Place Meaning in Malang City Peripheral Muslim Settlements: The Unexpected Role of Built Environment Aesthetics

Does the deep religiosity of Muslims significantly shape a neighborhood's meaning, or is it overshadowed by the visual appeal of the built environment? This question becomes relevant when the buildings' aesthetics do not embody the neighborhood's religiosity. To delve into this, research was carried out in the outlying settlements of Malang City, Indonesia, utilizing a mixed-method approach that blends qualitative methods such as observation and interviews with quantitative surveys. The qualitative approach validates the disconnection between the Islamic neighborhood religiosity and the built environment. Additionally, it identifies eight key factors influencing place meaning, encompassing neighborhood religiosity, the aesthetics of the built environment, social connections, and economic opportunities. Factor analysis highlighted that architectural features and qualities of the built environment had a more significant impact on residents' place meaning than the community's religious culture. Therefore, the aesthetic appeal of buildings plays a significantly more significant role in shaping residents' sense of belonging than the Islamic neighborhood religiosity. This unexpected finding challenges traditional assumptions about the strength of Muslim demography and Islamic religiosity in shaping place meaning. It urges urban planners, legislators, and architects to prioritize the aesthetic quality of the built environment when fostering vibrant and meaningful communities for Muslim residents.