Measuring Linkages of Place-Related Constructs at City Scale—A SEM Approach to Perception

This paper aims to investigate the relationships between place-related constructs in perception of cities by residents. The study explores how residents perceive their urban surroundings and how the formation of their latent place-identity is related to it. Place-identity is the place-related subset of self-identity. The study uses perception surveys at the city scale to empirically assess the linkages among the variables of experiential value, place-identity and life satisfaction through structural equation modeling. The study empirically tests the theoretical construct of place-identity at city level. The findings indicate that while place-identity is positively influenced by experiential value of the city, it also has a mediating role between experience and satisfaction. The study is based on perceptions of people in multiple cities in India, but the methodology is replicable for perception studies of any city. The study has practical implications for a people-centric approach to design and management of urban settlements.