Exploring people-place relationships through place attachment and subjective wellbeing in the context of the abrupt social and ecological change associated with the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted patterns of daily life and drastically altered social norms. The ensuing stresses have impacted mental health and wellbeing. As a key driver of positive mental health, human-place interactions have assumed increasingly important roles. Simultaneously, complex, and abrupt change emerged in places due to COVID-19 restrictions and mandates. This thesis aims to understand if and how the abrupt changes associated with COVID-19 impacted human relationships with place through place attachment, wellbeing, and the valuation of community assets. To address this question, two studies of people-place relationships were conducted in two separate settings. The first study was conducted in the Town of Lincoln, a municipality in Niagara. The second study was conducted within the Niagara Parks, a series of protected areas used for outdoor recreation. In the Town of Lincoln, a greater proportion of individuals indicated the way in which they value assets had changed since the onset of the pandemic. This was supported by pre- and post-pandemic data, which found that two categories of community assets, both indoor community assets, were valued less in 2021 than they were in 2019, whereas other community assets were valued comparably from 2021 to 2019. Two categories of community assets were found to contribute most to both place attachment and wellbeing: waterfront/beaches and recreational trails/pathways. In Niagara Parks, 85% of natural area users described observing changes to the natural areas since the onset of the pandemic. Of these participants, 61% found that system change in the natural areas impacted their experience of wellbeing while using the natural areas, and 33% of individuals reported that their attachment to the place was impacted. This thesis explores if and how change can influence the relationship between person and place. With the system variability of climate change already experienced locally and globally, it is increasingly important to understand the dynamics of people-place relationships.