Place Attachment Dynamics, Settlement Characteristics, and Residential Satisfaction in Post-Relocation Bajo Community: A Comparative Study of Government-Assisted Housing and Self-Help Housing in Mekar Village and Bajo Indah Village, Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi

Abstract

Settlement relocation of Bajo people is a common adaptive strategy applied to respond to environmental degradation, development pressures, and sustainability vulnerabilities. However, its implementation often ignores the affective and sociocultural aspects of local communities, especially in the context of coastal communities such as the Bajo tribe. This study examines the relationship between settlement characteristics, place attachment, and Satisfaction with living in two relocation schemes: government-assisted Housing and self-help housing. With a comparative-quantitative approach, the study involved 140 respondents (n = 70 per location) and used the Pearson correlation test to analyze the strength of the relationship between variables. The results of the analysis showed that in government-assisted Housing built on the sea, there was a positive and significant correlation between settlement characteristics and Satisfaction with living in (r = 0.394; p < 0.001). In contrast, in government-assisted Housing located on land, a negative and significant correlation was found between place attachment and Satisfaction with living in (r = –0.316; p = 0.008). These findings indicate that the dynamics of place attachment are not universal, but are highly dependent on the spatial configuration and origin of the relocation. Therefore, relocation planning must holistically consider affective, spatial, and social dimensions to achieve post-relocation sustainability.

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