ABSTRACT
The writings on place attachment gathered from the scholars in this volume attest to its complexity by the sheer diversity of perspectives on how to conceptualize the construct, how to study it, and how to apply it. Generally, it is agreed that place attachments are emotional bonds to places at varying scales, and that they form and change over time. Beyond that, despite more than four decades of scholarship, much is still debated. The diversity of perspectives on place attachment, its meaning, and relation to other concepts remain a hallmark of the literature and perhaps even more so currently. At the same time, it can be argued that place attachment theory has not radically shifted over the years, as many researchers have proceeded with empirical studies without clarifying or expanding the concept. The application of place attachment in various fields and to diverse topics is arguably the most thriving aspect of the literature over the past decade.
