The Associations of Communal Space with Sense of Place and Mental Health in Public Housing: Evidence from Guangzhou and Hong Kong

Tianyao Zhang, Jiahui Liu, Huiwei Chen () and Mee Kam Ng
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Tianyao Zhang: School of Architecture, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
Jiahui Liu: Faculty of Construction and Environment, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
Huiwei Chen: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510090, China
Mee Kam Ng: Department of Geography and Resource Management, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 23, 1-19

Abstract: Communal space is regarded as essential for human well-being in high-rise developments in Asia and increasing attention has been given to the underlying mechanism of its effects in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. From the perspective of person–place processes, this paper explores ‘sense of place’ and its possible mediating effects on the relationship between communal space and the mental health of residents in high-rise public housing. An analysis of data from a questionnaire survey conducted in Hong Kong and Guangzhou revealed differentiated mechanisms according to local context and age group. Sense of place and its subcomponents mediated the connection between communal space and mental health in Hong Kong but not in Guangzhou. More specifically, place identity, place attachment and place dependence had stronger effects among older residents in HK than younger ones. The findings from this study can inform evidence-based planning and decision-making for public housing policy for health-oriented environments in high-density cities.

Keywords: communal space; person–place process; sense of place; older adults; public housing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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