1. Understanding place attachment: a tripartite organizing
framework
We propose a three-dimensional framework of place attachment
that usefully structures the varied definitions in the literature.
This framework proposes that place attachment is a multidimensional
concept with person, psychological process, and place
dimensions (see Fig. 1). The first dimension is the actor: who is
attached? To what extent is the attachment based on individually
and collectively held meanings? The second dimension is the
psychological process: how are affect, cognition, and behavior
manifested in the attachment? The third dimension is the object of
the attachment, including place characteristics: what is the
attachment to, and what is the nature of, this place? This threedimensional
framework of place attachment organizes the main
definitions in the literature and, as knowledge grows about the
specific levels within each of these dimensions, a comprehensive
understanding of place attachment will be reached.