Journal of Urban Studies on Space and Place

Abstract Introduction
 Informal settlements represent some of the most vulnerable urban areas, often characterized by weak infrastructure, limited access to public services, and heightened exposure to social insecurity. Women, as a particularly sensitive group, experience these vulnerabilities more intensely, making their perception of safety and sense of belonging especially critical. This study examines the sociological role of place attachment in enhancing social security among residents of the informal settlement of Khizr neighborhood in Hamedan, Iran, with a specific emphasis on women. The research aims to highlight how psychological and social ties to place can serve as effective tools in addressing security challenges in marginalized communities.
Theoretical Framework
 Place attachment is conceptualized as the emotional and cognitive bond individuals form with their living environment (Giuliani, 2003). Prior studies demonstrate its multidimensional role in shaping social cohesion, neighborhood stability, and collective efficacy (Sampson et al., 1997; Vidal et al., 2010). Hidalgo and Hernandez (2001) stress that attachment is not merely psychological but deeply embedded in social and cultural interactions, which can mitigate perceptions of insecurity. Within informal urban contexts, where structural deficiencies often amplify insecurity, place attachment may operate as a social mechanism to enhance collective trust and resilience.
For this study, place attachment was measured through four dimensions: emotional dependence, social participation, responsibility toward the neighborhood, and place identity. Social security was defined through perceptions of personal safety, family well-being, social order, and environmental safety. These constructs provide the theoretical basis for exploring how emotional and social investment in place can influence perceptions of security.
 Methodology
 This research employed an applied, survey-based design. The statistical population consisted of all residents of the Khizr informal settlement in Hamedan. Based on Cochran’s formula and proportional stratified random sampling, 392 valid questionnaires were collected.
The instrument was a researcher-designed questionnaire composed of three sections:

Demographics (age, marital status, education, length of residence).
Eight items on place attachment, covering emotional, participatory, responsible, and identity-related aspects.
Ten items on social security, addressing personal, familial, social, and environmental safety.

Content validity was confirmed by five experts, and reliability was supported by Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of 0.84 for place attachment and 0.88 for social security. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, ANOVA, and multivariate regression in SPSS (v.26).
 Results and Discussion
 Descriptive findings indicated that the average levels of place attachment (M = 3.64) and social security (M = 3.42) were both above the midpoint of the scale, suggesting relatively positive attitudes among residents.
The correlation analysis revealed a strong, positive relationship between place attachment and social security (r = 0.65, p < 0.001). Among the sub-dimensions of place attachment, emotional dependence exhibited the strongest correlation (r = 0.68), underscoring the pivotal role of emotional ties in fostering security perceptions. Responsibility (r = 0.62), place identity (r = 0.59), and participation (r = 0.57) also showed significant but relatively weaker associations.
The ANOVA results indicated statistically significant differences in perceived security across groups with varying levels of place attachment (F = 14.67, p < 0.001). Residents with higher attachment consistently reported stronger feelings of security.
The regression model demonstrated that place attachment explained 45% of the variance in social security (R² = 0.45), with a beta coefficient of 0.673 (p < 0.001). This highlights place attachment as a powerful predictor of perceived security in informal settlements.
These findings align with prior studies (Hidalgo & Hernandez, 2001; Sampson et al., 1997) that emphasize the role of neighborhood cohesion in reducing insecurity and social disorder. Locally, the results resonate with Iranian studies (Bazargan et al., 2011; Farahani & Jalali, 2020) that identify women’s participation and community responsibility as key factors in urban safety.
From a practical standpoint, the study shows that security in informal settlements is not solely dependent on policing or physical interventions but can be significantly enhanced through social and emotional integration. Investments in public spaces, community participation programs, and opportunities for neighborhood dialogue can strengthen attachment, leading to more resilient and secure urban communities.
 Conclusion
This study demonstrates that place attachment is a crucial sociological factor influencing perceptions of social security in informal urban contexts, particularly for women. Emotional bonds, social responsibility, and neighborhood identity emerged as central drivers of security perception. With 45% of variance explained, place attachment functions as a strategic predictor of security outcomes.
Theoretically, the study extends urban sociology by framing attachment as a socio-cultural mechanism rather than merely a psychological construct. Practically, it suggests that urban planners and policymakers should prioritize soft, community-based strategies—such as enhancing public spaces, encouraging participation, and fostering collective responsibility—over purely physical or policing measures.
However, limitations include the focus on a single settlement and the use of cross-sectional data, which restrict generalizability and causal inference. Future research should employ longitudinal and mixed-method approaches, incorporating comparative studies across formal and informal neighborhoods.
Ultimately, the findings highlight that strengthening place attachment can serve as a low-cost and sustainable strategy for promoting social security and resilience in marginalized urban settings, particularly empowering women who are most vulnerable to insecurity.

Abstract As one of the immigrant-friendly centers of Tehran province, Shahryar city has faced physical expansion and the formation of informal settlements. Based on this, the aim of the current research is to present a suitable management model for organizing and empowering these neighborhoods and preventing their formation in Shahryar city with a passive defense approach. The current research is applied and its method is descriptive-analytical. Research information has been collected in the form of field and documents. The statistical population includes the legal boundaries of Shahriar city in 1401. The sample size consists of 322 residents and 10 experts. Methods such as AHP, TOPSIS, chi-square test, single-variable chi-square test, Spearman's correlation coefficient, regression coefficient and variance regression (ANOVA) have been used to analyze the research data. GIS and SPSS software have been used to analyze research data.The results of the research show that the percentage of neighborhoods with suitable, relatively suitable, average, relatively unsuitable and unsuitable quality is 9%, 22%, 32%, 26% and 11% respectively. Therefore, more than 37% of the fabric of Shahriar city needs passive defense planning. The results of the chi-square test (70.06) and its significance level (0.00) confirm the lack of trust of the residents of Shahryar city towards urban management in reducing the problems of informal settlements. Based on the results of Spearman's correlation coefficient (0.567) and regression determination coefficient (0.37), the urban management model based on local management cores and neighborhood development offices with a passive defense approach on organizing and empowering informal settlements in Shahriar city and preventing the formation They have the most impact. The results of variance regression analysis and simple linear regression analysis have also confirmed this. In addition, the passive defense approach can improve the security and safety factor of Shahriar city through organizing and empowering the neighborhoods, creating facilities and equipment to reduce vulnerability, creating emergency accommodation places.

Abstract Marginalization is a consequence of the rapid growth of urbanization in modern society and a big problem that metropolises face, especially in developing countries. Where the current government policy to eradicate marginalization is contrary to one of the basic human rights of immigrants, the gradual integration of such areas in cities is the most humane and realistic way to improve the living space of these areas. This type of settlement is growing rapidly in the city of Isfahan. Amir Arab district is an informal and marginal settlement of Isfahan city. This study deals with physical, economic, social, demographic, environmental, and urban infrastructure indicators as key criteria for analyzing and evaluating informal settlements in the Amir Arab region. The main goal of this research is to plan marginal and informal settlements for the Amir Arab district, which will be prepared and compiled based on the approach of urban development strategy (CDS). This study used the descriptive-analytical analysis method, and the required data was obtained from library sources and a field survey. The random sampling method has been used to identify the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the SWOT method and finally it has led to providing suitable strategies for planning this type of settlement. To confirm the hypotheses and their validity, the chi-square test was used.