Place attachment and mechanisms of community public-space renewal: A mixed-methods empirical study of Chengdu’s Shaocheng historic district

Abstract

Understanding how emotional attachment translates into tangible outcomes of urban renewal constitutes a critical theoretical gap. This study constructs and validates a place attachment-driven framework explicating community participation’s mediating role in converting emotions into collective action. Using mixed-methods design and publicly available data (n = 407) from three cases in Chengdu’s Shaocheng district (tourism-oriented, community-led, public–private partnership) spanning 2015–2024, structural equation modeling reveals place attachment influences renewal outcomes through dual pathways: community participation mediation (β = 0.30, p < 0.001, 51.7% of total effect) and direct emotional identification (β = 0.28, p < 0.001). Renewal model type significantly moderates this mechanism; community-led models show a mediation proportion of 71.4 percent, whereas tourism-oriented models show 26.2 percent. Tourism-oriented renewal excels in physical space quality (4.38 points) but shows a decline in social cohesion (−0.73 points), indicating a gentrification risk. Public–private partnerships achieve the greatest overall improvement (+0.97 points) and show the most balanced performance across cultural-identity indicators (4.35 points). A multidimensional assessment across 12 indicators shows tourism models lead in physical space, while community-led models excel in social interaction (4.48 points). This study extends place attachment theory from individual psychology to collective action, challenging universal renewal model assumptions and proposing context-based selection frameworks. Institutionalized participation mechanisms emerge as key safeguards against gentrification, providing evidence-based guidance for sustainable urban renewal.

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