Ali Riahi Dehkordi, Montazerolhodjah,
Volume 36, Issue 3 (7-2026)
Abstract
This study examines the directional associations among place attachment, place experience, and structured experience in Amir Chakhmagh Square, a historic urban square in Yazd, Iran. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey produced 225 usable responses. Following data screening, the original 73-item measurement specification was respecified as a parsimonious parcel-level structural equation model: 27 theoretically relevant items were grouped into nine balanced parcels, and the model was estimated using diagonally weighted least squares. The full hypothesized model showed close fit to the data (χ²(24) = 23.69, p = .480; CFI = 1.000; TLI = 1.000; RMSEA = .000; SRMR = .049). Place attachment was positively associated with place experience (β = .773, p < .001), and place experience was positively associated with structured experience (β = .504, p < .001). The direct association between place attachment and structured experience was not statistically significant (β = .221, p = .062). A more parsimonious indirect-only model also fit the data and indicated a significant indirect association between place attachment and structured experience through place experience (β = .588; 95% bootstrap CI [.481, .692]). The findings suggest that identity-bearing physical features, everyday social use, and event-related engagement should be considered jointly in the planning and design of historic public spaces.
