The impact of urban renewal on place attachment: A framework to enhance social structures and resident satisfaction

Amidst a growing awareness of the need for liveable and sustainable cities, urban renewal strategies are increasingly concerned with community well-being. Place attachment is a key element in understanding the impact of neighbourhood regeneration, as the resulting economic and social changes may positively or negatively affect the emotional ties that bind people and places together. Though widely studied in psychology and human geography, place attachment's potential in urban planning remains underexplored, especially in urban redevelopment or preservation. To overcome this gap, this study critically reviewed 124 relevant studies using thematic analysis and bibliometric visualisations to construct a framework of influence mechanisms between urban regeneration and place attachment. The bibliometric and thematic analyses reveal five main clusters: (A) place attachment and community dynamics, (B) creative urban design and public space, (C) gentrification and social change, (D) place identity and sustainable development, and (E) community health and quality of life, each representing critical dimensions of place attachment's manifestation in urban renewal. These clusters reveal the social and physical factors shaping place attachment, showing how they reinforce or diminish it and influence the success of renewal projects. Based on this, we introduce a place attachment assessment framework to guide future urban regeneration projects and ensure that urban regeneration strategies are inclusive and socially sustainable. The study highlights the critical need to address place attachment among urban regeneration, providing theoretical and practical guidance for improved understanding and methodological support towards community-oriented urban planning. • Systematically assesses how urban renewal reshapes place attachment across multiple dimensions. • Introduces an integrated assessment framework linking urban renewal processes with place attachment dynamics. • Derives planning guidance to strengthen social structure and improve resident satisfaction in renewal areas.