Place qualities, sense of place and subjective well-being: a study of two typical urban neighbourhoods in Hong Kong

This paper investigates the interrelationships of place qualities, people’s sense of place and subjective well-being in the ultra-high-density environment of urban Hong Kong. We argue that place qualities affect people’s sense of place that predicts their subjective well-being. The study develops two scales on place qualities and sense of place, and develops five hypotheses. A total of 814 questionnaire responses were obtained from two urban neighbourhoods in the city, 399 from the elderly (aged 65 or above) and 415 from other adults (aged 18–64). The results reveal a positive relationship between people’s assessment of place qualities and their sense of place: public and community spaces are prominent predictors of a stronger sense of place; people who have lived longer in the community show a stronger sense of place; people having a stronger sense of place display greater emotional well-being; and people who have a stronger affective and behavioural sense of place also demonstrate greater social and psychological well-being. The research findings have significant implications for urban planning and design practices in high-density urban forms, underlining the importance of place qualities, especially socio-petal spaces for people’s sense of place. Sense of place is a good predictor of people’s multi-faceted subjective well-being.