EnglishBuilding Environmental Intentions through Community and Place: Evidence from Prospect Park
- Authors:Cooper Kim(Xavier High School, New York, USA )
- Publication Date:August 31, 2026
- Type:IJCSY Vol.1 No.2
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.23410/IJCSY.2026.1.2.01
- Volume/Issue:1/(2)
Abstract
Urban parks provide important environmental, recreational, and social benefits for local communities. Understanding the factors that encourage residents to engage in environmentally responsible behaviors is therefore important for sustainable urban park management. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among community attachment, place attachment to the park, and environmentally responsible behavioral intention among residents living near Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York. Data were collected from 220 residents using online and offline surveys and analyzed using reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and regression analysis. The results indicated that community attachment positively influenced place attachment to the park. In addition, place attachment to the Prospect park increased environmentally responsible behavioral intention. These findings suggest that residents who feel a stronger sense of belonging to their community are more likely to develop emotional bonds with local parks, which in turn encourages environmentally responsible behavioral intentions. The study highlights the importance of strengthening both community connections and park-related experiences to promote environmental sustainability in urban park settings.
Keywords:
community attachment, environmentally responsible behavioral intention, place attachment, Prospect Park, urban parksfigures
Fig. 0
References
- Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate data analysis (8thed.). Cengage.
- Halpenny, E. A. (2010). Pro-environmental behaviours and park visitors: The effect of place attachment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30(4), 409–421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2010.04.006
- Kasarda, J. D., & Janowitz, M. (1974). Community attachment in mass society. American Sociological Review, 39(3), 328–339.
- Maricchiolo, F., Bonaiuto, M., Gnisci, A., Pola, L., & Senese, V. P. (2021). Place attachment and pro-environmental behavior: The mediating role of place attachment dimensions. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 693945. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.693945
- Larson, L. R., Cooper, C. B., Stedman, R. C., Decker, D. J., & Gagnon, R. J. (2018). Place- based pathways to proenvironmental behavior: Empirical evidence for a conservation– recreation model. Society & Natural Resources, 31(8), 871–891. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2018.1447714
- Lewicka, M. (2011). Place attachment: How far have we come in the last 40 years? Journal of Environmental Psychology, 31(3), 207–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2010.10.001
- Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
- Pratt Institute. (n.d.). Community-engaged resiliency planning for Prospect Park’s southeastern quadrant. https://www.pratt.edu/work/community-engaged-resiliency-planning-for- prospect-parks-southeastern-quadrant/
- Scannell, L., & Gifford, R. (2010). Defining place attachment: A tripartite organizing framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.09.006
- Williams, D. R., & Vaske, J. J. (2003). The measurement of place attachment: Validity and generalizability of a psychometric approach. Forest Science, 49(6), 830–840.
- Yoon, J. I., Joo, J. Y., Lim, S., Kim, E. S., & Lee, C. M. (2024). Climate change perception and pro-environmental behavior among urban park visitors: The mediating role of place attachment. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1338650. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1338650
- Zhao, Y., van den Berg, P. E., Ossokina, I. V., & Arentze, T. A. (2024). How do urban parks, neighborhood open spaces, and private gardens relate to individuals’ subjective well- being: Results of a structural equation model. Sustainable Cities and Society, 101, 105094.