Understanding Place Dependence in Landscape Settings: Theory, Methods and Implications for Place Making

Abstract

This review synthesizes place dependence (PD) as a functional component of place attachment (PA)
and sense of place (SOP) within landscape settings. Using a content-analysis approach, we screened
titles/abstracts/keywords for “place dependence” across Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar,
including cognate terms (place identity, place attachment, sense of place). Fifty-four (54) studies published
between 1983 and 2025 met inclusion criteria spanning urban parks, wetlands, traditional streets, coastal
corridors, and city-scale public spaces, with very limited African representation. The review finds that
place quality (amenities, accessibility, diversity, safety, good upkeep) and place expectation (activities,
goals, needs) consistently determine PD, moderated by evaluation, preference, and unwillingness
to move. Methods are predominantly quantitative (≈70–72%) using 4–6 Likert-type PD items adapted
from Williams & Vaske and related instruments; mixed methods are increasing, while qualitative designs
remain under-represented. We propose a conceptual framework linking PD principles relating to place
quality/expectation and outcomes (connections, experiences, social interactions) to guide place making
and place keeping in landscape planning and governance. Practically, PD can inform programming,
amenity mixes, and maintenance standards to improve user satisfaction and stewardship. Gaps include
African cases, consistent reporting of PD sub-dimensions, and multi-method triangulation. The review
recommends mixed-methods protocols and PD-led evaluation prior to design interventions to link theory,
policy and place making practice.