Feeling metropolitan: A framework for place attachment in metropolitan regions

Place attachment involves cognitive and emotional elements that connect individuals and groups to specific places. While extensively studied, its expression at the metropolitan scale remains underexplored. This article addresses that gap by introducing the concept of spatial consciousness – comprisi...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Tomàs Fornés, Mariona
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/223260
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/223260
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Barcelona (Catalunya : Àrea metropolitana)
Participació ciutadana
Societat civil
Barcelona (Catalonia : Metropolitan area)
Citizen participation
Civil society
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spelling Feeling metropolitan: A framework for place attachment in metropolitan regionsTomàs Fornés, MarionaBarcelona (Catalunya : Àrea metropolitana)Participació ciutadanaSocietat civilBarcelona (Catalonia : Metropolitan area)Citizen participationCivil societyPlace attachment involves cognitive and emotional elements that connect individuals and groups to specific places. While extensively studied, its expression at the metropolitan scale remains underexplored. This article addresses that gap by introducing the concept of spatial consciousness – comprising phenomenal, representational and intentional dimensions – as a key element of metropolitan attachment. Building on this concept, I propose an analytical framework with three core components of metropolitan place attachment: mental image, symbols and collective action. The framework is applied through a qualitative study of the Urban Master Plan for the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (2011–2023), the first metropolitan plan in the region to incorporate citizen participation. Urban plans organise space and establish centralities and connections, while participatory mechanisms in metropolitan planning offer inhabitants opportunities to reflect on their relationship with the territory and to consider the metropolitan region as a coherent whole. By studying the observations of citizens and representatives of civil society in the process of citizen participation, as well as the views of the team responsible for the urban plan, I identify the components of metropolitan attachment. My findings suggest that such attachment in Barcelona is relatively weak among citizens and primarily shaped by cognitive elements. This study contributes to the literature on place attachment by highlighting the role of spatial consciousness in shaping attachment at the metropolitan scale.SAGE Publications2025info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersionapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2445/223260Articles publicats en revistes (Ciència Política, Dret Constitucional i Filosofia del Dret)reponame:Dipòsit Digital de la UBinstname:Universidad de BarcelonaInglésVersió postprint del document publicat a: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00420980251355878Urban Studies, 2025https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00420980251355878(c) Urban Studies Journal Foundation, 2025info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/2232602026-05-27T06:46:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Feeling metropolitan: A framework for place attachment in metropolitan regions
title Feeling metropolitan: A framework for place attachment in metropolitan regions
spellingShingle Feeling metropolitan: A framework for place attachment in metropolitan regions
Tomàs Fornés, Mariona
Barcelona (Catalunya : Àrea metropolitana)
Participació ciutadana
Societat civil
Barcelona (Catalonia : Metropolitan area)
Citizen participation
Civil society
title_short Feeling metropolitan: A framework for place attachment in metropolitan regions
title_full Feeling metropolitan: A framework for place attachment in metropolitan regions
title_fullStr Feeling metropolitan: A framework for place attachment in metropolitan regions
title_full_unstemmed Feeling metropolitan: A framework for place attachment in metropolitan regions
title_sort Feeling metropolitan: A framework for place attachment in metropolitan regions
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Tomàs Fornés, Mariona
author Tomàs Fornés, Mariona
author_facet Tomàs Fornés, Mariona
author_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Barcelona (Catalunya : Àrea metropolitana)
Participació ciutadana
Societat civil
Barcelona (Catalonia : Metropolitan area)
Citizen participation
Civil society
topic Barcelona (Catalunya : Àrea metropolitana)
Participació ciutadana
Societat civil
Barcelona (Catalonia : Metropolitan area)
Citizen participation
Civil society
description Place attachment involves cognitive and emotional elements that connect individuals and groups to specific places. While extensively studied, its expression at the metropolitan scale remains underexplored. This article addresses that gap by introducing the concept of spatial consciousness – comprising phenomenal, representational and intentional dimensions – as a key element of metropolitan attachment. Building on this concept, I propose an analytical framework with three core components of metropolitan place attachment: mental image, symbols and collective action. The framework is applied through a qualitative study of the Urban Master Plan for the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (2011–2023), the first metropolitan plan in the region to incorporate citizen participation. Urban plans organise space and establish centralities and connections, while participatory mechanisms in metropolitan planning offer inhabitants opportunities to reflect on their relationship with the territory and to consider the metropolitan region as a coherent whole. By studying the observations of citizens and representatives of civil society in the process of citizen participation, as well as the views of the team responsible for the urban plan, I identify the components of metropolitan attachment. My findings suggest that such attachment in Barcelona is relatively weak among citizens and primarily shaped by cognitive elements. This study contributes to the literature on place attachment by highlighting the role of spatial consciousness in shaping attachment at the metropolitan scale.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
format article
status_str acceptedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2445/223260
url https://hdl.handle.net/2445/223260
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Versió postprint del document publicat a: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00420980251355878
Urban Studies, 2025
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00420980251355878
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv (c) Urban Studies Journal Foundation, 2025
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv (c) Urban Studies Journal Foundation, 2025
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv SAGE Publications
publisher.none.fl_str_mv SAGE Publications
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Articles publicats en revistes (Ciència Política, Dret Constitucional i Filosofia del Dret)
reponame:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
instname:Universidad de Barcelona
instname_str Universidad de Barcelona
reponame_str Dipòsit Digital de la UB
collection Dipòsit Digital de la UB
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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