Urban nature for civic engagement and community resilience: The influence of engagement, environmental volunteering, and place attachment

The presence and quality of nature within urban landscapes are increasingly important for human health, but also for building civic engagement and community resilience. Residents of the coastal City of [name] (a local government area in metropolitan [city], Australia) were asked how they engage with nearby nature, their local community, and their attachment to their neighbourhood. A postal and online questionnaire returned completed responses from 458 residents and results provide support for a five-dimensional model of place attachment for urban communities (place identity, place dependence, nature bonding, family bonding, and friend bonding). Engagement with nearby nature and environmental volunteering allows residents to build attachments to the social and physical elements of place. The research demonstrates that urban nearby nature is valuable not just for recreation; but its presence can increase civic engagement, local environmental volunteerism, and residents’ felt sense of attachment and pride in where they live. • Results support a five-dimensional model of place attachment for urban communities. • Frequent diverse use of urban nature was positively related to place attachment. • Volunteers expressed more diverse nature engagement and stronger place attachment. • Nearby nature can strengthen place attachment for urban communities.