Researchers commonly acknowledge the functions of neighborhood parks in terms of social interaction and their potential roles as social integrators. Nevertheless, many cities are facing the problem of underutilized parks which could be due to the park elements that are not legible and appealing. This paper examines the relationship between legibility attributes (clear structure, visual obstacles, and accessibility) with social interaction (park engagement and the intensity of contact) within neighborhood parks. To confirm the extent to which legibility attributes predict social interaction, surveys were conducted with 378 participants in the neighborhoods of Putrajaya, Malaysia. Results revealed that legibility of the neighborhood parks influences duration of use, which in turn increases the potential for social interactions among neighborhood residents. The level of visual obstruction was strongly linked with the quality of the edges and distances between park activities. The findings highlight the importance of legibility in the planning and design of public spaces to encourage residents to stay longer while enhancing interaction in neighborhood parks and ultimately achieving social sustainability.

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Neighbourhood parks are designed to provide opportunities for leisure and communal activities for the residents. However, studies have indicated that social interactions in these spaces are not at a satisfactory level. In the urban design context, a good public space should be legible to the observers. Legibility refers to the apparent clarity of the cityscape that directs people’s movement, pattern of activities and form of interaction in public spaces. This paper discusses park’s legibility and its impact on social interaction within a neighbourhood. The results presented are based on a questionnaire survey and a mental mapping exercise conducted with residents in the city of Putrajaya, Malaysia. The results demonstrate a strong relationship between the park’s legibility and the social interactions among the park users. A clear structure of the setting and fewer sight obstacles found within the parks influence residents’ pattern and the Intensity of outdoor activities. The findings contribute to the development of legible environments in neighbourhood park design, its positive impact on social interaction, and social bonding among the residents.

This paper discusses visitors' attachment to historic tourism places in the city of Kuala Lumpur in the context of urban regeneration. The study found that despite having a short duration of visits, the visitors' functional and emotional attachment to attractions was fairly strong. Future regeneration of the places has been linked to improvement of the physical setting and preservation of historic places. The visitors identified strongly with the cultural image and the need to experience the places with comfort. Sustainable urban regeneration within the tourism context demands a good understanding of place attachment reflected in the relationship between people and the destinations that go beyond the attractive image of tourism places.Keywords: urban regeneration; urban tourism; place attachmenteISSN: 2398-4287 © 2018. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v3i9.1521