap in addressing differences across cultural contexts and geographical areas. Most studies focus on particular locations or contexts, limiting the generalizability of the theory and findings to broader, diverse urban environments.

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These limitations underscore challenges in achieving comprehensive, generalizable insights into place attachment in the context of urban renewal and suggest directions for future research to adopt more systematic, longitudinal, and culturally diverse approaches.