THE INFLUENCE OF OPEN SPACE UTILIZATION ON RESIDENTS’ ATTACHMENT WITH COMMUNITY: A CASE STUDY OF RURAL MARKET SQUARE IN SOUTH-WEST NIGERIA

Abstract

Open space such as market square is a communal ground where people carry out their various functional activities. This research work is undertaken in order to fill the knowledge gap in areas of people and place relationship, where improvements are needed to overcome challenges in the provision of facilities, design, and planning. In view of its significance, it becomes imperative to explore the relationship between the utilization of market square and residents’ attachment to the community. Therefore, 382 respondents’ views on market dependence, identity, activities preferences, and attachment to the community were collected through self-administered questionnaires. The findings from Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using AMOS tool version 22 for the tested hypothesized model reveal that residents’ dependence and identity with market square had positive significant impacts on residents’ attachment to the community with standardised path coefficient values of 0.32 and 0.48 respectively. It is therefore suggested that appropriate machinery should be put in place towards improving the quality of the market square to further enhance users’ interaction cum the sustainability of the community in Nigeria.